Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31386
Hints and tips by Smylers
Welcome, with a special welcome tinged with sadness to any solvers from The Independent who are trying out today’s Telegraph Crossword after that site terminated its own crossword on Saturday. There are several Telegraph setters who also set for The Independent, and despite the puzzles being uncredited, there is still a range of different styles and personalities shining through — we just have to play the additional meta-game of spot the setter!
Talking of which, I was delighted to meet both of our regular Monday setters, Heron and Weatherman, at the Sloggers & Betters gathering in York last month. At least one of them preferred not to be photographed (entirely reasonably), so you’ll have to take my word for it. They both thought Mondays would largely be alternating between them — however, if I remember correctly, one of them claimed last Monday’s crossword and t’other said they were doing November 9th, which is next week, meaning I’m no better informed as to who we’ve got today.