Helen Wright

Quite chewy, but interesting and lively fill. One query; what on earth were you all using at 2D before 2025?? Our brand new Grandson arrived last night. Beyond excited to meet him today, our reign as Grandparents begins. Apparently you can hand them back when they start crying, unlike when you’ve birthed them yourself and are stuck with the little blighters.

Well, that was a delight. Clearly I’m on Mr Bodily’s wavelength because that filled in super quick for a Sunday. It was so much fun though that I’m not complaining. The theme revealed itself easily, though one of the last to fall was the first entry at 3D. Just not a phrase I’m familiar with. Not being a huge fan of Mr Elton I so wanted it to be the sublime Bowie. Star man, Life on Mars, Space Odyssey would all have fit the bill, but I can’t quibble with his choice, it was elegantly done. It was also surprisingly pleasant to see a handful of ‘feminine products’ make it into the grid and by a (I’m assuming) male constructor, that’s not just the ubiquitous BRA. I’ve spent my life demystifying the world of menstruation to my sons. I’ve had to talk my poor DH (5 brothers, no sisters) through every stage of mine and his daughter’s life cycles. I think the menopause may have finally finished him off. Apologies if that’s TMI for you. Bravo Mr Bodily.

Such fun. I knew 9d was bad moon, so NANA threw me for a while. The aha moment came with GNITCA. What the? Ooh, clever. I’ve mentioned in a reply to a post further down (which gently complained of the difficulty this theme causes for dyslexics), that in fact my son, who’s severally dyslexic, finds it easier to read backwards than forwards. So much so that, coupled with the first Pokémon craze when he was a kid, he found the Japanese language, reading right to left, plus the vertical picture language of Kanji, easier to read than English. He went from feeling a failure in our school system at the tender age of 9, to feeling like a superhero because he could read a language that was inaccessible to everyone else, including his teachers. That sorted his future career for him; a degree in Japanese, a few years in the country and now a specialist in independent travel to Japan. The human brain is a wonderful, magical organ.

Lovely crossword, clever theme. I’m sick to my stomach for your country. I just can’t understand why? Why? It’s 2016 and Brexit again. I can never forgive the lies that were told that people fell for. 8 years later you struggle to find anyone to admit they voted Leave. Its destroyed the UK. I fervently hope today’s choice won’t do the same to the USA.

Yes, yes, very clever. Well done. Can we go back to actual crosswords now please. I really dislike being snippy and am always, without exception in awe of the constructors skill. Here comes the BUT: when you need to work this hard at simply deciphering the instructions, let alone solving the actual puzzle, then you’ve left all enjoyment/fun/satisfaction behind. I’ve done something this morning that I have never done before; I clicked Check Puzzle. I reckon I got 2/3 of the way there before I gave up, but I’m so cross with this that I just don’t care. Kudos to all who completed and/or enjoyed this. Hopefully normal service resumes to tomorrow.

Wasn’t really in the mood for this one, found it a tad clunky. As always, in awe of a constructor’s talent, just not feeling it today. With what’s going on in Davos/the World I’m finding it harder and harder to keep searching for the light. I see no happy end, even once the villain is removed. Relationships in tatters take a long time to mend. Hopefully that’s obscure enough for an emu pass.

Found this a little hit and miss, but that’s because I’m not into puns rather than a fault in the puzzle. As always I’m amazed at the skills used in producing a crossword grid. Surprised at how many haven’t heard of ZHUZH UP. In the early 90’s we had a tv programme here featuring a young, gay Asian man by the name of Gok Wan. Fabulously camp and a genuine admirer of women, he would take a woman who had lost her way sartorially speaking and teach her how to ZHUZH herself up, starting with the right underwear and building up. It was must watch tv in our house. I believe the term comes from Polari; pre gay rights speak when it was illegal to love who you love. I found it bitter sweet to see both this and AZT in the same puzzle. Sad for the guys who had to live in the Dark Ages, happy that they are (mostly) in the past. Though certain former democratic governments are trying their best to reverse that.

Glad to see I’m in good company struggling with today’s offering. An excellent puzzle; crunchy, headache inducing but ultimately satisfying as the white space starts to fill in. It was looking bleak first pass; I had a few small fills like NAE and HALVA, but that was it til I hit the horned sheep. Being the next door county and having lived there for 2 years DORSET was a RARE gimme. A couple of long entries at 18 and 30d finally got the ball rolling, but it was still an (enjoyable) slog. Must we talk about BREXIT? It’s a great clue and perfectly good Xword fodder but oh, the distress it raises here is genuine. I immediately recall the sickening shock I felt on waking to the news that my country had shot itself in the foot. My kids and probably their kids will pay the price of the stupidity of some of their compatriots for years.

A good, tough Friday outing. Panicked a little as I had very little first pass, but working out that long Down after a few minutes was a huge help. The names were total unknowns as usual, but the crossings were kind. I impressed myself by knowing ILEX straight off. Heaven knows I’m no gardener (that’s the DM’s territory), so where I got that from I have no idea. I’m currently preparing for a huge party here next weekend to celebrate our 40th anniversary and was slightly anxious about breaking my streak (734 as of today) as we’ll have a houseful of guests over 3 or 4 days. The recent discussions here regarding streak v auto check has made me rethink my stance. Who am I doing this for? Does it actually matter? The answer of course is no it doesn’t. So, from now on I’m going to loosen up, do the crossword daily when I can and catch up when I can’t. And breathe. My inner perfectionist is screaming and rocking in a corner but I’m going to strive to ignore her.

Oh dear. I don’t like being a hater and I’m always in awe of others ability to construct amazing grids, but this one was just too gimmicky for me. A real slog with a ‘huh, ok’ at the end. I’m glad that plenty of you enjoyed it though. Onwards to Friday.

Lovely. Our youngest prefers Gay to QUEER, I get lost in the convolutions of what is what. We knew, but waited for him to feel comfortable with himself, which he was at age 14. I think he felt a tad deflated at our complete acceptance of and pride in who he is. I did offer to throw him out into the snow and never darken our door again, but he said the moment had gone! Cute puzzle, straightforward Monday time. Our resident Shiba INU graciously accepts being in the crossword twice within a couple of weeks.

Definitely not in my wheelhouse. Despite knowing a fair amount of the clues: KASBAH, PHOEBE, CASABLANCA were delightful gimmes, the theme just felt clunky and contrived. I got it, but I didn’t ’get’ it. The new Wordplay layout is driving me insane. What was wrong with the old one?? Not being able to toggle between crossword, Wordplay column and comments really reduces the enjoyment.

So, this weekend I’ve been in Liverpool to celebrate the wedding of my nephew ROSS to the love of his life RACHEL. I kid you not. Long story short; met at uni, separated, lived their lives 300 miles apart, she married and divorced. Met again 15 years later. Happy ever after. Wedding speeches naturally full of FRIENDS references, down to the tiny plastic lobsters on the table. Filling in today’s grid made me smile.

Oh dear. I make a point of not being a negative Nellie when it comes to crosswords, particularly in a (for me) foreign publication. I pays me money, I takes me choice. So, happy for all who enjoyed it, for all those who found it chewy but doable. Utterly impossible for none American me without Google and Wordplay, ergo not a great solve. Hey ho. Onwards and upwards.

It’s a good puzzle, maybe a tad crunchy for Tuesday but perhaps that’s just me. Hard to remember slang for US currency, I only know ABE from the Xword, unaware of FIN. Overall, while I definitely admire the constructors skill, it left me a little underwhelmed. Edit: it was only whilst writing my post that I realised why: the whole, two letter word response thing is how my SCREENAGE kids would speak. As a Boomer myself and a self confessed grammar pedant, it used to drive me insane. ‘FGS, Use words of more than one syllable when you speak to me’ was a common refrain in our household. I guess it’s a generation thing and I should consign myself to the scrap heap. There are times I find my dog’s non verbal head tilts more eloquent than what comes out of the mouths of today’s babes. I’m taking my grumpy, curmudgeonly self off for a dog walk. We may discuss Proust while we gaze at the orchards.

What does it say about me that my automatic response to flask was hip? Great puzzle; a chewy, Friday difficult offering from the wonderful Ms Iverson. I’m in the hubub of London visiting our daughter this weekend for some retail therapy, but snuck a quiet half hour for tea and crossword. Lovely.

OMG that was a slog and a half. Sports coaches? modes of transportation? that took some working out. Got a couple of the long spans, which helped, but there was an awful lot of alphabet guessing. I bumped into my neighbouring cattle farmer on my dog walk/break to cool my brain down and asked him if he had heard of COW TIPPING. He laughed and said it was impossible to tip a, and I quote, ‘ruddy gurt heifer if she didn’t want to be’. I could still hear him laughing two fields away.

That was. Awful. For a none US solver a lot of the clues were pretty unsolvable, making the whole just a slog of ‘guess the letter’. Lost my streak as I gave up and hit reveal, a move I haven’t done in quite a long while. My apologies to the constructor. I can appreciate the work that went into it and feel bad that it didn’t work for me. Glad others enjoyed it. Onwards. In Alpaca news; getting a bit tricky here. We’re officially in drought, with no rain on the horizon. No grass, hedgerows being rapidly stripped. The girls are sleeping a lot more to conserve energy. May have to try and find some silage for the first time, but it’s an absolute premium as every farm animal is also suffering. Eek.

Ok. I will plant my flag on the mEEP mEEP hill. ANTIFA. No, it’s not an organisation. It’s a right wing thought bubble. What is a TEA PITCHER? How does it differ from a teapot? Is it for cold drinks? Cold tea isn’t so much a thing here, unless the young ‘uns have picked up such a heathen concept. Good Sunday puzzle, chewy but fun. Love the art work, once I got the theme. Always loved ROAD RUNNER; the ACME instant tunnel cracked me up every time. Yep, still wheezing and coughing here. Am going to try for a GP appointment tomorrow. Wish me luck.

My goodness. I had no chance with this. Literally did not know a single answer. Then I discover the constructor is a mere babe in arms. I’m going to gather the tattered shreds of my dignity, blame it on my inflamed sinuses and rock bottom energy levels and congratulate Mr Bergstein on a stupendous debut. Off to lie down for a while now.

Oof, that was brutal for this none religious Brit. Couldn’t tell you what a Dreidel is, let alone what it’s made of or looks like. As for naming an airport near what I assume are motorways (freeways?). Tumbleweed. For that reason, today’s grid is one big TIL. Nothing wrong with that at all. Stretching the little grey cells is a good way to fall into the New Year. Happy New Year everyone. Hope the weather this fine Jan 1st is better where you are. Yet again we’re being battered by storm force winds and horizontal rain. I’ve dipped out of the traditional New Year’s Day walk, just not prepared to get soaked at best, flattened by falling trees at worst. Whatever happened to my temperate Isle?

This felt a bit tough for Monday, but it might be that I’m just too tired to focus, 1D stumped me for an embarrassingly long time. Re the APP debate that’s going on; over here we call them Starters. So that’s that sorted. We had our daughter’s wedding on our land on Saturday. For weeks I’ve been praying for the cold and rain to stop. The gods heard, but being gods they overdid it and opened the furnace doors wide. We’re currently in a record breaking heatwave that is still building. But, the wedding day was glorious, our baby girl stunningly beautiful, everything went according to plan and then some. We’re still clearing the detritus; we found a Groomsman asleep in a hedge the day after. He has no idea how he got there. Those Londoners can’t handle Somerset cider!

That was a perfect Boxing Day puzzle; not too taxing, but full of interesting fill. Love the balance of TIGHTROPE WALKER crossing EGG AND SPOON RACE. Well done on your debut, you should be very proud. In the tradition of servants getting the day off on the 26th I refuse to cook on this day, having cooked up a storm to feed the 5000 leading up to Christmas. After mucking out the Alpacas I’ve had a lovely day lolling in front of the fire (it’s a bitter cold Easterly out there), stuffing my face with cold turkey and chocolate…occasionally in the same bite. The crossword done I’ll turn my attention to Wordle and the Bee, possibly with a nap in between. Heaven.

Aargh. That was so frustrating, but in a good way. It’s a good job I solve online, otherwise I would have erased the entire paper with my ‘it’s this, no it’s that, wait…oh, it really is this’ filling. I was sure of tsARISTS, til I wasn’t. Ditto THUDS, but no, it must be ‘something’ mark. Is WALLE double L or double E? I repeat, aargh. The London clue sent my brain into meltdown. I could not think of an insult that would fit. I was still stumped after completing HOSER, but the lightbulb finally came on reading the comments; oh, Canada 🤦‍♀️ All in all this was a fiendish puzzle from a master constructor. So much I didn’t know, a little that I did but was side swiped by the clever clueing. Dogged (as opposed to DOGIE) determination and a lot of guess work got me the gold star. So a classic Saturday puzzle. I’m surprised and a little sad at the amount of hostility expressed here today. I believe the filling of a crossword is an individual and personal occupation. One person’s walk in the park is another’s hellscape. But it’s just a game. As an international player, there is always so much US based clueing that I can only guess at, but for me that’s the joy. I learn something new every day. YMMV So I say, bravo Mr Walden. Keep challenging us.

NOPE.

You know when it’s just not your day? I’ve spent the last 4 hours stuck in road works on a shopping trip that should have taken a leisurely 2 max. I finally make it home and put my feet up to do the crossword. Naturally I find it fiendishly difficult because my brain has turned to mush. I congratulate myself on getting Ada Lovelace. It isn’t her. Half of the phrases I’ve never come across, so crawl through all the permutations at a snails pace, recreating this morning’s fiasco. The only gimme is the divine Miss EYRE. Yay, my BA Lit has its uses, even if it’s eternally the Brontë sisters. I move 300 miles away from the outskirts of their village and still they haunt me through the squares of the crossword. I then write my comment, which mysteriously deletes itself before I can submit. So this is attempt #2. I’m off to recoup my zen with the Alpacas. Toodles.

A lovely Wednesday that I confess I found easier than Tuesday this week. I hadn’t come across the term SPEEDCUBER before, but it’s self explanatory so helped me unSCRAMBLE the name. RYAN. Never called Ryanair that. Many other names, none complimentary, but not that. Not a big fan of Mr O’Leary, but he’s a clever so and so. I SAY. Yeah, no. Maybe in Eton. Yes it’s a not uncommon parody of a British Toff, so a perfectly cromulent clue. I’m afraid my immediate response was far more Anglo Saxon. I wanted to pop cider into the Hazy clue as that’s one of our best sellers in the Hall bar. A strong, cloudy, locally brewed witches potion. Now then. The flags are out, the bunting is up, the bar is stocked. We’re ready for kick off against those South Americans Who Shall Not Be Named. We’re still looking for justice against the ‘hand of god’ of 1986. If you don’t hear from me tomorrow I’ll be in mourning. Or hungover. Or both.

I see Ezersky’s name and my heart sinks. I battle through the jungle of impenetrable facts, sports and trivia. Finally I reach my destination of a complete grid. Then I go back and find all the errors I made until, at last, I get the gold star. Then I look back and realise it really wasn’t that bad, in fact it was downright entertaining. So then, as always, I mentally apologise to Sam, knowing full well that I will go through the same emotions the next time. Today’s grid experience. PEGG a very rare gimme along with AVGAS. DH is a pilot so I would never have lived down not getting that one. Favourite clues; 10D, 38D. Thank you Sam, once again you remind me not to freak out at a seemingly impossible grid. Won’t stop me repeating said freak out though.

Another toughish Monday, welcome back Mr Shortz. Like the dog theme; my Shiba doesn’t so much ARF as scream until your ears bleed at any and all perceived ‘attacks’ on property or person. A good guard dog who takes no prisoners. If you ever see a photo of them with that cute foxy face and permanent smile, don’t be fooled. They’re Cane Corsas in disguise. The unknown names caused a few sticky moments, but the crosses helped eventually. BRITICISM a new one in me. I was trying to cram the more familiar Britishism in. Given my mini rant re maths themes yesterday I was both surprised and pleased with myself to get FRACTALS without needing all the crosses. Look at me, learning numbers and stuff. Stick that in your pipe ye legion of hideous 1960’s maths teachers. Mind, I couldn’t have told you what a FRACTAL actually is, but still, progress.

Relieved to see I’m not the only one who needed Sam’s explanation of the theme, but appreciated the cleverness once it was pointed out. The doubled words clearly stood for something, but I would never have got there on my own. Genuinely shocked to read @Sotto Voce’s explanation of New Hampshire State law re 21A. Call me an old fuddy duddy, but I can’t understand why any sentient being would rather choose an esoteric idea of ‘freedom’ over simple safety. TBF this is a personal trigger for me. I lost my best friend when her Mum’s car was hit; with no seatbelts, both she and her sister, aged 12 and 14, were thrown out of the car. This was 1972. UK seatbelt law has been mandatory since the Eighties. Oof. My post has taken a dark turn. Still, a great debut. Well done.

Yes, it was very easy for Friday, but boy was it fun; a lovely array of long stacks that made me smile. Who doesn’t love having the divine Beyoncé as their ear worm of the day? It felt quite personal; I eat mainly 1A, avoiding 63A as much as possible, though I’m partial to a glass of 17A particularly when mixed with Edinburgh Ginger and Rhubarb gin. Delicious. After the great alpaca escape of Tuesday this was a lovely, relaxing end to the week. Thank you Malaika.

Seriously out of my league. Couldn’t get a toe hold anywhere, so threw the towel in. On the upside TIL that 16 Tons. A song I remember from the radio as a child, was about a COAL MINER. More importantly (for me), today I saw my nurse daughter spring into action when an elderly lady took an awful tumble into the road in front of us; assessed her injuries, immobilised her damaged limb, kept her calm when the initial shock wore off and was a general good egg until the ambulance arrived. Never been more proud.

Now that’s what I’m talking about! That was hard, crunchy, chewy, made my brain hurt and had not one tv personality in it. Yes! One of my favourite puzzles this year. A political philosopher plus a chippie tea? How can it not be a winner? TIL SHOWER BEER. I mean, ugh. A G&T in a bubble bath is as far as I’m prepared to go. Definitely not sharing that with DH. I’ll be tripping over tinnies for ever more. Had to Google TRITIP, it looks delicious. Might ask my butcher for the cut as it’s going to be barbi weather next week. Bravo Mr Hatchet, more please.

An early start for me this morning. No issues with the grid, but, what do you mean ‘I made an error?’. 5 minutes later I spotted it. Would you believe I spelled TYRES the American way, despite it clearly pointing to the British spelling. My brain has been infiltrated by the US dictionary. Out, damn you.

Why yes, yes I am thank you. At last, a crossword with the correct spelling *ducks for cover*. A thoroughly enjoyable debut. I was intrigued at 17A to see where we were going with this, didn’t take long to work it out. I wanted First for 1A, couldn’t work out what divan could solve to; I only know that term for a bed, so TIL it’s also a SOFA. Also TIL the fascinating tidbit re pelicans. I once encountered one on a deserted beach in Florida. Big, aren’t they? It brought to mind the final scene in Jurassic Park as they were flying out. I clutched my small children and tried not to think of Raptors. We don’t have scary animals in the UK. I’m being careful what I write here; the emus have sabotaged my posts for the last week, no idea what or why. Fingers crossed I’m not merely talking to myself. Although I do. I think it’s an age thing.

Fun theme. I had a ridiculous amount of trouble with 10A; gala before ball before finally getting BASH. The crosses just would not parse for me. Didn’t help that I don’t know Vietnamese cuisine. I’m sure there are eateries in the bigger cities here, but not in my rural neck of the woods. Hand up also for not knowing the sea and trying out iota before atom before A TAD. Phew, lots of TIL this morning. A nice Tuesday workout before donning my rain gear to walk the dog. Yes, it’s raining here. Again. Our current weather patterns are even making headlines, along the lines of ‘where the heck is Summer?’ At least my water tanks are full and there’s minimal watering required in the veg plot. Silver linings and all that.

This was too clever for me, leaving enjoyment behind I’m afraid. Oh, I completed it and found some great clues, but the overall theme held no MAGNETISM for me. I’m always sad when I can’t gel with a constructor’s work. There’s so much effort put into producing a grid that I so want to ‘get’ it. The downside; so very many names and products unknown. On the upside; any mention of Mr Wilde or Pooh and I’m sold. I always wanted to be a GLAMAZON. I picture 1930’s beauties like Ginger Rogers; sleek, svelte and able to twirl in killer heels. Sadly, I’m 5’ 4’’ and can fall over in wellies. Ah me, I can but dream.

Wow. An incredibly intimidating looking grid that actually produced a fairly smooth fill. Very well done Ms Baik. Your comments were a real gut punch. I hope you feel you’ve done your friend proud. With subtle pointers at 17, 44 and 49A you give me hope for your country. Let the next generation take over.

Well that was fun. Thought you’d trip me up with numerals eh? I’m onto you, you sneaky thing. The Bruno Mars album was played on repeat when DD lived with us so that, along with the FAB 4 was a gimme once I realised rebus wouldn’t work. A few names and products I didn’t Know, but once I worKed out the inordinate number of Ks the unKnowns filled themselves in. TIL IDEM. I confidently entered ibid, then was totally confused when I couldn’t complete the grid. Needed Madam Google to teach me the difference. Huh. I managed to complete my degree without ever tripping over the term. 🤷‍♀️

Once I worked out what was going on with the pictures; they got me at HELLO, I was excited to work out the rest. What a lovely idea for a theme. Nothing too tricky here. Having LSAT as a gimme reminds me how much I’ve learned from doing the NYT Xword. I’ve picked up a smattering of Spanish, a handful of sports terms and names, even a few US centric companies and products. It all helps to keep the synapses firing. Long may it continue.

Oof, a proper tough Friday. Needed several swings at this before it came together. As a non-Christian I was pleased I got ARAMAIC first pass, but honestly, it’s because I recently saw the clip with the Pope correcting someone’s error. I’m being careful how I put that as I had a post AWOLed by the emus the other day as I referenced what we think of MINK around here. I used asterisks but still, they who must be obeyed did not like it. A couple of Brit/US trip ups for me; fells will always automatically mean moor (land), my Anglo Saxon brain went to DAmN. Ok, memory of the day; many, many years ago as a young, prettyish thing, I was driven up the Champs ELYSEES and round the Arc D’Triumph in a 1950’s open top Aston Martin by a very suave, elder Frenchman, on a hot Summer evening. If you know ‘The Ballad of Lucy Jordan’ then yes, I had the warm wind in my hair. Also yes, the French are terrifying drivers. Happy memories. Thank you to the constructor for a terrific Friday and the resurgence of a lovely memory. I’m off to bring myself back down to Earth with a poo picking session in the Alpaca fields.

What a sweet, breezy puzzle for a Tuesday. Loved the theme, filled the grid as quickly as my stylus would let me. I always appreciate a tough puzzle, but sometimes it’s nice to give the brain a rest, especially when the theme is as delightful as this one. Huge fan of Mr Fry; not only an outstanding actor, but a highly intelligent and brave soul who spoke openly and compassionately about his mental health issues. As a side note; I’m almost certain the caption photo today would have come from Abbotsbury; the only (I believe) swannery in the UK. It’s about 15 miles from me in Dorset. A wonderful place to visit, on a lagoon nestled in the shelter of the Chesil shingle bar on the famous Jurassic coast. The sight of so many beautiful Mute swans is always breathtaking.

Love THROWING SHADE. A fun puzzle for Monday, straight forward but nice entries. I’m filling time today, waiting for the call from future son in law; he’s proposing to our daughter in the next hour, at which point we scoot over to their house with champagne and flowers. It’s been a military campaign keeping it secret the last 6 weeks 🤐 I’m beyond excited.

Not been around much this week, too many of my entirely innocent and purely crossword related posts have not appeared. I feel like I’m being shunned at a polite dinner party. Here goes: that was the hardest grid I’ve filled in a long time, sadly not in a ‘wow, that was tough but fabulous’ way. Far too many specific US references to make this even halfway possible. I completely accept that’s a perfectly reasonable theme for the NYT, being an American publication. But it stonewalled me. Well done Mr Schlossberg on an entertaining and unusual theme, I’m only sorry I wasn’t able to appreciate it. For those kind posters who’ve asked me about my Alpacas’s; I tried several times to respond (see my first paragraph). They’re beautiful and settling in nicely. Not too keen on the dogs so we’re keeping them well away, with one closely monitored visit a day over the fence so they can get used to each other. Fingers crossed this posts.

What a great debut. I loved it. Didn’t know all the names and of course the sporting term was behind me, but the crossings were kind. Chuckled at SMUT crossing NUDIE BAR. Fun fact. I tried to get into the cinema to see The Man Who Fell To Earth, as I was a huge Bowie fan, but was ejected despite a face full of make up and my most grown up outfit. I think I was 15 and the film was rated 18 here. Given that I looked younger than my age it was a fools errand. I had to carry ID with me well into my 20’s to be sure of getting served in a pub (legal age 18 UK).

Quick comment: it’s been the gin club annual charity festival today. I admit I’m ver ver drunk. I have no idea how I filled the grid, but I got the happy music. Lots of money raised for charity:Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Job done. Will work through the hangover tomorrow

Very good. Got it at MINE ALL MINE, had fun finding the rest. A nice chewy Thursday, not too difficult, but enough to make me think. Lovely. It’s inoculation and body check time for the Alpacas…who do NOT like being handled. Job done, but am now sporting a blooming bruise on a kicked shin and a very painful crush injury to one hand as it got trapped between an alpaca neck and the gate. Those necks are pure muscle. I love my life.

Normally I am not a pun fan, they generally go over my head. But this was so much fun! I’ve had enough old bangers in my time that each clue raised a memory and a chuckle. I used to get ancient Renaults through a friend who specialised n breaking them. He’d find me a model that could be fixed up enough to get through one MOT (UK vehicle fitness test), that would give me one year’s driving before it was scrapped. I drove some magnificent old coaches, with bench seats as deep as a sofa and a steering wheel the size of a cartwheel. A full tank of fuel would double the car’s value. Happy days. Oh, the puzzle. Great. Yes a Tad easier for a Sunday, but still chewy enough in places to make me ponder, especially the obligatory unknown celebrities. Was v pleased with myself that I got REVERE from just -E-R-. Had Irani for OMANI which held up that corner, but got there in the end. More please.