My latest cruciverbal creation:
https://crypticcrosswords.net/puzzles/rookie-corner/rookie-corner-449/(NB the online solving interface at crypticcrosswords.net is truly dreadful, so if you like solving on your mobile device, I would advise downloading the AcrossLite (.puz) file and using the AcrossLite or Puzzazz app. Or download and print the PDF to solve the old-fashioned way.)
For those who don't know, Big Dave's Crossword Blog is a long-running blog that focuses on the Telegraph's daily cryptics*. It also hosts guest puzzles, including the regular Not The Saturday Prize Puzzle, which was introduced some years ago to fill the gap left when the Telegraph stopped running its regular Saturday Prize Puzzle. In theory, the NTSPP slot is open for submissions, but because Big Dave was getting overwhelmed with offers, he started up Rookie Corner, where neophyte setters could submit their efforts to the scrutiny of resident expert Prolixic (who is a professionally published crossword setter). Any Rookie deemed consistently good enough could earn promotion to the NTSPP.
The puzzle linked above is my third outing in Rookie Corner. And, it turns out, my last. Because I've been promoted. Yay!
Not that I like to blow my own trumpet too much but I believe it's only the second time ever that a RC puzzle has scored 0 on the commentometer. The relevant blog post with
Prolixic's review of the puzzle is here.
*For the Guardian, Independent and FT, the blog of choice is
Fifteensquared. For the Times, it's
Times for the Times.
