duncanshiell

Born in 1948. I retired from full-time work in May 2007, after 37 years with Ordnance Survey and associated bodies and now have time to devote to crosswords, something not available for many years. Product of 17 years in the Scottish education system, but lived overseas or in southern England for virtually all of the time thereafter. I moved back to Scotland in 2010. Regular road runner and recently returned to orienteering and golf after a 35 year gap. Developed interested in cryptic crosswords in the mid 1960s (Scotsman, Sunday Express skeleton), but working overseas and then raising a family, meant dropping out of crossword solving for about 30 years. Now a regular solver of Times, Guardian, Independent, Inquisitor, Listener and Magpie crosswords. Reasonably regular finisher of the first four. Started blogging in late 2007. Any solving ability far outweighs any clueing ability. Krypton Factor contestant 1983; eliminated in the first round, but the obstacle course finish made good television!

Independent 9813 / Serpent

Tue March 27, 2018 at 7:41 am by duncanshiell

Serpent has given us a good Tuesday challenge today I was pressed for time when I was solving and blogging this puzzle so I was concentrating hard on each clue … Read more >>

Independent 9808 / Tees

Wed March 21, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

I’ve been blogging a few Tees puzzles recently and this one makes a good puzzle for a Wednesday The only word I wasn’t familiar with today was GOLDENROD at 13 across … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1533: A Little Light Relief by Eclogue

Wed March 21, 2018 at 12:01 am by duncanshiell

Eclogue is becoming a fairly regular setter of Inquisitor puzzles. This week, the preamble stated that "In clue order the correct letters from misprints in definitions provide the opening to … Read more >>

Independent 9803 / Wiglaf

Thu March 15, 2018 at 7:40 am by duncanshiell

Wiglaf is a setter I have struggled with in the past, so let’s see how we get on this time. I found this difficult. Indeed, some of the clues would … Read more >>

Independent 9798 / Phi

Fri March 9, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

Friday is the beginning of my four week blogging cycle and not surprisingly it’s a Phi puzzle that gets me underway. We have a well signposted theme this week with … Read more >>

Independent 9789 / Raich

Tue February 27, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

Raich seems to be appearing regularly again midweek. I solved this one fairly steadily working down the grid. When I completed the grid, the top and bottom row of unchecked … Read more >>

Azed 2384

Sun February 25, 2018 at 12:01 am by duncanshiell

We have a plain Azed this week. I got a very long way into this puzzle before reaching for my copy of Chambers. I don’t think I have ever got … Read more >>

Independent 9784 / Tees

Wed February 21, 2018 at 10:08 amWed February 21, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

Tees has been appearing one, two or three times a month recently, at weekends as well as midweek. There was an appropriate balance in the top and bottom row of … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1529: That Sinking Feeling by Nudd

Wed February 21, 2018 at 12:01 am by duncanshiell

It’s been three years since Nudd set an Inquisitor, so it’s a pleasant change to see one now. The preamble told us that "a single letter must be jettisoned from … Read more >>

Independent 9779 / Klingsor

Thu February 15, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

It’s a bit like buses. No blogging of Klingsor for a while, then I get both the January and February ones. That’s fine! There was only one word I didn’t … Read more >>

Independent 9774 / Phi

Fri February 9, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

Phi. on Friday – no surprises there All but one of the entries were words that I have come across. RECREANTS at 18 across was new to me but the … Read more >>

Independent 9765 / Wiglaf

Tue January 30, 2018 at 12:00 pmTue January 30, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

Wiglaf on Tuesday this week. It’s nearly fifteen months since I last blogged a Wiglaf puzzle and I note I said then that was the first Wiglaf I had blogged, … Read more >>

Independent 9760 / Poins

Wed January 24, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

As far as I can ascertain from research on fifteensquared, Points is more regularly seen at weekends than during the week. I can’t remember blogging a Poins puzzle before. Maybe … Read more >>

Inquisitor 1525: Embedded by Chalicea

Wed January 24, 2018 at 12:01 am by duncanshiell

This is Chalicea’s thirteenth Inquisitor in seven year, so we see her puzzle every six months on average. The preamble was fairly short, as follows: "A message relating to | … Read more >>

Independent 9755 / Klingsor

Thu January 18, 2018 at 7:30 am by duncanshiell

It’s a while since I blogged a Klingsor puzzle I think, so it was good to get one today. Klingsor doesn’t do messages or Ninas very often but he does … Read more >>