Mystery Tour by Shark
In the late 80’s/early 90’s on an evening Radio Solent slot called The Late Shift presented by Nick Girdler, one could solve crosswords over the airwaves. Using numbers and letters to cross reference the starting cell of each entry, listeners could call in to help solve it within 2 hours. Sitting down with pencil, paper and the concise Oxford dictionary, I was about 12 when I had my first crossword “published”. No computerised searching facilities then. With teenage years and two degrees later, it was a while before I got back into setting when I stumbled on the thematic crossword and was hooked.
I enjoy the denouements of these types of puzzles when I solve them, which is why my crosswords tend to have a pictorial element to the final grid. My first was a tennis racquet and a Christmas tree in the EV and here, in the Magpie, with the Israeli flag and a clock face representation of Hickory Dickory Dock.
Themes appear in all sorts of situations, the current one for example was while reading the nursery rhyme to my son. A quick look on Dave’s website ensured a clock had never been used before in any theme. The added thematic element of real words came later when constructing the grid. Although more of a challenge to create, I thought that as a newish setter I needed every extra leg-up to aid the chances of being accepted by the editors.
The mystery element came last while working out the clues to give the solver a helping hand with the theme. An internet search of the nursery rhyme gave me the Agatha Christie link and I needed 13 letters, which Hercule Poirot fitted perfectly. It was then I realised how many rhymes there are, hopefully not holding many back.
Clue writing is probably not my forte and so does take me a great deal longer than constructing the grid. Despite this I feel I am improving, and reading the feedback, there seemed to be no major disasters. In fact, they were all pleasingly positive, so thank you to everyone that commented. I have plenty more up my sleeve, so you will see me again soon… now how to I create a picture of the NASA space station in a grid?
Shark
September 25th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
We thoroughly enjoyed this one, too, Shark, but needed your help to complete and spot that inspired link between the Hickory Dickory Dock rhyme and the Hercule Poirot message. We shall look forward to your next Magpie contribution – not, I hope, an E with an embedded NASA space station :)
Years ago, a seasoned setter prompted me that the clue writing is the major task that requires far more hard labour than the construction of the grid. I wonder how true that is for others.