Crossword News January 2012

Last month we had Seasons Greetings III by Eclogue as our Prize Puzzle. In November I announced this puzzle as ‘another Christmas special’ and this was intended to be a little hint. After facing the formidable challenge of filling the Carte blanche grid the solver was to discover SILVER CITY and MURRAY HILL in the diagonals. A search on Wikipedia would bring the correct location – Christmas Island!

Here are some of the comments.

“Thanks to you and Eclogue for an enjoyable puzzle, which was eminently solvable yet required enough fiddling to allow the solver a feeling of satisfaction on completion.”

“Spent ages trying to justify Ottey until I discovered her on Wikipedia. Rosso is not in Chambers but an Italian adjective. I suppose you can talk about a glass of rosso rather like a glass of vino.  Also needed the internet to find Christmas Island and the two features. There is a city called Murray Hill in New Mexico but no real mention anywhere of Silver City unless you pair it with Christmas Island.  Apart from that, it was fun putting the words together!   Just the final justification took a bit of time.”

“Eclogue created another Christmasterpiece!!”

There were 51 entries of which 19 were incorrect, mostly putting Milwaukee Wisconsin as the holiday destination. When we were testing the puzzle the possibility that there might be a problem with Christmas Island. There is a Silver Hill (pop est 1146) in North Carolina, and there are roads (for instance in Greensboro NC) called Murray Hill there too.  There are neighbourhoods in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the two names, but the ‘incorrect’ answers do not allow for the puzzle’s festive title.  The setters acknowledge that Milwaukee was an ‘unforeseen inadvertent trap’ for those using Google, but note that a Wikipedia search for each of the two ‘features’ would lead to the right answer.

The lucky winner, picked from the hat, was Mark Nichols, who will soon be receiving his prize of Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and fable, which was donated by the publishers.

This month’s Prize Puzzle is Losing Track by Nudd. So far there are about 20 entries and you have until 8th February to send in your solution. Remember that now entries should be sent to quiz.man@ntlworld.com The prize will be a copy of Chambers Biographical Dictionary, which has been donated by the publishers.

The Prize Puzzle for February will be Technical Title by Grypt.
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I recently received this exciting information from Eric Westbrook.

£1000 IT Challenge – Computer Program for a 3D blind solver
 The £1000 IT Challenge is to produce a FREEWARE computer program to enable a totally blind crossword solver to tackle a 3D crossword puzzle at no cost.
The 3D crosswords in question are those presented at no cost at
www.calendarpuzzles.co.uk
 BBC Radio 4 In Touch 30.09.2008 featured an item on the 3D crosswords. Presenter, Peter White, asked the natural question of whether a blind person could access them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/intouch_20080930.shtml
The problem was partly solved by finding the wonderful Ian Humphreys in Albany, Western Australia and working with him as program consultant to produce the BG Crossword Puzzle program which gives a totally blind (and partially deaf) crossword solver full access to tackling conventional flat, 2D crosswords. The program is free to download at Spoonbill Software: http://www.omninet.net.au/~irhumph/blindgamers.htm
 BBC Radio 4 In Touch 9.11.2010 ran an item on this first, free electronic access for blind crossword solvers  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vrvx1
There are several equal opportunities-related issues that remain to be resolved. We have the functionality developed at GU to load Guardian and Observer crosswords into the Spoonbill program. But we are waiting for an official go-ahead. GU are in favour of this but there is no schedule for when the switch will be flicked. I am waiting on other crossword sources. Virtually all crossword setters send their puzzles to their crossword editors electronically and in file formats that are compatible with the Spoonbill program. There has to be a way forward.
Ian’s program is brilliant. You can do puzzles with your eyes closed! But the issue is how does a blind solver tackle the puzzles of the day – the same ones that everyone else is tearing their hair out over? And to do so legally and grammatically!
My next issue is how to extend this fantastic facility to 3D crosswords. And that is the task perhaps for an IT student somewhere. The way forward could be to develop the Spoonbill program. It could also be to take a fresh approach. I would be very pleased to discuss this with any entrant to the competition and stay in touch throughout the developmental stages.
 Our 3D crosswords are freely available to all. All we ask is that solvers consider doing something extra for a person or group of people in need. The same puzzles will be made available to the new computer program that we hope will be produced by this competition.
The deadline for the competition is at the end of the year at midnight on December 31st 2012. Judging by an expert panel will take place in January 2013 when selected entrants will have the opportunity of demonstrating their software.
 The prize money is held by solicitors Thrings of Swindon. If the challenge is not met, the money will be passed to RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning. The prize has been gathered by anonymous private subscription and is quite separate from funds raised through the 3D puzzle calendar sales.
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With Labour leader, Ed Miliband, having a difficult time at the moment it was apt to see a relevant clue in the Guardian. See Simon Hoggart’s article at this link - http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jan/10/simon-hoggart-sketch-ed-miliband-speech
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In this week’s crossword blog Alan Connor discusses whether crossword setters really understand the language of hip-hop. You can read it here http://www.guardian.co.uk/crosswords/crossword-blog/2012/jan/12/crossword-blog-when-bad-means-good
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The next meeting for Listener crossword setters and solvers will be in the White Horse, Parson’s Green on Saturday 21st January.
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I have already booked my place at the annual Listener Setters’ Dinner, which will be taking place in Harlow, Essex, on the 17th March. I am looking forward to seeing many of my friends there.

Happy New Year
Best Wishes
Derek