RELATEDNESS
1 J. C. Leyland: Truss deal seen unravelling with first of U-turns and some out for blood (anag. less U, s).
2 H. Freeman: Assume Neanderthals’ —— with humans a phoney? (comp. anag. & lit.; phoney vt).
3 Ms S. Wallace: Bond dealers in turmoil with latest signs of increase in interest rates (anag. incl. last letters).
VHC
M. Barley: With start of strikes, sender will be worried about delayed correspondence (late in anag. incl. s; ref. postal strikes).
T. C. Borland: Wild and treeless nature of links (anag.).
Dr J. Burscough: Core of plotlines in Eastenders, complicated family interconnection (l in anag.).
A. G. Chamberlain: Bond sales trend ‒ start of economic rebuilding? (anag. incl. e).
A. Gerrard: Blush about ladies or gents having base conjugal union (lat + e in redness).
J. Grimes: Affinity the French inspired by ‘tendresse’ possibly (la in anag.).
R. J. Heald: EastEnders fans transfixed by latest from fictional community (l in anag.; fan vi).
J. Hood: Removing a very last shred of doubt, new DNA tests reveal —— (anag. less a v t).
L. M. Inman: Source of la tendresse between Dumas père et fils? (anag.).
P. Jenkinson: Concerning deceased, sends out correspondence (re late + anag.).
D. F. Manley: Awfully leaden ‘Truss-ese’ ‒ no use for establishing a state of affinity? (anag. less use).
P. W. Marlow: Labour starts to stretch substantially recent lead with leader of Conservatives failing? It’s connected element (anag. incl. s, s, less C).
T. D. Nicholl: Family ties left Eastenders in turmoil (anag. incl. l).
J. & A. Price: In EastEnders the opening of launderette transformed family ties (anag. incl. l; ref TV soap plotline in 2021).
D. Price Jones: ‘Eastenders’, London’s first moving family feature? (anag. incl. L).
W. Ransome: Terse language initially and extreme bits of spite flung around in family correspondence (anag. incl. l, s, e).
S. Saunders: Els (RSA) teed off round new links (n in anag.; ref. South African golfer).
Dr S. J. Shaw: Guide to strength of blood involving everyone’s lineage and ties primarily (first letters in redness, & lit.)
P. L. Stone: New let, a des res, cracking family property (anag. incl. n).
L. Ward (USA): Germans share this trade with Luxembourg ‒ Essen’s involved (anag. incl. L; german = near relative).
Mrs A. M. Walden: A feature of some bonds? Endless rate changes (anag.).
A. J. Wardrop: Superficial evidence of inflammation masks once common condition (late in redness).
R. J. Whale: Blood line in EastEnders cast? Slaters need unravelling! (l in anag.; anag.).
HC
T. Anderson, D. Appleton, D. & N. Aspland, Ms K. Bolton, C. J. Brougham, Mrs S. Brown, J. A. Butler, A. & J. Calder, P. A. Cash, T. Clement, Ms B. Currie, E. Dawid, J. Doylend, R. Emerson, P. Finan, Dr I. S. Fletcher, R. Gilbert, J. Grady, G. I. L. Grafton, E. Hall, A. H. Harker, S. Hicks, G. Johnstone, M. Lloyd-Jones, P. McKenna, Rev Prebendary M. R. Metcalf, K. Milan, C. G. Millin, T. J. Moorey, G. Morgan, S. J. O’Boyle, A. Pearce, J. Pearce, R. Pinnock, Dr J. B. Reid, A. Roberts (New Zealand), T. Rudd, A. D. Scott, D. P. Shenkin, A. Shields, N. G. Shippobotham, R. C. Teuton, K. Thomas, A. J. Varney, J. Vincent & Ms R. Porter, A. Whittaker, A. J. Young.
Comments
147 entries, no noticeable mistakes, in an excellent competition, with many references to the extraordinary political events currently unfolding at breakneck speed, and of course the EastEnders anagram proving very popular. Not being a fan myself, I was prepared to be tolerant towards those who failed to capitalize the second ‘e’. 15 of my clues were cited as favourites, with top place being shared by ‘Diary anyone may read left in the loo’ (BLOG) and ‘Bairns fidget so and relish misbehaving’ (HIRSLE). One or two of you mentioned that 13 x 11 grids seem to present different (possibly slightly easier) challenges to the solver. They occur as competition puzzles only rarely and with no deliberate planning, though the number of clues in them may vary from the usual 36 in 12 x 12 puzzles and their grids have one letter fewer. I introduced them as a variant many years ago simply to allow myself access to 13-letter entries now and then.
Some of you have asked why John Tozer’s andlit.org website has not been kept up to date recently. Shortly before the AZ lunch in May, John was taken seriously ill and is recovering only slowly. It is too early to say if and when the website will be resumed. Meanwhile I’m sure you will join me in wishing him and his wife Jane well. I have also heard fairly recently the sad news that George Willett, a Wykehamist, longtime X/AZ competitor and author of many elegant clues, left us (in his 90s).
We are warned of imminent postal strikes which may jeopardize competitions in the near future. I shall try to give you notice of these when their likely effect is better known.