No Listener video today, but here's me struggling with the daily Times Crossword by Roger Phillips, from which you could see that not being able to finish dailies [without aids] should not stop you from attempting The Listener! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz9W...

Topical spoonerisms on BBC Politics!

Listener videos are back and we have Sabre, the legendary Setter whose first Listener was published 56(!!) years ago, on 30 July 1970. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJBE...

Afternoons do not get much better than this:

Sandwich CC Sunday Friendly XI playing Hoboken CC (USA) was quite a spot for the shocking news from Trent Bridge. (Cryptic content coming back in a week)

The Listener videos are on their way, but meanwhile here's the complete live-(back)-solve of my favourite Magpie A-grader of all time! With a bonus, somewhat shocking (at least, for me!) fact right at the end. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm2q...

The dreaded thing finally happened last week -- I left somewhere my folder with almost-finished Sabre and half-solved Magpie. Luckily, I had taken photos of the finished grids for Pandiculator and Porlock and various stages of Sabre, but had to refill Shoehorn from scratch.. Interesting expetience..

Sabre! After a long hiatus propted by exam marking and a string of slightly less interesting Listeners, The Listener Recap will be back when (if?) I manage to solve this Sabre! I'll try to record an overview of all the puzzles that I didn't cover in detail.

Last year I went for the snobbish &lit.: Cacophony of noise with vigour lacking general intelligence (10). And this year the cacophony featured a chap who runs a small quirky museum in Ramsgate!

Just finished a Magpie puzzle by one of my favourite setters @hawkcrossword.bsky.social and it did not disappoint! Although I do believe that they under-graded it and it's a solid E. Very, very tricky one.

New Listener video is out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GfY... with a wonderful puzzle by Charybdis!

Today is the 7th anniversary of this: www.youtube.com/live/kOx0CoA... Which was one of the best things that happened during the pandemic and indeed was a bit like meeting a tooth fairy! @polborta.bsky.social Also -- yes, the 30000-th crossword(s) in the Guardian is well worth it!! Back tomorrow!

Oh, and the new Listener video is out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t43... Which is as simple as the Listeners get, but features a rather strange decision in row 8.

In a rare editorial oversight(?) we get this from Loon yesterday: Reputedly boring individual teaches ceramicist (12) followed by this from Tilt today: What professor McGonagall does with small geeks? (13) in The Times Quick Cryptic..

New Listener video is out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWFh... with a puzzle by another omnipresent cruciverbal person -- Serpent!

No Unch yet for me, but here's a new Listener video which I accidentally released a week earlier. Featuring one of the two of my all-time favourite clues. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlM_...

I'm contemplating whether I should start an informal crossword club in Sandwich. Before I post anything on the local FB groups and post on the very physical notice boards -- anyone with experience running crossword meetups, how would you go about this in a way that keeps it lively and interesting?

New Listener video is out! The one where I forget what I said a half a minute ago, but also the one featuring one of my favourite setters, the omnipresent Colin Thomas. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hcq...

Bonus video on the excellent E-grade puzzle in the Magpie that was as close as it gets to the Puzzle Made Specifically for Me. (and a follow-up to their previous Magpie) Another half a dozen of these and we could publish "Best Cryptic Walks by Styphalides (with maps)" www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqaz...

The world is a better place when we can listen to Peter and Jan talking -- and we are treated to 14 days of this! Don't miss.

Get your copy, should be a great one! Meanwhule I have almost finished #2

New Listener video is out, this time asking a question: WHERE IS EVERYONE? www.youtube.com/watch?v=__qJ...

Best Listener puzzles of 2025! The official top-5 and my personal favourites: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9hS...

Wow! Really surprised by this from @polborta.bsky.social as this happened to be the _only_ chess book that I read, but I also was totally obsessed as a (slightly older) child and memorised it all. Candidates starting soon with Peter and Jan providing commentary! www.youtube.com/shorts/1kgU-...

Listener Videos are back with a brilliant puzzle by @cranberryfez.bsky.social Early AGC candidate this one. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVUZ...

Arrgh, I was hoping that Parseword clues would be more Ximenean/strict than minute cryptic ones, but we see 'first embarrassing' for E today, which is a bit disappointing. I guess I'm in a small minority here though. @josh.powerlanguage.co.uk

No video -- numerical week! But, Colin Thomas set todays Ponder, main 15x15 cryptic and The Listener! Colin (Twin) is one of my favourite setters and POTY winner for both Magpie and The Listener. See you all in Eastbourne tomorrow for The Listener Dinner?

This is great! Definitely prefer this to minutecryptic, as this is much more instructive for the newcomers and hopefully forces the clues to be accurate -- while the MC ones are afwully loose sometimes. @crackingthecryptic.bsky.social -- this could be a good addition to the channel?

No Listener video today, but I recorded one about Stymphalides E-grader and will try to make one about the wonderful Listener by @cranberryfez.bsky.social

Hopefully this is not a spoiler, but the new Magpie E-grader is as close as it gets to a puzzle made specifically for me! Very impressed.

New Listener video is out and it's Shackleton!! youtu.be/8sEOqmlujPM?... (Also, @cranberryfez.bsky.social has a Listener debut today! Thrilled!)

New Magpie has landed with new Stymphalides puzzle in it! Their previous (debut) offering was my personal POTY that year, here's a video about it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtan...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcUT... The shortest of the Listener Videos so far -- there isn't really all that much going on there.

New Listener video is out. This one is very short, the puzzle is somewhat unfotunate in having its carbon (vinyl?) copy published half a year earlier... www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXGh...

From @derekharrison.bsky.social newsletter: *** I noticed that he has figured in Anagram Genius with some very apt anagrams. Mean old serpent PM needs to learn Molest and preen Plot ensnared me Don peer’s mantle Repent sad lemon Lean modern pest Lamented person etc. ***

Also, Shackleton in the Listener!!!! If you know, you know.

Listener videos are back! First three puzzles of the year, including a rather brutal one from Mr Snaky (whose Magpie offering I'm yet to finish). youtu.be/o1Kx1amPdyI?...

Wow! One FIDE decision that we could all get behind!

Look what has arrived! (Also, the Listener videos will be back in two weeks, with the first one covering first the Listeners of 2026).

No Listener video as I messed up the sound again, but I did enjoy the Snakes&Ladders one, easy and elegant. Also, travelling now, so chances are the rest of 2025 Listeners will also not be covered. Normal service to be resumed soon.

In case you happen to understand Russian, it is not too late to catch the last 1.5 days of @polborta.bsky.social providing commentary for World Rapid&Blitz Championships on LevitovChess. I'm of the firm opinion that life in general and chess in particular is better with Peter's commentary.

Somewhat belatedly, the new Listener video is out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5-f... In which I spend half the time talking about something completely unrelated.

Consistency for the festive week so far.

New Listener Video is out! youtu.be/8_X44nOBYhs?...

Numerical Listener week, so no video, but if you have missed this one, have a look, it's really my dream come true: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0qR...

Well, we can cross this from the list now! Many thanks to Simon and @polborta.bsky.social and you should all go and watch this right now (as I am about to): www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0qR... Christmas coming early and all that. Better than Day 5 of the Ashes test.

New Listener video is out! www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh2x... (in which I moan a bit)

New Listener video is out. A lovely puzzle by Horntail, one half of whom is Michael Bennett (Shoehorn)! www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJNf...

We interrupt our regular programme to bring you the timely reminder that the man currently batting for Australia used to play for Sandwich Town.

New Listener video is out. One of the more impressive uses of grid symmetry out there! youtu.be/qijbeetn0bc?...