ev 821 realms by kea

[midazolam]

enjoy this weeks enigmatic variations

thanks to all those who have spent their time sending me details of when they have completed the Telegraph's EV crosswords. Lets see whether the timeframe can at least be delayed by a few days. I feel there would be a lot more interest as with the listener if this was the case.

hope you are all well

midazolam

[Rapparee]

Hi Midazolam.

Thanks for the link.

Are you still compiling the stats?

[mad max]

many thanks for link

[midazolam]

the amount of emails regarding the stats have fallen drastically recently. together with crofter, christiana, ulysses and cruciverbalist, you have been faithful regulars.

i therefore doubt there are enough solvers to make anything meaningful out of stats. It was a pleasure to carry it out and I can send on details if anyone would like.

regards

midazolam

[Rapparee]

That's sad. But thank you very much for your efforts.

[DocHH]

As I wrote previously, I have stopped sending completed EVs, due to the timescale, it now needs to be in the first collection on monday and at first class mail rate, or there is little or no chance of it arriving by thursday. Whilst I can normally post EV by monday I do not trust our wonderful Postal system. I subscribe to the Telegraph so always get hard copy. In terms of prizes, 1 cheap plastic pen on offer each week is not even worth a second class stamp! The 3 stainless steel ones that were originaly up for prizes each week were worth sending for, especially given a much extended arrival date!
Midazolam,
If your letter to the Telegraph is ignored it would indicate that Gordon Brown has become the new Crossword Editor for The Telegraph. What is that message about listening and learning!
Despite all that this weeks EV looks OK
Ciao

[greyfox]

Can't wait for David Cameron's Nirvana then! Stainless steel pens all round!

[cruciverbali]

Thanks for the early link as usual midazolam, although this good weather is now seriously jeopardising my crossword-time !

[devadolly]

Hello everyone.
Quite agree with you DocHH the 'old' pens are lovely - very good to write with too.

Do hope you have bombarded the Telegraph with what stats you have. I have both emailed and written to the Xword Ed about the impossible time-frame for the EV, plus the miserly nature of their prizes. All to no avail as I haven't even had an acknowledgement - perhaps we should picket Parliament!!!!

Regards

[devadolly]

Sorry - second paragraph should have been addressed to Midazolam.

[novalis]

Been out most of the day - but found today's very accessible. As far as stats and closing dates are concerned I agree with DocHH abiout the timescale. i shall post fiirst thing tomorrow ( second class ) and hope that it arrives by Thursday.
When the closing date changed from Friday to Thursday
( as it did for Cryptic and GK ) with such ironic timing that it virtually coincided with the abolition of Sunday postal collections I wrote to the Telegraph crossword editor on this subject but did not receive a reply.
Personally I would like it to go back to the Monday closing date but, if that is not possible, then to Friday. Thursday is too soon.

[novalis]

P.S. I should have added that I am not in a position to scan and email it to you but it is normally mid Sunday afternoon that I struggle to completion but it would be nice to take more time over the really challenging ones and not have to overly worry about the closing date.

[devadolly]

I agree Novalis - the Monday closing date did give time for the post to get into gear, anyway, does it really matter if we don't get the results until the third week after the puzzle?

Regards

[DocHH]

With a second class stamp you are being very optimistic Novalis!

[midazolam]

all the above noted thanks

concerning the crossword - i am glad i completed this as i failed on kea's last two efforts. spanned the whole depth of my mind!

[ulysses100]

Hi midazolam,

An easy one this week although I had no idea about Monk's middle name.

A shame that not many people have added their statistics, but let's wait and see what the crossword editor has to say (if he deigns to reply). Of all of these types of crosswords EV has the shortest entry time ---- and why ? if the results aren't posted until three weeks later !