MM Links Solutions November 2009 [Week 4]

[crofter]

Many thanks to the well wishers ~ the weather on Tenerife was perfect with cloudless skies and temperatures in the low seventies. I am grateful for the cover provided by my very good friend gen2 on such occasions. I took with me a copy of the Spectator 1941 Crossword to the Canary Islands, from which I learned that Christiana was declared as the winner (yet again) of the challenge set a fortnight ago! The influence of MM Linkers is far-reaching indeed.

During my absence, I noticed that Christiana, fordward & Strix each picked up four points last week and grannydi a most impressive six points (am I so predictable?). In an attempt to lay some false trails, this last week I went with the following links:

Medicine BALL
Science FICTION
Data BANK
STONE Chat

If I thought that I was being devious ~ That couldn’t be further from the truth!

NOW READ ON

[gen2]

I think Crofter must be having problems posting?

[crofter]

My cunning plan had all the finesse of a “Baldrick” inspiration from an episode of Blackadder, since recent ex-champion beejay opened his account with DATA BANK for TWO POINTS as only the second entrant. No matter, I still had three Aces up my sleeve! Unfortunately for me, the fourth entrant was ex-champion ulysses who proceeded to rip off all of my three remaining missing links for a massive SIX POINTS (and so matching last week’s points bonanza of grannydi). This allows ulysses to qualify for the temporary honour of “Hot Shot of the Week”, but (as we all know) after Week 4 we have bigger fish to fry!

With all four links found so early, it was only a matter of how many follow-ups were prompt enough to qualify for bonus points! Those with one hit (and Two Points) included Christiana, lysander, Jools, gen2, paulineward & Grenmus (ex-champions all). However, we had our share of double hitters (in time for Four Points) and these included the ingenious fordward, grannydi & centrino. The future of MM Link Setting had already been determined!

Before the game came to a close, single points were picked up by jan1956, Jim, seekeerz, teacher1, SHAZZA & x-ray; and double points were picked up by cliffyg, miss meg & deecee131 (welcome back!). However, worthy of special mention are the Ont-ices, who between the two of them managed to find three of the four Link Words! Well done!

[crofter]

The League Table after this final week is:

TWELVE POINTS: grannydi
TEN POINTS: Strix
NINE POINTS: ulysses100
EIGHT POINTS: Christiana, fordward, miss meg & tearinghair
SEVEN POINTS: paulineward
SIX POINTS: beejay1124, centrino, Dustybun, Jools & lysander
FIVE POINTS: x-ray
FOUR POINTS: evsajo, ladyalex & (last but never least) slaney

Sitting on top of a host of ex-champions is *grannydi*, who in the run-up to Christmas shall be dubbed our very own “Princess Di” and will be our setter of the links throughout the month of December 2009. She has proved a worthy winner of a very keenly fought contest week. Personally, I am pleased to note that the final scores have reflected your collective enthusiasm.

As usual, I should be grateful to anyone who can assist in establishing e-mail contact between grannydi and granddadcrofter. There will be much to do in preparation for next week’s start of the Christmas Specials.

Make sure that you tune in next week.

Until then: HAPPY LINKING!

:o)

[Christiana]

Well done Granny Di, and at this festive time of pantomimes and fairy Godmothers, how appropriate that Crofter should dub you Princess Di. So away with the apron and mop and on with the ball gown, your golden coach is waiting to waft you to your palace and the shrubbery(!) that surrounds it. Oh well, there's always a 'low' point in every pantomime

[roslyn251254]

Nil points again for me. Crofter - you may have taught me some statistics in my maths degree at leeds in the 70s??

[gen2]

Congratulations to ulysses (Hot Shot) and grannydi (Champion).

I look forward to trying to guess your links next month grannydi.(Please make them easy!)

And finally, Thank you Crofter for doing the hard work of being both setter and scorer this month.

[jan1956]

well 1 point this week onwards and upwards
hope ganni di
is lenient!

[Dustybun]

thanks crofter (for jolly old nothing this week as it turned out!) and welcome back. I trust you are well rested now for the run-up to Christmas as a grandchild can make it a much busier time!!

Well done Granny Di ~ I'm looking forward to 8.45am on 5th December already! Bring it on! (to quote the Bustyone from the Jungle!!)

[tearinghair]

Well done everyone, and thanks to crofter and Gen2. Good luck GrannyDi!

[grannydi]

I am absolutely amazed to have won.
I have no idea how I would get in touch with crofter.
Can someone point me in the right direction please?

[slaney]

Congratulations grannydi on an excellent score - I look forward to your Christmas links, and well done to the other high scorers as well.
Thanks to crofter and gen2 for continuing to keep this particular show on the road.

Granniydi if you email me at [email protected] (that's a zero after the slaney) I will forward it to crofter.

[paulineward]

Well done grannydi...and enjoy your month.
Thanks again Crofter.

[Aquagility]

Well done, Princess Di. And thank you Crofter and Gen2.

Welcome home, Crofter. I had a holiday in Teneriffe in 1936. When ship called at Lisbon they were unloading American lorries for the Spanish Civil War!

[ulysses100]

Crofter, thanks for the title of Hot Shot but I'm afraid that your tallying is not right. I only matched two of your phrases with medicine ball and stonechat, so the title may go to someone else. It also means that the point score is wrong but it makes no difference to the outcome, so may I add my congratulations to grannydi as well, and I look forward to the coming weekends

[twix123]

Well done grannydi, and thanks crofter and gen2 for your hard work over the last month, although I don't think that I troubled either abacus at any time (I think that crofter was being doubly devious by using obvious links instead of the obscure!!)

Looking forward to next month as it can only get better.

[ladyalex]

Amazed that I amassed 4 points this month!

Well done grannydi and all the other points scorers.
Thanks to crofter, glad Tenerife went well.