herculis

[colinrobert]

We all need to e-mail the Telegraph or nothing will ever be done about this cretin of a compiler. Maybe the compiler has arrived from the gutter press to discredit the telegraph,or maybe this broadsheet is going downmarket.Now the weekending comp from the travel section has also been withdrawn.

[tonandsix]

Couldn't agree more.
The DT ups its price and either lowers the prize or cuts out the existing prize.
(eg) The SunTel paid a miserly �15 for years to the winner of its xwd. And then decided to pay nothing at all.

The DT Herculis xwd did pay �500. Now it's �250.

And yet the price of both papers goes up and up.

Now we have editorial or proofreading errors on a regular basis.

Seems that the once proud up market Tel is following our tony's downward path..

[JRB]

Yes, too many mistakes, too close together!

Perhaps they should leave the Herculis puzzle without the shading and increase the prize if you get the linked words correct!

[bridgenut]

Can anyone supply an e-mail address ? Tried the home page but seemed to go round in cirles for the right link . I'm all for complaining and I think the more the merrier .
Thanks

[brainiac]

you can phone the compiler - Michael Mepham - on 01373 471435 !!

[shaneystar2]

Or you can email him here
[email protected]

http://www.michaelmepham.com/

I don't think it's his fault ..he just supplies the crosswords to the papers.It's the editorial lot who have the final say in what the prizes are and the printers who are at fault for the shoddy work.

[shaneystar2]

Val Gilbert is the crossword editor at the Telegraph but I cannot find an email address for her .

[london_lassy]

I don't think there is any point in phoning Michael Mepham, he only compiles the puzzles, I can't believe he would forget to shade some clues. The best thing is to phone the Telegraph and ask for the crossword department, they might take more notice if more people complain

[sincnoel]

no, it isn't michael's fault. i'll bet he's just as hopping mad as we are. val gilbert carries the can here. once is perhaps an honest error, twice in so short a time smacks of pure sloppiness and incompetence.

[cheshunt]

A letter to the principal editor pointing out Val Gilbert's shortcomings might be a good idea, especially if we all send one.

[goldenfield]

I am sorry but I have to post my disagreement with the last two posters who have suggested the errors on the non shaded clues are the responsibilty of Val Gilbert. This is a printing problem - no more and no less - and Val has no more to do with printing problems than Michael does. Michael does make errors with his clues and both he and Val have to make sure they start to get things right every time in that respect but to blame them over this latest error is quite disgraceful, in my opinion.

[dwil]

Re prizes. I can't be the only one who desires nothing less than a Sunday or Daily Telegraph pen - whatever its value. I'd much rather have a book token. In fact they could give many more such prizes for the same value of one of those writing implements. So if people are going to write they might add that request - assuming that you agree with me.

[sincnoel]

so it's a printing problem, goldenfield? then kindly explain how they manage to print it correctly at other times? i repeat ... the buck stops with ms gilbert. and we are owed a grovelling apology from her and the telegraph. i have written to the paper's editor already and i hope many others will do likewise.,

[goldenfield]

You can repeat what you like sincnoel - but this has nothing to do with the crossword department at all - yes of course its a printing problem and of course it is just coincidence! Are you seriously asking why some crosswords are printed correctly and others are not? The answer is exactly the same as it would be if you asked why some words are spelled correctly and some are not - simple human error on the part of - at times overworked - printing department. The whole of the crossword department will be appalled by this and your attack on Val in particular - for no reason whatsoever - is in very poor taste.

[Erchie]

The last time this happened it was pretty obvious what the linked solutions must have been.
Please Mr Editor accept honest attempts and carry on the competition this week - even if you can no longer afford the previous excellent prize! Or is this pen worth �250 quid??

[sincnoel]

goldenfield, you are a total prat. do you work for the telegraph?

[goldenfield]

Thankyou sincnoel - what you are if I am a prat hardly bears thinking about! Have a little common sense (although that does seem hard for you) and put the blame where it lies, not where you have made up your mind it exists. And no, I do not work for the Telegraph - just sticking up for Val and her team when she has done nothing wrong on this occasion.