Cryptic Crosswords Anyone?

[grapes_collector]

To anyone who enjoyed the Stickler cryptic crosswords in various newspapers and were devistated when they were ended, dont despair. David Stickley has come to our rescue. Please email me if you want info.  

[polksaladallie]

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@grapes_collector wrote:

To anyone who enjoyed the Stickler cryptic crosswords in various newspapers and were devistated when they were ended, dont despair. David Stickley has come to our rescue. Please email me if you want info.  

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I don't know about Stickler crosswords, but the Guardian crosswords have been dropped from Queensland newspapers.  They can be downloaded (using a lot of ink), but it is not the same.  I have dropped the newspaper because of it.  Are the Stickler ones similar? 

[the_stickler]

Hi Polksaladallie,

I also wrote The Boxer for the Courier Mail, which you are probably familiar with. News Ltd dropped 9 of my puzzles at the same time the Guardian got the chop including The Boxer, a cryptic in The Tiser and a cryptic in The Daily Telegraph.

At stickler.com.au you can find a free weekly cryptic. You can do it online or download it which I know isn't ideal. I have created a PDF with grey squares instead of black to limit the amount of ink/toner used.

If you like it, please tell your friends.

The Stickler

[polksaladallie]

Thanks for the info.   The Boxer ones in the CM were too easy for me.  Very boring, doesn't test the grey matter at all.  I need very difficult ones like the Guardian, and the two in the Australian on Saturdays. 

The dropping of difficult ones in newspapers IMO is part of the dumbing down of the population.

[the_stickler]

Fair enough polksaladille, we all operate at different solving levels. I, for instance, find the Times and Guardian easy to solve, I guess because I was brought up on them. They don't stretch me at all these days. I pity the new Aussie solver who has to grapple with the likes of the parochial Times and doesn't have access to Australian-written cryptics even if they are easy.

The Stickler