Ravenshead

Cryptic Crossword

Group Leader Frances Gilbert
Meetings 1st and 3rd Thursday's from 10.00 am to 11.45 am
At ZOOM MEETING. Contact the Group Leader for details.
Group Full?: NO, Status: Active

Please click on the Calendar link below to see a diary of events for groups. Use the radio button to select a particular group:

Calendar

The Group are currently meeting on Zoom.
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The cryptic Crossword Group had its inaugural meeting on 21st September 2017. Since then the group has continued to flourish. Initially, the group facilitated by Sue B, worked through the Workbook 'Learn How To Solve Cryptic Crosswords. A Course for Beginners' by Henry Howarth, U3A National Subject Advisor on Cryptic Crosswords. The Workbook is available to U3A members for £10. For some time now we have been using the SUN Two - Speed Crosswords, Collection 3.

This group is suitable for near beginners and improvers. We work together in a friendly environment using Zoom over the internet on the first and third Thursdays in the month from 10.00am to 11.45am. Frequent tea/coffee breaks with biscuits help to oil the brain cells. You might surprise yourself by how much of a devious mind you have when you get chatting to others!
If you are interested in seeing how this group works, please contact the Group Leader, Frances Gilbert. To see the diary of meetings from previous years, click on Cryptic Crossword Records All
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Diary 2024:
Week 133: Thursday 7th March 2024 at 9.30am via zoom and ‘hosted’ by Frances G

Almost a complete group today. Sue B was unable to host the meeting, so Frances G was conscripted as host and did her best!

We worked steadily through our three crosswords. Everyone participated and Brenda frequently helped us out with difficult clue constructions.

Anagram indicators today included: demolished, adjusted, strange, knocked, treatment, amended and explode.

Next meeting: The meeting on March 21st, the 3rd Thursday in the month, has had to be cancelled. A new meeting date has not yet been decided.

Homework: SUN crosswords 35, 36, 37 and 38.
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Week 132: Thursday 15th February 2024 at 9.30am via Zoom and hosted by Sue B

The Cryptic Crossword Group was highlighted at Tuesday’s monthly general meeting and we were pleased with the interest shown by quite a few members. As a consequence, we were delighted to welcome a new member to our Zoom CC meeting today. So, with 8 members contributing to the session, we were all very involved as we worked through our homework!

  • Anagram indicators to day included: changes, about, explosive mix, prepared, strangely, rewritten.

Homework: SUN crosswords 32, 33 and 34.

Date of next meeting: Thursday 7th March at 9.30am via Zoom
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Week 131: Thursday 1st February 2024 at 9.30am via Zoom and hosted by Sue B

A beautiful morning but still very cold! Six of us had a busy time discussing our answers to today’s crosswords - 26, 27 & 28.

Anagram indicators today included: convert, rolled, out, created, doctor, cooked and crazy.

One word, in particular, stimulated more discussion – ‘dis’. The clue? ‘Break ties in underworld, now reformed. (6)’. Answer? ’Disown’. It seems that ’Dis’ was originally associated with fertile agricultural land and mineral wealth. Since these minerals came from the underground, he (Dis) was later equated with the deities Pluto (Hades) and Orcus.

Next meeting: Thursday 15th February 2024 at 9.30am via Zoom

Homework: SUN crosswords 29, 30 & 31.
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Week 130: Thursday 18th January 2024 at 9.30am via Zoom and hosted by Sue B

A beautiful morning but very cold! This is where zooming is really a benefit – no need to leave the home!

Today we tackled SUN crosswords 23, 24 , 25. Without exception we all found them a challenge and on a couple of occasions we found it impossible to give complete explanations for the answers.

Anagram indicators today included: ground, trashed and terribly.

Next meeting: Thursday 1st February 2024 at 9.30am via Zoom

Homework: SUN crosswords 26, 27 , 28.

Week 129: Thursday 4th January 2024 at 9.30am via Zoom and hosted by Sue B

The first meeting of the year got off to a good start with 6 members attending. We recently started SUN Collection 10 and have now reached Crossword 22.

Anagram Indicators today included: upset, spinning, about, smashed, dancing, drunken , changed.

Homework: SUN Crossword 10, crosswords 23, 24 , 25.

Next meeting: Thursday 18th January 2024 at 9.30am via Zoom.

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Antiques Armchair Travellers
Belly Dancing Book Reading
Canasta Chair Yoga
Chess and backgammon Cinema and Theatre Visits
Country and Folk Dancing Craft Group
Creative Writing Cryptic Crossword
Dog Friends Family History
Food and Cookery French Conversation
Garden Group Guitar
Hikers (5 - 8 miles) Holiday Spanish
Knitting and Crochet Latin
Local History Mah Jong
Meet and Eat Pétanque
Photography For Fun Pickleball
Salsa Science and Technology
Scrabble Cribbage Rummikub Sprich mal Deutsch
Table Tennis The Weekenders
Thursday Walking Group Topical Discussion Group
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