Listener 4697 White Rose By Filbert

[upsetter]

The non-words were a price worth paying for this formidable composition.

Thanks, Filbert.

[WessexGirl]

Yes, thanks Filbert, most enjoyable and I liked the thematic placements.

[WessexGirl]

….and the title!

[sunny-dave]

Excellent puzzle - very nicely crafted and the final two non-words are not a problem for me (unlike the subject who was an absolute [deleted] and was well described by the last few letters of the relevant term).

Thanks Filbert - good fun.

[Scorpius]

A rapid start led me to think this was going to be very easy, but then things got a little trickier. I rather enjoyed the clues, especially some of the downs, where the misprints were deftly handled. Definition misprints are amongst the hardest to devise.

I confess that I didn't fully understand the "clues" to the two thematic across entries, but I have little doubt about my substitutions.

[Hagen]

Is this the same Filbert who sets puzzles occasionally for the Independent? I assume so, which is why I approached this with trepidation as I've always found Filbert's Indy puzzles very difficult. As it happens, I found some of his Listener clues easier than his Indy ones (!) though this is probably a matter of expectation. As Scorpius rightly says, the misprints were neatly handled and the clues in general were excellent. My main stumbling block was understanding the two thematic clues - because I spent far too long applying them to the wrong entries.

A brief but satisfying, and unambiguous, endgame which I enjoyed. I was surprised by the placing of the thematic object until I watched a clip of the protest which confirmed it was correctly located. And how convenient was its location for the aesthetic quality of the grid!

A fine debut. Did anyone else, I wonder, get the first four letters from the downs and think this was part of a proper name which would lead to a political theme?

[upsetter]

@Hagen - Did anyone else, I wonder, get the first four letters from the downs and think this was part of a proper name which would lead to a political theme?

Yes.

[NickorWan]

Like Scorpius, I started rapidly thinking it was going to be a very easy puzzle, but then much tougher clues slowed me down; some terrific clues too. I thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks, Filbert.

[Dim16]

Post Mortem: 4694

I failed to work out how to replace TaxiDriver and even began to question if that was what was required. Given that the replacement word was almost certainly of the form M__T_____D I should have looked at the words of that form to see if that triggered anything.

[HawkCrossword]

A lovely puzzle with some very clever clues and a nice PDM when it came. I didn't have a problem with the extra definitions, which all seemed to drop in nicely. I can see a couple of possible red herrings with the final instruction, but one solution seems to fit best.

A lot of fun - thanks, Filbert!

[Cruncher]

Audible groan in SW London when the final PDM waterfall dropped into place and several red herrings swam for cover. Fine puzzle.

[Dim16]

Have completed the grid but for one entry, and carried out the first instruction but not the second. Unless I can complete the grid no point fretting over what that instruction might involve.

Nice puzzle, some v clever down clues.

[Dim16]

Damn and blast! Just solved the last entry. Now I'll have to waste hours tomorrow to no avail on the final step....

[Dim16]

Very nice!

Thanks Filbert