Listener 4197 - Duet for One by Bandmaster

[Philoctetes]

No, I haven't finished it. I just thought I would point out that it is up on the usual site, but under the wrong date, 2012-06-29. Whether this is significant, I cannot tell (It was an old cat, Oswyn's, birthday, but I suspect that is irrelevant)

[sunny-dave]

Excellent puzzle - loved the multiple options.

< I did however make the same irritating error as Upsetter - to whom many thanks for saving my Saturday evening drinking time >

[dead-eye]

I also had the same error. If there is a trap I will fall into it. A superior puzzle which,as others have said,is hard to put down. Enjoyed His "Not as mad as it sounds?"Listener from 2010 as well.

[tilbee]

Sorry, forgot my manners. This was indeed a brilliant construction (even though I was tempted to bypass much of it) so many thanks to Bandmaster.

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, though thousands of miles away and with no real resources, we have completed this one with enormous pleasure and agree that it was truly special and one of the best for a long time - a long string of pdms and a giggle at the end.

[s_pugh]

Here we go again I thought, a relatively painless gathering of the answers and spot of the theme then a blank hour staring at the further instructions. Even when the PDM dawned I didn't dare think it could possibly work out - the construction is quite remarkable. Thanks Bandmaster for an excellent piece of work.

[teuchter2]

I thought I had finished, but having read through all this thread, I'm still not sure what I need to submit. The additional word in the 'harp' clue is ringing alarm bells for me. Should it? Presumably the instructions from the Across clues need to stay in place. I'm going to print out another copy anyway. Mine is a mess. A brilliant construction.

[AndrewG-S]

Brilliant puzzle and for me the best of the year so far. Quite astonishing feat of construction. Shame about the tennis though

[Mesnilpat]

Hurrah, - just about to finish. Gardening and Murray did slow things up but the penny finally dropped about half an hour ago. Any other Sunday-night club members out there?

[IainGrace]

Sucked into this, like others, with a fair way to go but very encouraged by commendations to date. Various extra words can be spotted, some sounding a bit ominous (with pencil and eraser only thus far). Indeed too bad about the tennis. At least as Scots we do not suffer from sporting disappointment as that presupposes expectation of sporting success.

[tenflags]

as a big Roger F fan I'm afraid I couldn't abandon that .. clever and fun .. but not the best this year for my money.

[Alan7777]

I agree with many of the previous comments - an excellent and enjoyable puzzle. Held up a couple of times with plausible but incorrect answers but found the final step quite quickly (for me). I even understand the title! Thanks Bandmaster.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Not old enough to remember Ali's Tartan Army then, IainGrace? A recent EV reminded me of Ploutos' Use a Pencil. This one is slightly reminiscent of a Dimitry tour de force back in the nineties whose title I won't state for fear of having the collar felt.

[jockie]

Hats off to the Boy Morse. The best for years.

[jockie]

Hats off to the Boy Morse! The best for years.

[jockie]

Sorry - seeing double. Must be through a veil of SW19 tears. Hats off to the Boy Murray too! And Marray. Gold medals later?

[Coalminers]

Vetuste-ennemi, you took the words right out of my mouth. I solved that crossword of Dimitry's a month or so ago for the first time and I was staggered at what was involved. I wonder if this was inspired by that....nonetheless an excellent puzzle and certainly one of the best this year. Count me as another who made schoolboy errors in the first part of the instructions....but it only held me up for two days!

[JagoBean]

I'm a newbie to The Listener thread - so much admiration for anyone who gets more than a couple a year complete! This one - arrgh - I'm pretty sure of what I have to submit; title fits too well for it not to work. But I cannot for the life of me see what the first part of the instructions is actually telling me to do! Well, I have a week or so...

[magichour]

Only came to this late on Sunday due to an exhausting stag weekend. Now have a full grid but unsure of one or two wordplays in the middle, so need to confirm some extra words. Trying to make sense of the instructions, I'm sure a PDM must be around the corner somewhere.

[dr b]

I was out of town for the weekend and got to this one late; not much to add to what's been said - an amazing construction, yet very accessible and looking back, not one of the hardest, by a long shot. The very last step was a bit of an anticlimax, but that is a very quibbly quibble.

[magichour]

I am left grinning at this one. Had spotted the final stage earlier on but had no way of being sure about completing it. In any case, bypassing any of the instructions would have significantly detracted from the enjoyment of this wonderful Listener.

I am in two minds about whether it's the best of the year - there are others which are up there - but it's certainly one of my most enjoyed solves for some time. Like just about everyone else, I am in awe of the construction. Many, many thanks to Bandmaster.