Listener 4502: Never-Ending?

[Alekhine]

This is curious.

All done, all seems OK ... and yet I am a letter out in the endgame.

I'll assume that I have made a small error. Perversely, I hope that I have and that there isn't a problem here.

[kdgs2]

Alekhine, I'm in exactly the same boat - I have one too few of one letter and one too many of another and can't fathom what I've done wrong! Everything else has been very enjoyable.

[TheBear69]

Same here. I am convinced the editors have slipped up.

[scooterbug]

Correction has now been posted on the crosswordclub site to provide the missing letter.

[Flocker14]

Where on the crossword site? I can't see anything.

[olichant]

Wish I had looked in here earlier. Thanks, Alekhine and scooterbug.

Much better surface readings this week.

[olichant]

And, I forgot to say - I enjoyed this very much. Thanks, KevGar.

[12barblues]

Yes, a frustrating 30 minutes checking and double checking even wondering if there was a cunning trap and a different work was to be found. Otherwise an enjoyable puzzle, thank you.

[saladdodger]

CORRECTION: In Listener 4502, the clue for 15dn should read “Tree debarked and chopped down around university metropolis filled up again”.

[Flocker14]

Found it - and all is now resolved. Tight, clever construction and not at all the stroll in the park I thought it was going to be while sailing through the grid. Many thanks to KevGar - and again something new learnt!

[Hagen]

I did most of the puzzle this morning so was forewarned about the error and correction; many thanks to those of you who brought it to attention.

This is my kind of theme and therefore I really enjoyed this. At the start I was convinced that another well-known "never-ending" work was involved - a nice surprise to be proved wrong. Thanks KevGar.

[Alekhine]

Hmm.

Dear 'The Times' ... please accept my application as Listener test pilot. I can supply bank details to facilitate payment for my work on 4502.

Not good.

[s_pugh]

I'm not having a good day.

I quite enjoyed this until I got to the end and found myself with a distinct imbalance. After much checking and re-checking I came here and found I was not alone in my confusion. Big time oops.

Then to cap it all while keying this the doorbell rang and a postman delivered a fresh copy of the BRB. I don't wish to sound ungrateful, but I don't really see why the Listener prize is a copy of the very thing that most of us will naturally already possess!

[emcee]

A far easier fare than last week's offering. In fact, I would say this week's puzzle represents a benchmark for medium difficulty Listener crosswords.

Endgame OK. Thanks to KevGar.

[pushmi-pullyu]

Thank you Saladdodger!

[Philoctetes]

It is really sloppy that such a mistake should get as far as the printed version. However, I was so certain i had the correct endgame result I didn't check the details - there aren't that many candidates

[Cruncher]

Thanks for posting the correction. Was also doing a little head-scratching although the final result seemed pretty unambiguous

[sunny-dave]

All done - glad I didn't print the pdf until after the correction had been posted on The Times site.

Nice puzzle - as emcee says, a pretty decent 'middle range' Listener - albeit with rather too fiddly a rubric for my taste - but clear enough and it all came together nicely at the end.

Thanks KevGar

[BobMinor]

Yes, a very fine puzzle, and most enjoyable to solve. I'm not sure I quite agree with Olichant's comment about the clues' surface readings, but they were always scrupulously fair in their constructions, I thought, which is essential when you're seeking extra elements for removal. Thanks, KevGar - good stuff.

[AngryUncle]

I'm not sure I agree that the construction of the clue to 9d is scrupulously fair.

[olichant]

I agree that 9d is suspect.

But I do love the revelation in the endgame. I might be biaised, but I also love the referenced works.

And I didn’t say the surfaces were unimpeachable. But they were better than last week’s.