EV 930 - Kindred by Syd Lexis

[kayakamina]

Another reasonably straightforward grid fill with the 'clusters' becoming apparent early on.

Enjoyable but possibly not the challenge we expect for a Bank Holiday puzzle.

[slaney]

Morning K - not too difficult I agree, and I suppose not entirely necessary to work out the 'clusters'.
Leaves me more time for garden chores which is a mixed blessing.

[DocHH]

Hello everyone,
That's at least 5 or 6 EVs in a row that have been a "walk" in the park.

[tweaker]

Damn! you lot are quick! Glad to read this is easy - I have a head ache.

[novalis]

Echo previous comments. Had one of the clusters in the garden earlier.

[novalis]

Should have raised a quibble in my previous post about 30 down. Surely it should be Borders. Answer length should be 7.

[DocHH]

Hello Novalis,
I agree with you about 30d. I thought there was an unusually large number of clues today. Typical Bank Holiday, showery! Talking about wet, time to wet the whistle! We have the M&S meal deal this weekend, washing it down with their "Le Froget" Chardonnay.

[ringer]

Must have been easy - don't want to crow about it, but finished before dinner, though I could murder a glass of white now.
Come back Mr O, all is forgiven!

[novalis]

Pun my word Ringer! I reckon there will be a full parliament this week.

[DocHH]

Hello Ringer,
Whilst having a "stroll" along the seafront today, spotted a T-shirt that had your original Avatar emblazoned on it. "You Rock, You Rule", immediately thought of you! If Devadolly is lurking, there is a strong hint in my first post, plus in this one, albeit a bit more obliquely, but definitely synonymous! Ringer, I suppose you are soon to return to Classroom duties! Daunting, but given the subjects you teach I also suppose you have students that are more inclined have a desire to to learn, rather than students who need to be disciplined and have little interest in being at school!
Novalis, that was an absolute cockney Howl!

[dr b]

hey all,

Solved most of this in the Boston airport waiting to come back from visiting my oldest. Had to check a few thematic elements when I got home, but all in all the string of less-challenging EVs continues. OR.... are we all just getting a lot smarter??

[ringer]

Hi All
I totally agree about 30D. I'd put a question mark against it as well.
It's back to the chalk face for me on Wednesday (well, 2 INSET days). My timetable for this year is somewhat reduced in hours and my kind team leader has arranged for me to have Fridays off, so won't actually face any of the little darlings until next Monday! It's a mixed bag - I teach my fair share of the younger ones (11 to 16) who are definitely not interested in any form of Maths. Thankfully I've avoided teaching my daughter, who is going into the sixth form and studying Maths & Further Maths. I wonder who she takes after!!

[Christiana]

Alas I don't think we're all getting smarter (at least not me). More inclined to agree with whoever suggested a new crop of EV compilers are being gently eased in. Without wanting to murmur too much about it I'm inclined to agree with K - enjoyable but less of a challenge than we might have expected, given the bank holiday. As Slaney says, more time for garden chores, or perhaps for n and c ing - particularly the latter.

[DocHH]

Hello Christiana,
So you seem to have rapidly discovered the main disadvantage of the house you bought! BUT, how super to have all that fruit! It was the same for me about 20 years ago with this house. Here however the disadvantage was the size of the lawn! It took an age to go across and back with a pusher thing plus me hanging onto the handles gasping for breathe! Fortunately the neighbours took pity on me and lent me their second reserve mower! Then, my first major purchase was a petrol-mower, which if set incorrectly I have to chase round the garden, the second a powered hedge-cutter and third a petrol-driven strimmer! All things said however, I have no desire to ever move from here!

[Christiana]

Hi Doc H H. I reckon I will be the same. I love the garden, just wish I had been able to move in straight after purchase, as I reckon it will take some time to recoup lost ground. The fruit is wonderful, too, but it started arriving as we did, so again am racing to catch up. To use an expression from one of these television 'house' programmes, this might just be my 'forever house' too. At present I have purchased a second hand Mountbank electric lawnmower which I am finding very efficient (my lawns, front and back are large, too) an electric hedge trimmer which I brought with me, and a recently purchased cordless electrically charged strimmer. The latter is very handy, but not up to bigger jobs.

[teenieleek]

K, have just seen post from Laura on C Solver and now understand why you vanished. Children can be so cruel! I reiterate her thanks for introducing me to EV and I finished this week's one fairly easily, thanks in part to an old Ruth Rendell title. However, I cannot unravel the clusters, got the first bits of I and III but am baffled by the rest, including the numbers as I can't seem to relate them to anything. Any pointers appreciated. Am new here so not sure if I'm posting this in the correct place.

[novalis]

Hi Teenieleek!

I'm assuming you have 5 down. The answers to the clusters lead to the 5 down to be entered for each of them. Hope that makes sense.

[zita-green]

Finished the puzzle eventually without solving any of the clusters which makes them somewhat redundant. Do they add anything?

[devadolly]

Hello all N & C'ers and a warm welcome to tl! As usual I am just running on the spot again and have not yet even opened the EV - am determined tonight, no amount of distraction from Himself or GingerMog is going to stop me! Am always worried by all the posts declaring you have finished it almost before it has been printed...... you might all be getting cleverer but I fear all the fruit acid has rotted 'my leetle grey cells'. Thank goodness the JG tree has been stripped and is just awaiting a serious pruning this year (doubtless will be bemoaning the poor crop next year when I have all my juice customers whining about lack of stocks). Sloe Gin next!
Get someone in to mow the lawns Christina, it takes such a weight off you feel more able to cope with the rest of it.

[novalis]

Hi Zita-Green!

The answers to the various cluster clues merely confirm the unclued across entries. As Slaney says in the first response on this thread it's not really necessary to solve them. They do, however, give a pointer to the theme.

[novalis]

Hi Devadolly!

Have just seen your post. I'm sure you'll take wing and fly home in no time. Have you been on Twitter today?