Thursday, November 12, 2009 (DT 25983)

This puzzle was originally published Friday, July 17, 2009 in The Daily Telegraph

Introduction

I found today's puzzle to be a bit toward the more difficult side of the scale - certainly a much greater challenge than yesterday's. However, I did very much enjoy this puzzle, and I definitely felt a strong sense of satisfaction on having completed it.

Today's Glossary

Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, people, places, words and expressions used in today's puzzle

CH - abbrev. Companion of Honour: member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, an order of the Commonwealth realms; despite the impression one might get from most dictionaries, this is apparently not an exclusively British decoration - a point on which I recently elaborated in my Ottawa Citizen Cryptic Crossword Forum blog.

Hyde Park - a large park in London, England, famous for its Speakers' Corner

shattered - completely exhausted (this may well be a Briticism, as this meaning seems to appear only in the British dictionaries)

Wesleyan - relating to or denoting the teachings of the English preacher John Wesley (1703-91) or the main branch of the Methodist Church which he founded

Today's Links

Libellule's review of today's puzzle may be found at Big Dave's Telegraph Crossword Blog [DT 25983].

Commentary on Today's Puzzle

1d What may be trumpeted as the ultimate appointment (4,4)

This would have been a most appropriate clue to have appeared yesterday, Remembrance Day in Canada.

Signing off for today - Falcon