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Can anyone tell me what's happened to the Saga Magazine £100 Prize Crossword. It's always been the toughest puzzle I've ever attempted ... and I know it's held in awe by many users of this forum. Sometimes it's taken me 3 weeks - picking up and putting down (of course!) and even then I've given up. BUT I did this month's puzzle in under 30 minutes last night. In bed. While going off to sleep!

I've written to the editor about it. Has anyone out there noticed this, and reacted like me? "Woss goin' on, eh?" Should we start a protest campaign? Etc...etc...etc

The original setter was told he was not required after December 2014 so the crosswords from January onwards are compiled by a media company.
He has asked people who are upset to send letters of complaint to Saga

Hello

As 'Cullen', I have had the pleasure and the privilege of setting the monthly Saga Prize crossword for the last 17 and a bit years but this month's will be my last. Quite apart from the honour, it has been fun watching the questions and answers by Saga crossword aficionados on this blog. May I please say 'Well Done' to all of you! Unfortunately, the bean counters have been at work at Saga with the result that from January 2015 all the Saga puzzle pages will be moving across en bloc to the Puzzlermedia plc people. I'm sad, of course, but nothing is for ever. It appears that many of you have enjoyed my setting style down the years and I would also like to say a big 'thank you' for that too. I have no idea as to the future standard of the Saga crossword but if you find it to be another 'Times', 'Independent', 'Guardian' or even 'Telegraph' - all of which are rather below the sort of cryptic I had always sought to create - write to The Editor. The editor at Saga is Katy Bravery and she's very nice.

Thank you so much to all you solvers whose handles have become quite familiar from scanning the blog over recent years and I have to also say how impressed I have been with many sparkling answers.

Goodbye and Best Wishes!

Cullen

post 3 was copied and pasted from Cullen

PS. I have not renewed my subscription. They offered me a discount but I declined. I am sure I am just one among many others doing the same.

Thanks, jazzgirl. Can you believe it ... I've only just looked - after two weeks - to see if anyone had responded to my query? Might have know it would be you! I had, that same day, sent a letter to the Saga editor, before posting my bit on the forum. Perhaps there's still hope ... and the "nice" Katy Bravery didn't realise what a unique crossword this was, and will stand up to the bean-counters. My original letter was a fairly light-hearted query. Now I'll send a real complaint!

hi Duckb
Here is a "copied and pasted" reply from Editor of the Saga mag. following protest re the cryptic crossword:
Many thanks for your message about the change of crossword in the January issue. We changed things around for a number of reasons - because we wanted a supplier to also provide online puzzles; for ease of administration (having one provider is much simpler in our small office); because response to the prize crossword had been dropping off - and because after many years I just thought a freshen-up would be good.
Well, how wrong was I?

Scores of you wrote and emailed in about the new cryptic crossword saying it wasn't hard enough, and that you LIKED the challenge of simply trying to finish it! As someone who views tackling a cryptic crossword with the same alacrity as a visit to the dentist, I have to admit to some amazement at the reaction.

So from the March issue (if we can change the page in time) do please enjoy the fact that your fiendish cryptic crossword has returned, albeit a tiny bit smaller for space reasons. Also, as we had a very big, positive, response to the easier prize crossword - with many more people entering and enjoying it than before - I've kept that as the prize element to the page. However I think you may find we've 'dialled up' the difficulty factor a little.

So do forgive the miscalculation on my part and I hope you continue to enjoy both the puzzles and the magazine as a whole. And thank you too for taking the time and trouble to make your views known. I do value the unique engagement that Saga magazine has with its readers and, as you see, we do listen!

last post courtesy of AB website

never tried it but, result! nice one.

Great news! And an editor who listens and responds. Having been one of those who wrote direct to the editor, I'll respond with a thankyou letter.

AND ... while I'm on ... Jumbo Cryptic 1032 could hardly have been more different! Having said that though, I'm still stuck on 26d "mineral, beautiful one not hard to find in place" S-L-NITE. Looks like selenite??