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AJT, you have won me over on this one. I wish you the best of luck but try to go easy on the guy. :)

Thanks, Trevor. I feel honoured - no sarcasm. But believe me, I never intended anything like this. It started witha very polite whinge to the crossword editor - just me, no consultations. Just really -"Oh for the good old days" Pardon me, my age is showing

Sadly I have to agree. I don't enjoy PK's crosswords in the least, but since I have completed every Mephisto for over twenty years, I have to do them.

This week's was particularly dense. I hate to criticise compilers since they generally provide so much fun for little more than a pittance but I really do not enjoy the PK offerings.

My feelings exactly, bobbycollins. With previous compilers you felt that they'd made a lovely mind-bender for you, with wit and humour. But now you feel he's being as tricky as he can get so that no-one can solve it. Surely the difference must show in the number of entries each week, and how many of them are - I won't say correct - but match his.

I am quite frankly discombobulated at the attacks on Paul Mckenna. If one wanted a simple crossword then one should take the Daily Mirror. Yes, some of the clues are off the planet but all the more reason to pursue the answers to the ends of the earth.Personally my heart leaps when I see Paul's name above the puzzle. "Once more into the breach dear cinephiles ".....................

Hux,

You haven't read the thread carefully enough. What is being asked for is not a simple crossword puzzle, rather a fair one.

Pardon me for joining in late. I enjoy a tough puzzle as much as anyone - but as I have to work for a living, I only have so much free time for puzzling. In a good week I complete three puzzles: Spectator, Azed and Mephisto. I like to do them in more or less that order because, for me, the Mephisto is usually the least enjoyable of the three.

I did manage to complete Mephisto 2604, but only by spending far too much time on it. (Cussedness may also have been an issue.) I felt it was too difficult for a Sunday crossword with a 7 day deadline; and that some of the clues were not really fair. Why should a solver assume that "Fred" refers to Mr Fred Dibnah? How can the word "grok" be justified if it does not appear in the dictionary most of us rely upon?

I look forward to retiring one day - and having the time to grapple with Paul McKenna's output. In the meantime, I may have to learn when to put a puzzle down - and that's something that goes against the grain.

As a late addition to this thread - I have just received a postcard telling me that I have won this crossword. Yes, it was a pig to complete - but this time it was worth the effort.

There's no mention of whether I've won the dictionary or the cash.

Congratulations Problem Chimp. You won't know what it is until you get it - unless it's published in the paper first. It usually takes a coule of weeks to arrive.

Its the third time I've won, the last time only a couple of months ago.

I've won both the dictionary and the cash.

Look out for EB from Liverpool ( that's me).