Mack, thanks for that - I enjoyed hearing from a real (ie regular) Listener solver, with more of an investment in the puzzle. It sounds as if you have got the balance right - the minimum of help if you're really stuck, but no quick fix of simply copying answers from elsewhere.
Thanks for your reply Mack. I have found the chambers phone app very useful for this puzzle. The internet in general tho for a proper such as the one in this puzzle who was someone I'd never heard of and i had to confirm my guessed letters were indeed a person! The hints on here have helped me too on my stuck ones... I don't really care about submitting but i do like to see the endgame of these puzzles for myself as I can only marvel at the ingenuity of the people who devise them.
Just over the line before the next puzzle is published.
For me the perfect Listener.
I spotted the message with half a dozen clues left to solve and was able to work forwards and backwards to complete both grids. I think this would get a C or even a D for difficulty in the Magpie.
Thank you Sabre.
Thanks, Barnacle. I'm glad this site, this Forum, works well for many people. Norah, the site administrator, spent a lot of time (effort and energy) asking everyone what they'd like, what they thought would work best.
I don’t have my copy here at present but I remember the Japanese foxes clue because I learnt a new word. Japanese is a single letter abbreviation and strange northern leads is a 5 letter word I have not encountered before. Foxes feature in the second grid.