Crossword Editor's Tribute to Eddie
Solvers of the Guardian's Brockwell puzzles expect a theme, but June's prize crossword felt different. It was a personal tribute from crossword editor Alan Connor to his beloved Yorkshire Terrier Eddie, who died earlier this year after 16 years of loyal companionship.
Eddie arrived unexpectedly in June 2010, dumped in a wheelie bin, and was adopted by Connor. The puzzle was written to help process grief and celebrate Eddie's life. Eddie's ashes are scattered in Brockwell Park, where he famously chased squirrels up trees. The puzzle included the phrase 'Farewell Eddie Boy' as a hidden message (Nina).
The Puzzle Details
The crossword featured clues such as 'SWEETIE', 'ADOPT', 'WRENCH', 'FLAT', 'EMOTIONAL', 'PET NAME', 'SCENE', 'WATERLOO', 'TREE', 'MISSABLE', and 'EYE TEETH', all referencing Eddie. Connor described Eddie as an 'absolute SWEETIE' and said, 'It has been a huge WRENCH and we are feeling very FLAT and EMOTIONAL.'
In the same blog post, Connor also discussed June's Genius puzzle by Pangakupu, which required solvers to assemble crossword cubes from filled grid sections. The solution involved finding a sandwich filling from the last letters of 11 and 13, and first letters of 12 and 15, yielding the entry 'AID BOB COP DEN GAP LEG NIT RAT'.
Breadcrumbs and Community
The blog also featured the results of the cluing-conference for 'BREADCRUMBS', with a rare joint audacity award to Wellywearer2 and Newlaplandes. Runners-up included Nestingmachine and Etymon, while the winner was 'Clues laid out in intricate book: ABC Murders'. Connor invited readers to leave clues for 'EDDIE' and shared a Reddit user's emotional response to the 30,000th puzzle shenanigans, describing it as 'gorgeous, beautiful work'.
Alan Connor is the Guardian's crossword editor and author of '188 Words for Rain', published by Ebury. The tribute puzzle serves as a heartfelt farewell to a beloved pet that touched the crossword community.
