Sloggers & Betters Weekend York

This weekend I was off again to York for John Henderson's annual crossword bloggers and setters get together, known as the Sloggers & Betters do. I really enjoyed them in both 2018 and 2019. And this time I qualified as both a blogger and setter! This was the original invite....

...and this the update closer to the time...

No pub crawl this year, so no route to display, but this time I was joined not just by John Dunleavy, as in 2018 but also my fellow Weekend Quick Cryptic compiler Phil Jordan and fellow Time for the Times Jumbo Crossword blogger Kitty.

John was appointed official paparazzi for our Crossword Central Discord Group. Here are some of his pictures, and some of mine.

I, like many others, stayed at the Stableside again.

...and we got our fair share of rain again on the Friday evening and, in particular, this morning. At least it wasn't snowing as it was in 2018.

In Friday evening I met up with John and Phil in the breakfast room before heading to the Cross Keys. 

It was the first time I had met my fellow Weekend Quick Cryptic compiler, Phil, so we had plenty to talk about, and the first time I had seen John since the 2018 event.

We appeared to be not the only party in the pub.

The quiz teams were done in tables. We were joined by another John, two Nicks and a Tom. We didn't win, but we didn't come last.

Kitty has her back to the camera here. She seems to have successfully eluded being photographed.

It turned out to be karaoke night, so after the last round of the quiz, we decamped to the Fox & Roman pub. 

Here we were joined by Hugh, aka Beery Hiker.

Then yesterday it was all day at the Fox & Roman starting with coffee and then onto a pile of crosswords....

...and more beer, of course.

Some collaboration was required at times.

We were joineed on our table by Tom Reynolds aka Kruger, my ex-boss from the 1980s, met for the first time since 1987 at the 2018 event. I've saved his crossword for the day to do at home.

In the evening we went for a curry, with a drink first at the Dick Turpin...

...before crossing the road to Woodthorpe Spice.

Curry for 19 please!

Sadly I couldn't make the final drink in the York Tap at lunchtime today as I had other arrangements.... q.v.

A great weekend. I think the Crossword Central Discordians John, Phil, Kitty (and now) Hugh and I will all be back next year.

Meanwhile here are links to some of the crosswords we were provided with, and blogs of the answers.

Dalibor - PDF Interactive Blog.

Kruger -  PDF Blog (I've not started this as he was sat next to me at the table yesterday)

Egbert -   PDF Interactive Blog.

Enigmatist - On Guardian site  Blog (one from our host earlier in the week).

Elgar - "The Memorial Ground" PDF  Blog (our host's fiendish jigsaw puzzle for the S&B event). My version of that including answers from Tom and Phil is still work in progress.

Inquisitor No 1723. No free link available. Blog wont appear until next week in Fifteensquared's Inquisitor section (I've not started this).

Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1524. Blog will appear on Time for the Times in 2 weeks time. (I've not started this either).

As for Elgar (also our host, John Henderson's) fiendish "Memorial Ground"...