FACTFINDER’S CROSSWORD

Dear Reader,

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic we are suspending competition entries for all our prize crosswords. Puzzles will continue to appear as normal but no entries will be accepted or prizes given.

We hope to return to normal as soon as possible.

The solution to this week’s Factfinder crossword will appear next Saturday as usual.

Stay safe!

Joy Yates, Editorial Director

ACROSS

1 Public school in Surrey, founded in 1611 ( 12) 9 Old musical instrument with a slide like a

trombone ( 7)

10 A rapacious bird of the hawk kind ( 3,4)

11 A female ferret ( 4)

12 A savoury meat- jelly ( 5)

13 A pith helmet used especially in India ( 4) 16 A genus of eight- armed cephalopods ( 7) 17 A rough, open dress fabric ( 7)

18 One of the Knights of the Round Table ( 7) 21 The Muse of music and lyric poetry ( 7) 23 C P Snow ( 1905 - 80), Leicester novelist who wrote The Corridors of Power ( 1964) ( 4)

24 The first month of the Jewish civil year ( 5) 25 Ian __ ( b 1940), Conservative politician who

was Scottish Secretary ( 1990 - 95) ( 4)

28 To trigger, or set in motion ( 7)

29 Injurious to health ( 7)

30 A type of crumbly, hard cheese ( 3,9)

DOWN

2 The kittiwake or shearwater ( probably) ( 7) 3 A pure transparent red corundum ( 4)

4 The lengthening of a short syllable ( 7)

5 A kind of hawk ( Circus) ( 7)

6 The official literary language of Pakistan

( 4)

7 A typical example, or personification ( 7) 8 An alliance of Greek city states, led by Athens, formed in 478 BC ( 6,6) 9 Friday, 23 April ( 2,7,3)

14 Large European country ( 95,360 sq miles; pop about 48 million.) It joined the EU in 1986 ( 5)

15 Young steers ( 5)

19 A type of red- skinned, all- purpose potato

( 7)

20 An ancient galley with three banks of oars

( 7)

21 Tending to create peace ( 7)

22 A small city in Virginia ( pop about

100,000), chartered in 1884 ( 7)

26 Ayn __ ( 1905 - 82), Russian- born US philosopher and writer ( 4) 27 Involuntary habitual responses ( 4)