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)

8 An imagined rock with fabulous properties

( 7)

9 A muster or assembly ( 4- 3)

11 Shakespearean term for cutting ( 4)

12 A Gaelic bard ( 10)

14 Country in the Middle East ( 8,000 sq miles;

pop 9 million), independent since 1948 ( 6) 15 The fabulous hippocampus ( 8)

17 A labiate plant with fragrant pale- lilac

flowers ( 8)

19 Large city in Jutland ( pop about 280,000),

founded in the 8th century ( 6)

22 Prohibits or forbids ( 10)

23 Anyone or anything admired uncritically ( 4) 25 A basic arsenate of copper found in

Cornwall and Ireland ( 7)

26 East Slavic language spoken in Belarus,

Ukraine, etc ( 7)

27 Brass instruments resembling the trumpet

and cornet ( 12)

DOWN 1

Geoffry __ ( c 1340s - 1400), London- born poet

who wrote The Canterbury Tales ( 7)

2 The 12th month of the Jewish ecclesiastical

year ( 4)

3 Cockney rhyming slang for a hat ( 6)

4 Groups of followers in a court, etc ( 8)

6 The legislature of the Republic of Ireland ( 10) 6 A smouldering fire ( 7)

7 National anthem of a large European country

( 12)

10 Someone or something particularly good,

admirable, etc ( 3,4,5)

13 Relating to the founder of the Cistercian

order ( 10)

16 A breed of small toy dogs ( 8)

18 Rancorous, caustic criticism ( fig) ( 7)

20 Computer experts who gain unauthorised

access to data ( 7)

21 Stiffness or formality ( 6)

24 Cause trouble or dissension ( coll) ( 4)