Cryptic crosswords are a great challenge for the brain, but they needn’t be scary. They’re not as deadly as the puzzles in the Exxilon City! Below are some hints and tips on how to complete them – Code Nine Anagrams: If a clue contains a word meaning “change”, such as “upset”, or “disturbed”, that means there is an anagram to solve. The words which require your attention are usually right next to the indicator word. Read more…
Cryptic Who started life on another platform many moons ago. Back then, you had to print out your crosswords and do them by hand. How times change. However, I have no intention of there being missing episodes by dumping them in a skip – the link to the old site is here – Cryptic Who which will remain online as an archive, where you’ll find dozens of past grids! In the meantime, Allons-y! Code Nine Read more…
How much do you know about Ancient History in Doctor Who? Time to find out!
What is it with Doctor Who and mining? The programme and the mining industry seem to be inextricably linked, be it the ubiquitous filming in quarries doubling as alien planets or mines in-universe under threat. Perhaps its because mines produce tunnels which are arguably corridors underground? Very good to run down when fleeing monsters! Miners also produce good fodder for conflict, the little guy versus the big bad guys, which is another Doctor Who trope. Read more…
One of the benefits of Doctor Who being a show about time travel is that one can travel back into the dim and distant past. In fact, the Doctor, Susan, and the kidnapped teachers Ian and Barbara did just that in the very first story when they encountered the Tribe of Gum. Since then, we have met Pharaohs and Roman Emperors and a whole host of Ancient Romans. Ancient people even pop up in unexpected Read more…
Are we alone in the universe? According to Doctor Who we’re not. The universe is teeming with life. That’s lucky for us because it would be a much poorer series if it was just about humans. Even the Doctor is an alien! A lot of aliens want to invade us, but there are friendly ones out there too – it’s the difference between, say, the Daleks and the Ood. This week, we go all blobby Read more…
The aliens of Doctor Who never fail to capture our imagination. Much of that is down to the ingenuity of the writers and production team who, especially in the classic era, never let a little thing called money hamper their skills or imaginations. As a result, we have Sontarans, Rutans, and even the Zarbi and Menoptera. In the modern era, the Adipose, Slitheen, and Beep the Meep have joined their tentacled and blobby ranks. This Read more…
