Listen With Others

This features a clever intertwining of two themes – billiards and The Railway Engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Fans of IKB will know that the engineering of the Great Western Railway line from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads meant that the accuracy of its flatness earned it the nickname of ‘the billiard table’. So with BILLIARD TABLE running between BRISTOL at the Western edge of the puzzle and LONDON on the Eastern side, the tracks had been laid.

ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL himself then featured around the outer edge of the traditional green baize of the billiard table, with even the spaces between his names being provided by the three billiard balls, Red, Yellow and White. Each ‘ball’ occurring in the clue that hid it – another very nice touch.

I was slightly concerned, what with Chalicea’s recurring theme of alcohol in her blogs at this site, that she might have gone TT. But then I spotted that she has offered a Red at 11a, and a White at 18d, all washed down with ‘Fruit of alcoholic highball’ at 32a. And, if one is desperate, there’s a single Rum available in Row 4. Clearly there was no need for me to worry 🙂

Cheers,

Tim / Encota