Thanks Sophia, there is a knack to solving cryptic clues and it does help if someone shows you how to do it, but if you do them regularly you get familiar with the different devices used by the compilers and you get better at them over time. Mind you, some clues can be devilishly difficult and sometimes when I look at the answer to a clue it still makes no sense to me!
What I like about cryptic clues is that when you solve them there is usually no ambiguity about whether you have the correct answer or not - unlike some standard crosswords, where several words might fit and if you choose the wrong one it can put a spanner in the works.
I'm hoping there might be a few other cryptic crossword fans on the forum, but it is a bit of a niche thing in some ways and as there are currently only around 230 members maybe this thread will sink into obscurity.