The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word REMINISCENCE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
R
E
M
I
N
I
S
C
E
N
C
E
More clues leading to the result REMINISCENCE
- Anecdote about cars, churches, entertaining knight
- It may help in crime scene reconstruction
- Criminal in crime scene harking back
- Recollection of events in crime scene reconstruction
- Memory concerning small fuss around clubs
- Story from the past about small fuss involving Conservative
- Memory of crime scene in bombing
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Memory" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case memory = reminiscence.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does REMINISCENCE mean?
REMINISCENCE noun- An act of remembering long-past experiences, often fondly.
- A mental image thus remembered.