Hi, Rusty!
Thank you for your prompt response to my quandary........
I was out in the garden!
( I should like to say I was "labouring" - but it would be more accurate to say I was "offering helpful advice" to my husband, who was doing the actual "toiling"!)
Yes, I can see very well, now that you have kindly explained to me, how those clues work.......but I would never have "got there" on my own though, had I struggled all afternoon!
As far as 17a was concerned, I never connected "seventy -eight" with that type of "record"!
I was thinking of a world -record or some such ilk.
And I have NO excuse not to know what a "78" is!
All my old Bing records are 78s!
And I still play them on a beautiful record deck that I purchased from The Sunday Times!
It is funny how I rise to the occasion with the Saturday crosswords - and also with the Championship ones - maybe it is the challenge to my pride?!
I certainly do better than I do with the usual weekly offerings!
Thank you for your help!
I am off to make tea for the "gardener" - I would offer you a coffee and a shortie bikkie as a 'thank you', were you nearer at hand!