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Hi, Rusty!
Going to your son's Christmas morning sounds good!
Especially as Miss ATW will presumably be there, too?
Shall you visit your younger son and family as well?
Although all the girls usually come to visit you at home in the afternoon, anyway, don't they?
We shall take our dog out early as usual on Monday, and then drive over to our daughter's house for midday (ish).
I am not sure yet what time lunch is on offer!
Bexleyheath (near to my daughter's) is in the Borough of Bexley, which is next door to the Borough of Bromley!

Hello, Elle!
No visit to my younger son.
I see him frequently, as it is.
Yes, the young ones usually come to see me in early afternoon.
Then I get peace!
Lots of traffic hold-ups here today.
A bit early for last minute shopping!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, that is true , you do see your younger son very often........and he is coming again on Saturday, so that will be nice!
Maybe it is something about the younger/youngest child?
We see more of our youngest!
Now, you are kidding no one - least of all me - with your talk of "peace" on Christmas afternoon!
I know that you are always delighted to have the girls visit you!!
And they, in their turn, love to come and see their granddad!
Have you done your crossword yet?
I am having trouble........
Four I cannot do...and one I cannot parse......

Hello, Elle!
You do not know my granddaughters!
Peace is very welcome once they have gone!
I have finished and parsed my puzzle, I think, Elle!
No, I have no parse for 5d.
I do not know how to pronounce 13a.
It is a word I have seen, but not used.
22a is a new word to me.
Have a break from it, Elle?

Hi, Rusty!
A break has achieved absolutely nothing!
The clues that I cannot do are 12a, 18a, 22a, and 5d.
13a is a homophone, Rusty.
At hearing, persecuted for fraud (5)
"sued" (persecuted) sounds like "pseud" (fraud)
The one that I have done, but cannot fully parse is 15a
Maybe eleven things left by singers, or two left by barbers? (9)
I have "sideburns"
side - eleven
But I cannot account for "burns"?
No...wait...yes, I can!
I have just seen it, as I typed it out...
"singe rs"!
Hurray!

Hello, Elle!
You have fallen into the setters trap at 15a!
A very hot thing could be a "singer", something that "singes" could leave a "burn".
I thought it was a fine clue!
12a, Think of the game of darts.
Forty could well be "double top", the flight assists the dart to fly.
18a, is "Quadragesima"
A "quad" can be a motor bike, frenzy, a "rage", "it" is "sa", "I'm" is in clue.
22a, Helps is "backs", "to" in clue, track is "ry", abbreviation for railway.
"Backstory". New word to me, and I have not investigated it.
5d, "a cappella" is unaccompanied.
The female is "Ella", but the first part is ringing the faintest of bells but not jumping out at me, so sorry!
Oh, you have seen the singe bit!
Well done!

Update, Elle!
I did not know how to pronounce "pseud"!

Hi, Rusty!
I have been talking to my cousin in Blackburn for the past hour !
She will be away at her daughter's over the Christmas weekend, so we thought we would chat tonight instead of Sunday!
All fine up there!
Those were very difficult clues for me.......I know nothing about darts.
I have never heard the word " Quadragesima"!
Nor "backstory"!
Thank you so much for your help!
I have had a thought about "a capp".........could it mean Andy Capp?

Hello, Elle!
I have heard of Quadragesima Sunday.
Could it be to do with Lent or Easter or similar?
It is to do with the Church, anyway.
No, I have not heard of "backstory", too.
Looks like it should be "back story", to me?
Andy Capp! That's a blast from days gone bye, surely!
Wonder if that was at the back of my mind?
Can't make any sense of it with the clue though.
The darts one, Elle.
The "forty" mentioned in the clue could be what is known as a "double top".
At the top of the board is "20".
A dart landing in a certain bed in the "20" segment scores double, giving forty, "double top".
Your cousin and you seem to well organised for chatting!

Hi, Rusty!
Where would we be without Google?
I have been busy looking things up......
Seemingly, Quadragesima Sunday is the first Sunday in Lent.
Now, I never knew that!
And Google also tells me that Andy Capp (but a dimly remembered name) and Flo's best friends are their neighbours, Chalkie and Rube white.
The clue says ".......neighbour of C and R White....."
So I think we have it!!
Coffees all round......?