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Good morning, Elle!
Fine day here.
Geraint did very well!
Olympic champion, World champion, Le Tour winner.
Not a bad CV!
I am off out for a while.
One or two things to attend to.

Good morning, Rusty!
A damp one here as yet...drizzly rain off and on......but supposedly there will be sunshine later.
A good walk though, as it was relatively cool.
You will miss having Le Tour to watch!
Like me once Wimbledon finished!
Are you home again?
Have you completed all your tasks?
I have some paperwork to sort today......

Hello, Elle!
No, I wont miss Le Tour, three weeks is plenty!
I was glad to see Paris!
I am home.
Awaiting a telephone call, then I have to go out for a while.
Meanwhile I have tackled my puzzle.
I loved 1a!
A fine fresh day here!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, "moo-cow" was amusing, and quite easy to arrive at.......
I am used to Jerseys, Herefords and Aberdeenshires by now!
My favourites were 13a: Owen; 20d: frigate and 24d: nippy.
18a had me thinking at first of "cliff hanger", although of course it wouldn't fit.......before I decided upon "page-turner"!
Funnily enough, Turner featured in the Times Jumbo GK on Saturday.....

But what left me really gobsmacked was the similarity of today's 17d: "voicemail", with yesterday's Everyman clue......the answer to which was also "voicemail"......

Everyman clue: Message -storing system failing, storing nothing? Start to make trouble (9)

I actually preferred this to today's Times clue....much neater!

I still have two clues outstanding ........I shall put hem on hold for a while.......inspiration may strike later.......

Still grey here, but dry now......

Hello, Elle!
I wonder if it was a Cardiff moo-cow?
I thought "Owen" was not a good clue, then I suddenly saw the correct parse.
It is a very good clue!
Good luck with your remaining clues!
It has turned dull here.
I am home for the day.
On my way home I went into ASDA, and got interrogated as to why was I in, in the afternoon, instead of morningtime!

Hi, Rusty!
I am home again now, too.
We had a great walk this afternoon - it was good to be feeling energetic, in a nice fresh breeze, instead of dragging my feet because of the recent humidity!
What did you think of the close similarity between the Times clue and that of the Everyman - almost couched in the same terms?
Do you think the same setter wrote both clues.........with just a little 'tweak' to make it look slightly different?
Very suspicious!
I still cannot do 23a: Record seen at game in capital city (10)
M?N?E?I?E?
What am I not seeing?

Def. capital city. The game is an obscure old card game; "record" is rather more modern!

Good evening, Elle!
Nice and breezy here too!
I do not do Everyman, Elle.
Sunday is my day of rest from puzzles!
"What am I not seeing?"
I had a chuckle when reading that!
The second part of the answer (5 Letters meaning "record") comes from the Latin word meaning "to see".
I thought that funny!
It is a South American capital city you are after.
I learned a new word earlier. "Vexillologist".
It means "an expert on flags".
Seemingly Scotland is to get one, because lots of folk want their personal flag.
I think I shall give that a miss!

Good evening, Rusty!
We have a lovely evening here!
At last, there is some (albeit feeble) sunshine!
I wrote out the Everyman clue for you, Rusty, in an earlier post, knowing that you do not do the puzzle........
But you must have missed seeing it.....
No matter - I just thought that two clues were so impossibly close!
"Videre" is the Latin for "to see"......
So "video" for "record"! Of course!
It has to be "Montevideo".
So "monte" must be a game?
I've never heard of it!
Thank you!
I have also never heard of a "vexillologist"!
I am learning things today!



Thank you, too, Chris!
Even with hindsight, not a clue I like!

Hello, Elle!
Steady rain here.
Very nice!
I think monte is a card game.
I have heard of three card monte, but I think that is a con game.
Like "Find the Lady".
I used to like playing three card brag, years ago.
Well done on Montevideo!
Here is our new vexillologist!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45005157