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Good evening, Rusty!
I have been both on the telephone, and receiving and answering emails, all afternoon, regarding the potential closure of the GP surgery.
So much for my day of R & R!
It seems to be one step forward and two back.....
I have been invited to yet another meeting - this time at the surgery itself - tomorrow morning.
I will report back in due course.
Now.....I have only recently returned to my crossword puzzle - the day having got rather hectic!
But the time out has caused some light to dawn for me.
I have now solved a few more clues!
I have got "lima" for 25d - the clue that you had mentioned, based on the NATO alphabet!
I am still stuck on 18a: These usen't to get worked up about harmful emission? (7)
(Is the e such a word as "usen't"?)
E???U?S
2d: Thursday broadcast's before 9 (7)
S?R?W?H
and 19d: Wrong start, therefore ignoring that (7)
??F?N?E
I think I will require explanations as well, please!

Hello, Elle!
It is maybe hard work but you are giving it your best shot and that's good!
Took me a wee while to get "Lima"!
18a is "econuts", "usen't" around "CO".
"Usen't" is used in my circles, but I do not know if it is a real word or dialect.
2d, I think I had "Lor" for 9.
Broadcast is "strew" with "Th" for Thursday.
"Strewth" is an exclamation (that I have never heard used!)
This is my stab at 19.
"Offence" is wrong.
Start is "off" as in horse racing.
Therefore can be "thence"
And it looks like "th" is an abbreviation for "that", is it?
So remove "th" from thence, leaving "ence".
Offence.

Update, Elle!
Offence.
Start/"off" as in horse racing terms.
I think "hence" is better than thence.
Remove the start of "(h)ence" and stick it on "off".
Is that any better?

Hi, Rusty!
Thank you very much for your help.
But, oh dear, I'm struggling , even with the explanations!
I've never heard of "econuts"!
Now Chambers has "usen't" and "usedn't", but I have never heard either of these words spoken, or seen them written down in a text.
I have however heard said "it used to be ...." so I suppose a negative version of that might possibly be permissible?
But how does one accounts for the word used without a "d"?
After all, one doesn't say "it use to be" does one?
Yes, I've heard of the exclamation , "Strewth!" but would never have thought that "broadcast" meant "strew"?
Yes, I think "hence" is a better meaning for "therefore"......
I think I'll concede defeat with today's puzzle!
It is beyond my understanding!

Hello, Elle!
I think econuts are environmentalists.
I just checked Chambers and "usen't" is Scots.
Used in Ireland, too.
The setter had "Lor" as an answer, and I have never heard that word used here, but I am sure it is used somewhere!
I think it is perfectly fine to use these words.
Broadcast means to scatter, so strew is fine, for me.
It was a tricky puzzle, Elle!
And I'm sure you learned a bit from it!

Good morning, Rusty!
Dull and drizzly this morning!
A rather muddy dog to clean up on my return home.
Still, she had great fun!
We had "lor" as an answer a few weeks ago.... paired with "brother" then...
Do you remember?
I am off to another meeting very shortly.
I am not holding out a lot of hope that we shall get through this afternoon's "official" meeting successfully, though......
I think the PCCC vote might go against us.
Unfortunately, I shall not be able to attend that, as we have our son and granddaughter coming to visit us,
I am looking forward to seeing them both!
Right...I must away....I shall be home again about lunch time.

Good morning, Elle!
It is a lovely morning, here!
Rain has finally gone.
Hope your meetings go well.
And you have your son and granddaughter visiting, so that's nice.
My grandson had a bug and did not visit me last night.
Very sensible, I told him.

Hi, Rusty!
I am finally home again!
In a way, things are going temporarily well......
The discussion about the future of our medical practice has been taken off the agenda for this afternoon's PCCC meeting, to be rescheduled after December 12th.
This is good in that it gives us a couple of weeks' reprieve - perhaps to regroup and fortify ourselves!
Bring up the big guns!
But I am thinking that this is only a tactical withdrawal on the part of the PCCC, as they are sensing that a controversial topic is coming too close to Election time......
I have been involved in much discussion, and emailing today......
We shall see what develops.
Yes, our granddaughter and our son should be with us about 4 p,m!
And you will have your son coming?

Hello, Elle!
A wee bit time is a good thing to have.
More time to plan for the meeting etc.
Just forget all about it now your family is visiting.
My son is not visiting me this evening.
He and La Bamba are buying flooring at B&Q and storing it.
So, too much on to visit me!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, you are right...I do need to relax,
I shall enjoy chatting to my son...and playing games with my granddaughter!
I need to find out tactfully what she would like for Christmas.
It is a shame that you won't be seeing your son this evening...but perhaps he will come tomorrow instead.
Oops, the doorbell...they are here!
Talk later.....