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Ok, thanks Malone - it looks like, not for the first time, I've completely misunderstood the preamble.

Thanks, Brendan. I don't think that's true and I expect further solving will bring a flash of illumination!

I enjoyed this one as a crossword, though the theme brought back painful memories, somewhat mitigated when I got the last thematic answer just before bedtime!

As usual I had to do a fair amount of googling, despite being very interested in the theme. In pre-internet days I could imagine a regular solver, with lots of reference books to hand, having great difficulty finding the necessary information.

This is now beginning to really annoy me. I have the structure, the three names and where to put the cross. I also have the instruction from the across clues, so I know how to resolve the clashes. The problem is I only have 7 1/2 of the 9 names. Hopefully the missing 1 1/2 bits I need are part of 21a and 9d - otherwise I may as well just weep!!

As always, posting a comment works wonders. I now only need the missing half associated with one of the 3 letter solutions. I know who it is, but I can't solve the clue - I'm assuming the answer is 8 letters long?

Bingo!!

Having just rewatched the occasion on YouTube, the cross is precisely where it should be, as required by the puzzle’s title.

So I’d say very well done and thanks to Awinger.

hw7

I have all the thematic names and the instruction from the down clues. After a great deal of Googling I think I have four names (of which only three are needed). I cannot see these names anywhere in the grid. The instruction from the across clues makes sense up to a point (four words) and then I cannot understand it (although it makes English sense) . I do have nine redundant words in the across clues, although the last three relate to clues whose answers involve part of the thematic names.

As I have absolutely no interest in the general theme, I suspect that I shall fail to see the 'cross' and the 'decisive event'. When I saw the puzzle I at once interpreted the title in what seems to be a productive way, but staring at the grid I am still lost. How annoying to be able to do all the crossword solving bit and then fail because I am not interested in the theme.

Foinaven, there is an extra letter in 38a which you may have missed. Googling the event will give you the resolution of the 9 clashes, and if you have the 6 words from the down clues, this leads you to the three names.

Foinaven, I expect you have the correct words for the instruction. In one sense, all you do is add 'by [thematic name]' to it - and then it's back to Google. You then do the same for the next one and so on.