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Thanks Brendan. Got there in the end. I had the wrong 7 letter word for 1a but your help set me straight.

Not sure about the parsing of 44 but I am pretty sure I have it right.

I’m an infrequent contributor to the forum as not as quick off the blocks as most of you. However, I do read through the thread each week - usually for assistance but also for entertainment on the odd occasion when I manage to complete the Prize unaided. Stumped this week by 1 and 50 so many thanks for the tips on these! Have a happy and safe Christmas one and all.

Hi everybody

Well I finished. I had the help of a very small glass of Port, which I had been adding to the cranberry sauce I was making, and very nice it was too.

But to those of you who preferred this to the alphabetical jigsaws of previous specials, let me say I prefer the alphabeticals. There were lots of easy clues, but some very difficult clues as well and lots of googling needed.

So once again Happy Christmas

I’m one of those who found this special relatively easy. I’d agree 2 doesn’t seem to have a definition and the ‘encore’ in 47 must be an out-and-out mistake. Also not sure what the ‘psychic’ is doing in 46. I confess I haven’t counted the themed solutions, but 36 isn’t one, is it? I know the solution conforms, but all the letters are there in the fodder, aren’t they..?

Great fun, as always

Hi doglover
1a is themed. Définition is the first seven words. The central section parses as 1 letter (tense) 2+4 (dispute minus final letter) . 50a is also.themed and is explained in earlier posts.

I had to be compulsive and finish, so figured out 1a, 50 and 52. No credit for 50, I simply looked it up on another forum. :-(. Credit to this forum and Google for 1a and 50, which I was at least able to parse.

With a bit of help from my friends here, I've managed to finish this - like others, I had quite a few write-ins (especially once I'd spotted the pattern) and some that were very obscure. As ever, thanks for all the help and encouragement from everyone here, and thanks to Maskarade for an enjoyable stretch.

Apologies for a long absence, it's been a hectic few weeks and I've struggled to find energy for the crosswords. Lovely to find time this week and see you all again, I hope everyone has a great Christmas

Well that was a slog but I made it to the end - first time with a BH Special Maskarade. Thank you for the steer on the pigment / market town, I had looked up all the market towns in Oxfordshire and nothing fitted...
Agreed with the consensus on 2 and 47.
@Brendan, I think in 47 there is a wordplay element as well as the cryptic def, involving "I'm" embedded in a short slang word for drunk.
Cheers all and I hope everyone may have a merry-as-possible Xmas. I wonder if we will get something else special next Friday or Saturday?

Darn it, I meant 61 not 47 at the end there.

Jvictor, yes, agree re 61. Let’s see what next weekend brings ;-)