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Thank you again Malone, Jono and Jack Aubrey. I was trying to overegg the pudding by further changing the 3, 6. It is now all complete but I won't submit as I have had a lot of help with it. It was as everybody else has said a cracking puzzle.

AP, thanks - and glad you got there. Yes, it was a lovely puzzle.

There have been references in this thread (and in previous threads) to the big three of the weekend. My weekend includes a big 4, I.e. The Listener, the EV, the Mephisto and the Azed. Which one of these do you guys regard as not being included in your big 3? Also in this EV I have been unable to parse 27. Any hints?

The Big 3 are, I think, Listener EV and IQ. Azed and Mephisto are nice puzzles but not themed (save for the occasional Azed).

For 27, old becomes Hold, which should help.

OptO, for 27 the 'old record' gives you letters two and three of the answer, those are inside the 'went off'.

I think of the big three as referring to thematic puzzles, so don't include Mephisto and Azed.

Oh, Buddy , thanks for that - I completely forgot about gaining, and losing letters...

Thanks Malone and Buddy for the hints re. 27. It was actually quite a straightforward clue, but I just could not see it.