Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

THE CLUES

Requests for help should normally include the clue itself, the number of letters in the answer, and details of any you already have. Any special instructions or additional information should also be included.
HINTS only, please, no answers.

THE THEME
Requests may be made here for help towards the theme. 'Gentle nudges' is hard to define, of course, but it's worth trying to give enough to help without spoiling the puzzle for others. Queries, and answers, which lead to too much information being given away are likely to be removed.

Early solvers should avoid any allusion - jocular or otherwise - to the theme.

Early days, and I've done about 12 clues, almost all by cold solving.

One initial query- do the internal thematic letters get deleted from their clues?

Thanks

Well we were due a more challenging one and certainly got it.

Took a while to sort out a mess I’d got into with the clashes but then cracked the theme and pushed through from there.

Thanks for a fun workout Yorick

A pleas for help from the far East of England. No copies of the Times arrived at our newsagents today, and also some other pairs were missing. Is there any way any of the group could scan me today's Listener? I'll happily give my email address and make a donation to Barnardo's. Many thanks from a Norfolk sandbank.

yep i can do that...do you want today's times puzzles too?

I enjoyed this too. The toughest for a while, so a pleasant change. Chewy clues and plenty to disentangle, but it all works perfectly. The preamble was certainly less helpful than it could have been, and that definitely added to the challenge.

many thanks sudokulover

My next door neighbour went out with huskies and a sledge and has got one. However I will still donate toe Barnardo's so thank you

I can't believe I'm the only one struggling with this. I have five still to solve (4, 8, 20S, 32 and 49W), all of which seem to have multiple clashes. Hints would be welcome. Without knowing what the theme is it's hard to understand the sentenced beginning with a word in italics. Is the "properly located item" formed by the clashing letters, or by the cells in which they occur: the preamble can be read either way. And it would be good to know the number of clashing cells - well over 30 as far as I can see. If anyone's got this far ...

Cockie, the sentence you allude to is opaque until you have the theme, but it doesn’t help until you have filled the grid, so don’t waste time on it at this stage. I’m guessing there are fewer clashes than you think

Cockie, you're not!

I've done about 2/3 of the clues, and I have no sense at all about the theme.

I'd welcome tips to the same ones as listed by Cockie, plus 31N (Sabbath dish.....)

Thanks