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Sorry to lower the tone to ask a very basic question. One down. Is it OS as first and last letters and if so why? Thanks.

Not a basic question at all.
Your letters are correct.
Think of “exeter” as a series of letters and look for where the single letter “drugs” reside…

Thank you! Yes easy now you tell me. 😂 We thought maybe the 2 middle letters were the drugs. Makes sense now.

Interesting insight to the personal emotion compilers can pour into crosswords, Brockwell. A theme based on an indie band who debatably became more famous and more influential after the death of the lead singer, whose one real hit has become a real classic song. But is it fair to have such unfamiliar and specialised themes? I dunno. As I say …. interesting.

Another fun themed puzzle from Brockwell today. A certain Monty Python sketch comes to mind…

Indeed, jono. I confess I don’t understand why there are complaints about obscure themes. Puzzles are all solvable with no knowledge of them, even if that knowledge may help in some clues. They usually pass way over my head until they are pointed out to me, anyway, like Ninas and pangrams, as I never look for them. So I just consider them a bonus if you’re clever enough to spot them.

I enjoyed today’s, despite the iffy Spoonerism (can one ignore the stress?)

To clarify, for me the Spoonerism of the fish is a Scandinavian deity, not subdued, but maybe anything goes in the Guardian!

The theme passed me by completely as I've barely heard of JD. But by amazing coincidence I was at a funeral at Macclesfield Crem yesterday. I saw memorial kerbstones like IC's which I've seen pictured, but wouldn't have noticed his name if I'd seen it. All a bit weird. J D get a mention in the Macclesfield artwork on the station footbridge, too.