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Jazzgirl, I salute you!!! If I ever win, I'll invite you over for a glass [or six] of vino and you can watch a video of your choice!!!!
Many thanks; when I see the answers, it's always a d'oh moment for me...

Good Morning, All. My word, that was hard - not helped by inventing a new word for 8 across, right enough. This meant that 6 down took for ever to find. Bottom left hand corner was difficult too.

I thought I would post this before reading everyone else's comments, then check if I am alone in struggling this week. Got there eventually, but really after a long time.

Hope all are well.

Best wishes

P

I'll read the various threads now.

That is very reassuring. I am not alone in my hour of need. It has never taken me this long to complete. Guess it must be a new compiler.

Just back from Rochdale (again). Came home on Thursday, No2 son followed up on Saturday, and in the early hours of Sunday morning, he got a message from the company which monitors his burglar alarm, to say that there was an intruder in his house. Quick call to Rochdale Police, and three guys got a surprise interruption. Good result.

Anyway, I returned to Rochdale to give some moral support, travelling with our newly qualified driver, who insists on not using the heater in his car. The temperature in my own car is never below 22 degrees centigrade, so it was a shock to the system to have about 250 miles in an igloo. Back home now, and all stolen items returned to the rightful owner.

Some people are just not nice.

P

Pipesmoker -I`m glad I was not the only one finding 29 a fiend. Who was `not nice` -the burglars or the cold car driver ??
Glad to hear Rochdale police are so efficient. M

Hi Pipesmoker, glad your son got all his belongings back safe and sound. It's seldom you hear of a good outcome like that.
As you say, this week's crossword was a toughie, and it's interesting to see what bits others thought difficult/easy.
Hope Mrs P has warmed you up now and your temperature has not reached critical mass.
Take care
Chris

Hi, Magworth and Chris4food. Thank you for your concerns.

The burglars certainly were not very nice. We thought they had filled the burglar alarm with water to silence it, but it seems they had passed it through their kidneys first. Savages. It is very pleasing that they got caught. Only parental devotion made the cold car just about pardonable.

Sadly, Mrs P is not here to provide warmth at present. She is somewhere in Belgium at the moment with our granddaughter. Still, I do enjoy a wee while on my own. I can eat, sleep and watch telly when I want, without having to fit in with the needs and desires of someone else. Not only that, there is no voice reminding me of the evils of tobacco.

Collected Mrs Ps car from repairers yesterday and was glad to get rid of the Ford Galaxy we were given as a courtesy car. It was very thirsty. You would think it used petrol when it was sitting still. Anyway, I suppose it was handy to have.

Good to see I wasn't alone struggling with this week's crossword. At one point, I thought I was going to have to admit defeat.

Best wishes for now.

P

Pipesmoker - the power of auto-suggestion......
after reading what the burglars did,
for a second I misread `I do enjoy a wee, while on my own`. My naughty mind inserted a comma there !

I'm still not finished, so it's good to see others have struggled. Congratulations on catching some thieving vermin. I caught a burglar myself once, but that was in 1975; I don't think I'd better try that again.

Yes I do prefer to be alone in that pursuit too, Magworth.

Hi, Bees. Good for you. This is where you are told that only reasonable force may be used to restrain your intruder. I think reasonable force should extend to rendering the offender unconscious. I get a bit fed up with this human rights stuff, when the person has clearly shown no respect for the rights of the victim. All praise to the Rochdale Constabulary, though, they must have been on the scene within minutes.

P

Hi there all you 'Clever-clogs'
REALLY stumped this week, have logged on for some help PLEASE. I'm so simple (Twp in Welsh!) I need answers NOT clues.I read your 'chats' each week, what a great bunch you are (flattery'll get me anywhere..!)Struggling with 23a..'Venice' didn't help, sorry, could only think of One Cornetto and gondola..! As for 1d 10d and 15a..??! My brain aches..! Orf to my bed and hope for some sympathetic noises from you all tomorrow.!Nite nite..Yawn and Grrr..!