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So you've all completed this one - eh ? I doubt it. I have completed the grid with one guess - ALAS at 31d. But cant make any headway with the preamble. it doesnt make any sense whatsoever - PADDED BRA ? Any hints at all will help before I post what I have.

Your 31d is wrong, mrcroft. Think of it as two words and relate it to what X does. I know the sort of person X is but I don't follow that sort of activity at all and I can't be bothered to search lots of names in the hope of finding the right person. Otherwise, I've finished it.

Thank you Orson I put that right and the anagram now makes sense, PADDED reads as 'with P added' as after extracting the three relevant items there is an added P.
I always find puzzles that you can complete with little reference to the preamble are somewhat pointless - I await discussion on FifteeenSquared.

I think you will find it is impossible to complete this rather clever puzzle without considerable reference to the preamble. Perhaps you should read it all again.

Talking of preambles, if anyone has yet to try this week's Listener, or is struggling with it, my advice is not to read the preamble at all; it will only confuse you. Solve the clues normally and the missing words will emerge. The letters in the circles will explain the links if they are not already obvious to you. You only need to bother with all the A + B - C stuff if you want to fill in the bit below the crossword.

Laphria - like Orson the puzzle was finished for me without solving the very clever working of X's title from the thematic words, rather than the reverse, ie having to spot the clever little anags first. PARALYMPIAN came without any reference to the preamble and X then really was quite likely to be one person only, particularly with a title. I think the idea should be to need to parse clues and the associated puzzle BEFORE completion. I also find extremely long and contrived preambles produce a disappointing challenge.

You shaded the five cells without reference to the preamble? And completed ALA- without it?