For no 1. "Except when on guard, may be located at board meetings (4-3) {a ‘down’ clue}" = butt-end, I get 'but' + 'tend' from the first half of the clue but I don't understand the second part.
Hi..I may be wrong but the second part of the clue (board meetings). I thought that butt ends are used to join wood together? ..in other words board meetings
JimC. Chrisg has got it spot-on
Below a cut-and-paste from Chambers D:-
"a place where two edges meet; a butt-end"
i.e a meeting of the boards.
Thanks for your kind comments, all