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Hi, Rusty!
"Step we gaily, on we go, Heel for heel and toe ......."Mairi's wedding!
Now, Neasden!
I have been trying to think of which places you might know....
Neasden is about a mile from Dollis Hill and about four miles from Kilburn.............
Do you know Kilburn? or West Hampstead?
How about "pants" turning up again in the crossword?
I had already done that clue this morning before going out....... I still don't like the word in that context...but at least I knew it this time!
Yes, I spent plenty of money on BB's taking part in activities!
I "did my bit" to support the school!
It is a lovely school - there is a really nice - happy and caring - atmosphere about the place.
BB was lucky to get a place there.


Hello. Malone!
Yes, I did that clue this morning before we went out!
I still don't like it...but at least I could do it !
I think you are being a little harsh about Santa!
These are very young children...and this is their Christmas Fair!
Primary schools break up in two or three weeks - when else would the school hold its Fair or have Santa "visit"?
If you had seen their little faces.......

Neasden featured prominently in Private Eye, with ashen-faced manager Ron Knee of Neasden F.C., with their sole supporters Sid and Doris Bonkers.

Hello, Elle!
Yes, I have heard of Kilburn.
At one time I had a few relatives from across the sea, living in Kilburn.
I have been through Hampstead about 7 million years ago, but have never heard of Dollis Hill.
I thought you would like the "pants" clue.
The word is in the language, Elle, for better or worse!
Yes, you seem happy with BB's school and you should, of course, support their activities.
I agree with Malone, keep Santa until mid December, I think!

Chrise, thanks - it'll be Private Eye that's responsible for me knowing Neasden.

Elle, I love Christmas fairs and I love happy children - but I don't like the build-up to Christmas starting too early! My son was crestfallen one year when his gran took him to a Christmas fair and then told him it was '11 sleeps till Santa came'. He'd never have coped with hearing that Santa would be coming in 29 days!

Hi, Rusty!
So there you go, if you know where Kilburn is, you have a rough idea of the location of Neasden!
I agree with both you and Malone that Christmas is sadly commercialised, instead of its religious aspect being highlighted, but cannot see what is amiss with little children seeing Father Christmas at their Christmas Fair!
They can hardly wait till mid December as school will have broken up by then!
But to digress a little, I thought it rather sad that the little ones could no longer sit on Santa's knee......instead a little chair was placed next to his larger one...... the PC brigade has a lot to answer for!
I am three -quarters way through the 15 x15... I am struggling!
How are you going with Mr. M's life story?

Hello, Elle,
No, I do not know where Kilburn is, but I think it is somewhere in North London.
I had folk who lived there for a few years who followed the big civil engineering jobs.
And little children are not meant to see Santa, they are supposed to be fast asleep when he comes!
And there were no reindeers at Bethlehem, either!
I do agree, Elle, about the little chair.
I did not know that was what went on nowadays rather than sit on Santa's knee. That is a pity.
I have put Mr M's book to the side for today and have started reading "Tisha", about Miss Anne Hobbs going to Chicken, Alaska, in 1927, to be a teacher.
It is good!
The crossword is quite good.
Just in case you are stuck on 9d, there are "nine" in a baseball team who play on a "diamond". Could it be the name of a team?
Think Babe Ruth and Joe di Maggio!

Hi, Rusty!
I had already done 9d! and parsed it!
New York Yankees - anagram of orkney, skye, anew.
In fact, I have now finished the puzzle, bar one, and a few parsings I couldn't fully get.
The one I couldn't do is
8d: Economist has important figures, nothing less (6)
I have K?Y?E?
that is , if my letters are correct?
My Stormsure welly repair kit has been dispatched and should be with me on Monday or Tuesday.
Thank you again for that!

8 D is Keynes, economist - Key, important + (o)nes, figures.

Good morning, Elle!
Well done on the Yankees!
I had a biography on a famous Yankee, Lou Gehrig, (they named a disease after him).
Was an excellent book.
Lou's retirement speech at Yankee Stadium is on YouTube.
John Maynard Keynes is the economist. with a perfect parse from Malone.
Miss Anne Hobbs has reached Chicken, after an epic journey there on horseback, and had a near thing with a grizzly bear, and almost drowned crossing a river. She and her horse do not get on very well!
Fingers crossed (where did that come from?) the welly repair kit does the job!
Frost here again!

Just noticed that "fingers crossed" is the logo for the National Lottery.