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Hello, Elle!
Yes, my son was here.
He'll be back on Sunday before he goes on holidays.
He brought me a stewed steak dinner from the butcher.
I am getting spoiled!
It is a lovely evening here!

Hi, Rusty!
Beef last week.....stewed steak this....you are indeed getting well-treated!
( I always think, too, that a meal tastes the better if one hasn't had to cook it oneself!)
So where is your son off to on his holidays?
Are there just himself and his wife going? the girls are remaining at home?
I finally -- after a slowing down over the bottom half -- finished the 15 x15, bar two clues.
I couldn't do the following....
22d: Vulgar ambassador interrupting international representative (5)
C?E?P
and 25d: Land around Northern cove (4)
?E?T
My two favourites were "prescient " for 28a, and "passerby" for 3d!
Still raining here!

Hello, Elle!
My son and his wife are going to Florida, USA, for two weeks.
Misses O and La Bamba are in charge of me until he returns,
The butcher's meals are excellent!
22, The ambassador is HE (His Excellency),
The international representative is a "cap".
Giving "c HE ap" for crude.
25, Land is "get" as in obtain or win.
Northern is N.
Giving "ge N t" for cove/man.
It was quite a good puzzle today.

Hi, Rusty!
Oh, that is where they went last time they were away, isn't it?
I seem to remember them also going to a nearby island for part of the time?
Re the two clues.....
I can see "gent" now that you have explained it, but I would never have thought of "cove" in that respect.
And I can see "HE" for "ambassador" in the other clue....but where does "cap" come from?
Am I missing something obvious here?

Hello, Elle!
Yes, they love Florida.
The go once a year now.
Now "cap".
I thought you may have known that.
Anyways! At one time (maybe still happens, I do not know) players who were chosen to represent their countries at certain sports, including football and Rugby Union, were given an actual cap, usually embroidered with a tassel etc for being so honoured.
Over time, the actual player was often referred to as a "cap".
Being "capped" for your country was a great honour.

Hello, Elle,
I think Chambers explains "cap" a bit better than me!

Elle,
And Brewer's certainly does!

Hi, Rusty!
Ah, thank you.
Yes, I see now.
"International representative" is a "cap".
That was well over my head. (Sorry, that wasn't meant to be a pun)
I have just started the last of Miss P's books.
I meant to ask you if your own "Omnibuses" are illustrated with rough sketches?
The ones in my copies are very cleverly drawn - and are described at the beginning of the books as " Decorations by Douglas Hall".
They are really very good and are scattered throughout the chapters.
They depict the goings-on very well.
I have never heard drawings being described as "decorations", before?

Hello, Elle!
My Omnibus did not arrive and Julie refunded my money.
None of my books have arrived yet!
So, I can not help with "decorations" other than to say Chambers does not list "drawings" under "decorations".
The "cap" thing is fairly well known, I would have thought, and I think it was a fair clue.
I came across an article about "Miss Peckwitt", but it was about her under her real name of "Comber".
These children were close neighbours of her and Mr Peckwitt!
They say she was a very nice lady indeed and she encouraged their writing and occasionally gave them a chocolate orange!
I do not think there would be much in the way of chocolate oranges on Bruach!

Good morning, Rusty!
Another dreich day!
Just back from my walk with a very poggy - and consequently ecstatic - dog!
She loves being muddy!
I didn't realise that the book that failed to reach you was The Second Hebridean Omnibus!
But you have others by Miss P on order, so maybe they will contain these particular illustrations?
I wonder, though, will that depend on the publisher? My volumes are published by 'Arrow'.
Let me know about that when they come - I think the sketches are very descriptive and enter into the spirit of the tales.
Right, coffee and at least one crossword before I knuckle down to some chores!