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Good morning, Rusty!
Fell dreich here! And warm!
A nubucks and cagoule morning!
Only once have I not finished reading a book....
And that was "The Thin Yellow Line"........remember that?
I just couldn't stomach it.
I binned it as you suggested...I didn't even consider giving it to the charity shop.
I have a few chores to do this morning...fortunately indoors!
I rather think this rain may be set in for the day!

Hello, Elle!
"Fell dreich"?!!
Who have you been listening to!
It's a grand morning, here.
I had my new rain jacket on earlier.
It is an "Aldi" cheapie!
It is fine; I can't fault it.
Though it only cost a fraction of the cost of my Sprayway jacket.
I thought "The Thin Yellow Line" was fine but it did cover a very grim practice.
I have finished "Al Capone".
It was a reasonable read, nothing more.

Hi, Rusty!
Did you buy a padded rain jacket?
Or just a nylon cagoule?
The cagoule I was wearing this morning is just nylon......although I do have a padded one for the cooler weather.
Mine is years old...but is still waterproof.
I do need some new nylon over trousers though..... as my previous ones more-or-less disintegrated!
I've looked online, but think I might be better trying a pair on, in a shop.
Still raining......

Hello, Elle!
No, my new jacket is not padded.
I wanted a simple jacket/cagoule with two zipped pockets and that is what I got.
Made from polyester.
Cost less than a tenner.
I have two other winter jackets and a three-season one.
My favourite is a Sprayway make.
eBay will have lots of overtrousers.
Be worth a look?

Hi, Rusty!
I've looked previously online, but cannot decide what size to buy!
Normally I would get a size 12, or a "Small", but reading various reviews on different brands, is giving me doubts.
I think I should prefer to try a pair on in the store.
I will need to make a trip to Bromley or Croydon, I think ......and look, and try on, in person.
This is something on my "to- do" list before the Winter!
No rush at present - I don't mind getting wet when it's relatively "warm" rain!
Have you done your crossword?

Hello, Elle!
Well, my new rain jacket is from ALDI and it is good quality.
So, have a look in there, too.
Yes, I have finished my puzzle.
A good one today!
Took me a while to complete, which is what I like.
15d is a new word for me.

Hi, Rusty!
I, too, have finished the crossword , barring two parses.
Once I got going, it wasn't as hard as I originally thought it was going to be.
And no new words for me today!
I did wonder, though, whether 24a should have been TWO words?
I thought the answer "checkout" might have been a triple definition?
leave; investigate; point of paying?
But for that it would surely have needed to be two words?
What do you think?
How about the parsing for 5d:
I have "As a matter of fact" = " in reality" (def) but cannot parse the rest of it?
and 19d: peacock = vain person (def)
But couldn't understand the rest of the clue?
What am I not seeing, please?

Hello, Elle!
I agree "checkout" is a triple definition, and for me, it should be two words.
Now, 5d, "a missile" is "a SAM", (Surface to air missile), and a "bad performance is an "off act", "end of life" mostly, is "at ter(M)".
I think that's it?
"Peacock" is correct. Thomas "Love" Peacock was an auld poet.
A tricky clue if you did not know the poet, I think.
I did not like it.
Hope this helps, Elle!
In 25a, a "yurt" is a tent.

Hi, Rusty!
I am glad that I am not alone in thinking "checkout " should actually be two words, if meant to be a triple definition!
I have never heard of the term "SAM" so would never have got that, but I understand the rest of the clue now that you have kindly explained it.
And no, I had never heard of Thomas Love Peacock!
I had no idea to what / whom the compiler was referring.
I meant to ask you....did you buy your new cagoule from an online Aldi?
Or is this the new store that you'd said was going to be built?

Hello, Elle!
I agree with you on check out.
Checkout just does not look the part.
I think SAM's are reasonably well known.
Poet Peacock was new to me, too!
I bought my new rain jacket on eBay from an outlet called "Whenyouwishuponastar", which is a children's charity.
I did not know it was made for ALDI until I looked at the jacket's packaging.
The manufacturer is "Crane", which I have not heard of.
It is a fine jacket for the money I paid.
The new store has not been started yet!