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Good evening, Rusty!
Phew....I am only just home!
The PPG meeting went on for well over two hours.
And I need to attend a public meeting tomorrow about the potential closure of our GP surgery.....
I can foresee a lot of work ahead!
And I now need to print off some petition sheets ......
Now, I am sorry to have taken so long to get back to you......thank you so much for helping me with those clues.
I vaguely remember teddy boys, when I was but a nipper!
21a: Fish giving old men inner energy (5)
You say "popes" are fish...so maybe "pops"- "old men"
+ "e" for energy?
I should never have arrived at that unaided!
I don't understand 7d?
I think I need a (very strong) coffee!

Hello, Elle!
A busy afternoon you had!
GP surgery perhaps closing?
Not so good.
21a, yes, that is the parse I had.
I don't have the puzzle anymore.
I can't remember the clue to 7d, but it did not impress me.
I remember that. "Uneven", I had.
The only thing I deduced when trying to parse was the the clue number (7) is an uneven/odd number.
Hope you can see something that escaped me, in the clue!

Hi, Rusty!
No, the future of the GP practice doe not look good at all.
The present management team would like to purchase the premises, and update and carry on the practice.....
But it looks as though the decision may be taken out of their hands, and the practice may simply be closed down.
We all have a lot to do in the next few days, with time very much against us.
A worrying issue is that the other medical practices in the area do not have all that good a reputation......
Now , 7d: As inconsistent as this clue? (6)
I follow what you are thinking ...that "7" is an "uneven " number....
But can see nothing else?

Hello, Elle!
A pity if your practice closes.
You can but do your best to try and keep it open.
7d. I am not content with "uneven" meaning "7".
A bit too vague for my liking.
But, I can not think of anything else.
Apart from that clue, it was a good puzzle!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, we all have our various roles allotted to us, in preventing the practice closure.
I fear though that time is very much against us......
We are going to one of these public meetings tomorrow afternoon.
We shall see what develops from that and other "pipelines".
Back to the crossword, it didn't sit easy with me today....
I find it far more difficult than you do, to arrive at the answers.....and the parses!
For instance, I should never have got 22a: "hermitage" , if I hadn't already known that Herm is a small Channel Island.
But hey! "Tomorrow is another day"!

Hello, Elle!
Well, at least you are trying to save the practice.
I wish you well!
I knew Herm, too.
I think 7 has to be "uneven" (ureter fits but that makes no sense), but I think there may be something else in the clue that we are not quite seeing.
Yep, another puzzle tomorrow!

Good morning, Rusty!
Wet, warm (ish) and miserable here!
I hope you are faring better?
I have a few chores to do this morning, also some paperwork to sort out......
Then, this afternoon, we have another meeting to attend.
But first...a coffee and a peep at the crossword!

Good morning, Elle!
A dull rainy day here!
I was out in it earlier, but I think I am home for the day now.
Hope your meeting goes well!
Remember my counterfeit watch?
They refunded my money.
I asked them to send a paid return label.
They replied that I can keep the watch, and they would be pleased with positive feedback!
Now, what on earth to do with it!
Puzzle on the easy side today, I think.
New words to me are, 2d, 21a, 12a.

Hi, Rusty!
Ah, a similar reaction to the return of your counterfeit watch to that of my book that failed to match its description of "very good condition".
I was told to keep the first book.
But what did I want with two of them?
I gave the more battered one away!
You could at least keep the watch as a "spare" if necessary?
You did say it would lose only a few seconds per month.
I haven't got very far with the crossword, because various other subjects came up!
A friend popped round to tell me about the public meeting he had attended last night, regarding the GP surgery closure.......and of course we are ourselves going to a (similar) meeting very shortly at lunch time.
As far as I have got with the crossword, I liked 9a: husbandry... I thought that was quite a clever clue.
And 10a: brier....good old Uncle Remus!
I seem fated to get wet when going out to these meetings!

Good evening, Rusty!
Wherever has my day gone?!
Reporting back on the meeting...... it was surprisingly well attended, which was very encouraging.
The main purpose was to alert as many people as possible to the possible closure of the surgery, and to discuss the ramifications.
Ways were also mentioned in which the public could participate in drawing attention to the current problem, and how to address it.
All in all, I should say the meeting went well.
The practice manager is doing an excellent job.
There is another major meeting though on Thursday, where the final decision will be taken by the powers- that-be .......and unfortunately we shall be unable to attend that one.
We shall just have to do the best we can to help in the interim....... and hope for a favourable decision.
Oh dear, I really need a strong coffee !