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Is anyone else attempting this? I'm finding it very difficult. "Clues are presented in non- overlapping pairs; either pair appearing first"
6a. Cat returns with energy and pride, say, and takes possession of deposit assumed by strong investor. (7, 2 words 7)
Or 17a. With thoughts circling, they sell(on tick ) cats catching worn out fish. (8,8 )

6 A. Moves In, takes possession of - This is for 'Cat returns with energy and pride,say, and takes possession of'/. Vom is Cat, 'returns' gives Mov, +E, energy +Pride, sin, say. I think it was entered as 'Oves In' - I didn't finish this and I didn't keep the paper.

I'm finding this difficult too. Marca, "cats catching worn out fish" is mogs (cats) with an anagram of "worn" in between, for a word for a fish.

I'm stuck on part of 2 down:

Having complaint about old obsolete stake (8 letters, 3 words).

The clue is wordplay only. No definition but I assume the answer is some sort of creature.

Hi Orson, no it's not a creature, it's a person related to the theme which has two elements, one literal (the creatures bit) and one to do with a famous historical event- the middle words make the link.

Thanks, muraria. Got it now.

Thanks, all three of you. I still have a very long way to go. I have only a few of the down clues solved and don't really know where to enter my answers. I have assumed, for no good reason that the down answers without definition go on the right.
I may well abandon the whole enterprise.

Hi Marca, the clues without definition are split evenly between the two sides. Of those ten down clues, six are creatures with something in common, four relate to the event (two people, two artefacts). Keep plugging, this was a slog but hopefully the penny will drop...

I've finished, even thought some of the clues are frustrating and I'm not sure they all work. However, it is a clever double take on the phrase in the middle.

17a - thoughts = mentally (which I don't think is correct). Circling means split the word and change the order to get people who sell things on tick.

8a is not in Chambers, but it is if you put AN in front of the answer.

And, marca, the thematic down answers are not all in one half.

I now have the undefined 9 and 10 on the Left. Are they correctly placed?

Yes.