Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

It may well be coincidental but using the moves of one of the pieces the other name can be "traced".

I have never given up on a Speccie, but this one has defeated me. Each time I try to fit an unclued, the clued crossers are wrong. Went into the garden to do some photography and watched two beautiful banded demoiselles. .....joy

hi Klazo
I have the official list of 17 but just three fail to fit.
I will sleep on it (not literally !,) and may strike lucky tomorrow

Ginge! The Clueless/PR gang miss you, I think you should make a return ;-)

I found all the unclueds using Chambers Word Wizard.

Klazo, and others. I enjoyed the clues, but found the themed stuff rather pedestrian. Alll it involved was finding a list, then slotting the entries in where they fitted. I'd got a few unaided, but felt no compunction in looking up the others. I'm never a fan of 'we need eight composers or stars or ... characters from 'Coronation Street'. They're definitely not the most satisfying of puzzles.

Well, success at last. I have a full grid. I had made two errors in my hand-drawn grid and one error in 38a where the second word ended in N imstead of P.
I am relieved to get this done. Not enjoyable for me

klazo

Solution has been published for 2608

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/2608-support-solution/

Thanks, Klazo. I was, indeed, relieved that there were no ambiguous entries, but I definitely felt a bit let down.

Klazo, I don't think it makes much diifference to your views, but the puzzle's theme was ' Back up', (from 'support') not just 'back'. The 'up' maybe doesn't make a huge difference, but I feel it makes your 'donate' less likely.

PS I too didn't like some of the thematic entries.