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Good fun. I especially liked the cryptic reference in 39A.

This is way outside my area, but good old wiki gave me the 39 answer. No joy with 21/17 though. A few answers not in BRB, and not noted as such. Odd.

I concluded that 21-17 is just a rough French translation of a 1958 song he co-wrote. Happy to be proven wrong; not sure how my idea is cryptic in any way.

For 17-21 I have the same as Buddy which doesn’t feel entirely satisfactory but I don’t see an obvious alternative.

I wasn’t aware of Pabulum’s “Obit” series but note that Obit VII was in 2024 (Derek Underwood) and Obit VI in 2022 (Lester Piggott). Before that there doesn’t appear to be a searchable Spectator archive.

Jono, I've had a quick look back through the Spectator Archive and discovered that not all Obits were from Pabulum - at least two were from Dumpynose. I haven't rounded them all up, but I did skim past Obit VI, V. IV, III and II. I think I'd travelled back to 2012 (maybe as far back as the archive went?), but my fingers and eyes were exhausted.

Thanks Malone. Where are you accessing the archive? I was clearly looking in the wrong place earlier.

Btw, Pabulum and Dumpynose are one and the same. He changed his name in 2016.

Dumpynose and Pabulum are one and the same. Obit V (2.3.2019) commemorated Albert Finney and Obit IV (29.4.2017) Chuck Berry.

Ah,Jono, thanks for the name info - I knew/know some of the setters have various names, but I didn't think about that on my scrolling mission!

I've looked at the archive before, and I think I always just Google Spectator Crossword Archives. When I did that a minute ago, I got taken straight to spectator.com/magazines/crossword/

Sorry, I can't do links.

The subject of Obit III (2243, 26.01.2016) was Warren Mitchell. Obit II (2181, 27.9.2014) marked the 250th anniversary of the death of Jean-Philippe Rameau. I haven't managed to spot Obit I.

Thanks, Will, good work!
Perhaps Obit I had a different name as he wasn’t expecting it to become a series at that stage?