The clues for this Seasonal Show were presented in three blocks:

Firstly, an unnumbered set of clues to the whole of each of Rows 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 with the clues in each row run together to read as a single sentence, without indication of where one clue started and another ended. However, we were told that the clues were in the right order in each row;

Secondly the remaining Across clues; and

Finally the Down clues.

We were informed that that the Row clues contained elements to be adapted for the Seasonal Show in line with the examples we would find in two of the columns. My first thoughts of pantomimes came to nothing as the answers unfolded.

We were also told that most of the Across and Down clues contained an extra word, the initial letters of which, in clue order, spelt out a thematic phrase., with an additional indication that the phrase was a humorous variation on a more well known phrase.  In fact, all the Across clues and all but the final two Down clues contained an extra word.  The thematic phrase, with apologies to Shakespeare, appeared as:

Now is the winter of our discount tents

leading to the theme of Winter Sales which were in full swing on 5th January when the Crossword was published.

The answers to the Row clues had be adjusted by repositioning the letters S, A, L and E in the answers to create the word SALE in as many places as possible.  In many cases this involved adjusting letters across the join of the answers to the row clues. The unaffected letters remained in their correct order.

There were, I think, 10 occurrences of SALE that could be created in the Rows.  Together with the two instances of SALE in the columns, one in column 1 - last letter of 10 down and first 3 letters of 29 down - and one in column 12 - last 2 letters of 10 down and first 2 letters of 15 down - this gave the 12 appearances of SALE that had to be highlighted in the final grid.

To help generate the large number of occurrences of SALE in the Rows there were some very obscure words in the Across and Down answers - e.g WEAMB , LUIT and LINS. On a couple of the homophones and reversals I required help from the crossing answers to determine the correct entry e.g. ABLE/ABEL , or direction of entry - CEPS/SPEC. There were some definitons that brought a smile - e.g Cleaning fluids for ENEMAS.   My age helped with Mrs DALE’s Diary - it was first broadcast on 5th January 1948 with the final episode aired in April 1969.  It used to be broadcast twice a day on the Light Programme around the time of Worker’s Playtime. R egrettably, I can remember it well.

The clues read well and kept their true meaning hidden from me for a while over a couple of solving sessions totalling about 4 hours. There were 47 clues in all - excellent value for money!

Sorry this is so late - I wrote it up at lunchtime but the site’s been down for most of the afternoon with an “Unable to connect to database” error.

I seem to remember that the last Orlando puzzle I solved was a bit of a let-down, but this was pretty good. I have to admit looking up the Milton quotation in ODQ, once I’d guessed the “pastures new” bit. I was slowed down at the end because I had RENT BILLS for 6D (bills = money = bread), which made 11 impossible, but I got there eventually.

Across
4,1d,24 TOMORROW TO FRESH WOODS AND PASTURES NEW (the awesome, wondrous words of transport)* - a quote from Milton’s Lycidas. Nice long anagram, usually a speciality of Araucaria or Enigmatist.
8 FOLLOW ON,ES NOSE (sees no)*
11 TRITON(e) - a Greek sea-god usually depicted blowing a conch.
12 HANDS,CREW - a new meaning of jack for me, but I suppose it’s just another word for the sort of jack you have in the car.
17 OR,SON - I got this from the second part of the clue. Valentine and Orson is a story about twin brothers.
19 D.A.,CAPO - a musical term, literally “from the head”.
21 PRINT,R(U)N - U = “for all to see”, film classification.
25 CHAR,LOCK - a type of wild mustard.

Down
2 SPLIT,ENDS - Split is in Croatia, on the Adriatic.
4 TOOK,TURNS - Barry Took was a comedian, so the definition of TOOK was “That’s funny, Barry”.
6 RENT,ROLLS - hmph! Bread = ROLLS, not BILLS! That held me up for nearly 10 mins with just 11A to go in.
9 IN LOVE AND WAR - in which “All’s fair”. Nice cryptic def.
14 WATER,BUCK - ready = cash
16 RIO GRANDE - river on the USA-Mexico border, and a John Wayne film.
20 C-IN-C,H
22 NEE,P(ari)S - Scottish turnips. Neeps and tatties are the traditional accompaniment to haggis on Burns night (Jan 25).

Looking at the grid before I started saw checking was low in some cases eg 2 in 5-letter words, 3 in 7-letters words so I suspected a theme.   Having solved it however, I cannot see one apart from the 4 symmetrically placed (2,3,4) entries, all having THE as the second word.   Difficult, but you expect that with Monk, and some excellent clues as usual - solving time  52 mins.

* = anagram
ACROSS
7 INDEX    INDEX finger, thumb INDEX  and an INDEX is a pointer
8 UP T H(E D)UFF    (put)*     Pregnant
10 CHAS T E   From Chas and Dave (pop) and final letters.
16 E NG RAFT
17 PRE (CE) P Term    Excellent seamless join in teaching/assignment
20 O DIN
22 FAC (E-ACH) E
25 Liza MIN (NELL) I
27 ON THE GAME  (gen at home)*
28 BAS (L) E

DOWN
1 ON THE ME ND     Theme = idea
2 MEN SWEAR
3 SPINACH   (chains P)*   vegetable associated with P
6 FF ION
9 KEPI  Hidden
14 UP THE WALL    The Wall is the album
16 FINE LEGS   Not having heard of Cyd Charisse (a dancer in films now in her 80s) I got this from the cricket reference ie fielders but was held up for a while having pencilled in ‘long legs’
24 F (R) IEND   R = resistance   Friend = China = mate

I found this one very straightforward. Solving time, 12 mins
Some notes on clues below - happy to explain others if asked.

< = reversed

ACROSS

9 S (LIP) ON Don = put on (clothes)
10 NOSEBAND “Knows” “banned”
12 EURO Double definition.   Currency of many EU countries (including France - hence ‘Paris’) but also a type of kangaroo = jumper
16 TURN SPIT Tips< The word lending itself to cryptic crossword wordplay.

DOWN
3 EU PHONY
14 THE BLUES Double definition. As Chelsea football club are known (from their colours).

I had some trouble finishing this one. One reason was that I was unfamiliar with the expression “to wet the baby’s head”. It stems, I understand, from baptism but has come to mean imbibing much alchohol in celebration of a birth! Then there were just several clues that I found difficult: 14A, 1D, 15D and 17D.

Across
9. ONE MAN WENT TO MOW - WOM[an] + OTT + NEW + NAME + NO all backwards. “Went to mow a meadow…”
10. SPROG - S (second) + PROG (TV show). I have one old friend who uses this word a lot (in spite of the fact that she is sprogless).
11. PARSIMONY - PAR (average) + SIMONY (Christian sin). I had to look up “simony”. It refers to the buying or selling of ecclesiastical pardons, offices, or emoluments.
12. PETRIFIED - double definition
14. ELIOT - TOILE[t] (john) backwards. This was tough — probably many people were trying to find an author John somebody to fit.
16. WET THE BABYS HEAD - is this a double definition? Not clear to me.
19. ROUGH - double definition
21. CHEMISTRY - cryptic definition
23. AFTERGLOW - anagram of [blazin]G ROW LEFT A
25. ROUTE - [dir]T in ROUE
26. CINEMATOGRAPHER - anagram of TEAM REPROACHING. This was easy.

Down
1. HORSEPOWER - H (hot) + anagram of OR WORSE with EP (record) inserted
2. HEARST - [S]ucceed in HEART (vital area). I read a newspaper owned by the Hearst corporation, the San Francisco Chronicle.
3. LANGUISH - L[iberal] + ANGUISH (torture)
4. SWAP - PAWS (hands) backwards
5. INCREDIBLE - INEDIBLE (hard to swallow) with C (about) and R (right) inserted
6. STRIPE - anagram of PRIEST. This clue reminds me of a time when I dined in a restaurant called Piret’s and went through all the anagrams of it!
7. IMPOLITE - IM (Mudd’s) + POLE (post) with IT inserted
8. SWAY - double definition
13. IMBECILITY - I (one) + anagram of YET I CLIMB
15. TEDDY BEARS - EDDY (boy) + B[lub] in TEARS (crying), I guess but I do not see the insertion indicator.
17. TRUSTING - T (crown of tooth) + RUSTING (in decay)
18. SLIP ROAD - SLID (skidded) around PRO (crack) + A (a)
20. HAREMS - M[ale] in HARES (flies)
22. TAUGHT - homophone
23. ARCH - is this properly termed a hidden word? I am not sure how else to categorize it but I think it’s a fine clue.
24. WAGE - WAG (shake) + E (note)