Sunday Times Prize Crossword 4531 Sunday March 31St 2013

[mercedita]

20Across: Hanging features in foreign prison camp with no end of cheering etc and it's awful (11).

I think the answer is "stalagmites", because of the "foreign prison camp" being "stalag", but how does the rest of the clue give you "-mites"? And aren't the hanging ones not "stalactites" anyway?

[Lie-in King]

20a Stalactites - 'stala(g)' (prison camp, no end) + anag 'etc + its'

[dannyk13]

20a.Stalactites ( Stala(g) + anagram of etc its)

[bert_h]

foreign prison camp = STALAG, no end of = STALA
'etc' and 'its' awful = CTITES

[mercedita]

Thank you, Lie-in King, Danny & Bert, you must think I'm a right twit! What was "cheering" doing in there? I think that's what put me off, among other things!).

[Lie-in King]

Apologies - 'stala(g)' - prison camp with no end of '(cheerin)g'

[mercedita]

Wish you could have heard the "Aaahhh" here, as it dawned on me! Many thanks, again, Lie-in-King. One last question: Have you come across The Crossword Club? I sent for the March Edition as a trial, but I can't get into it at all! Can you do any of it? I thought I was moderately OK but this is a total blank wall to me!