Hello BigDave44,
Your post here prompted me to have a shot at the Sun Tel 2481, (I don't normally bother as the clues are normally not very elegant), but like last week the whole thing was trite, some of the Quick Crosswords in the D.Tel have been more challenging.
And as for the EV Solving Suggestions, if you can't fathom things out from the rubric, then should you even start? In my humble opinion, the Solving Solutions are superfluous. If the aim is to make EV more attractive to other solvers, why not improve on the prize, rather than dumb it down? It seems inane that you get the same prize for a trite or GK crossword as EV, which the supposedly erudite Puzzles Editor calls very tough! I don't bother sending in EV, there are only so many inexpensive plastic pens you can use!
No doubt other EVers will comment as well, if they take a break from enjoying the sunshine! BTW, I have my laptop with me on the patio now!
What is the e-mail addy of Phil McNeill, please?