Spectator 2101

[djawhufc]

Hi all

Enjoy this week's offering.

All the best

DJA

[whatsthat]

Thanks Daniel.
I've already got the theme and haven't even started with the clues!

[kayakamina]

Yes the title was a giveaway but I still found it a slog.

Thanks as always Daniel.

[Neveracrossword]

I am really struggling with the top half of this. Help with two clues might unblock me.
5 D. Truck ascending zigzag track (7) t???w?y
(I can see 'tramway' which has 'yaw'/zigzag, ascending, but not sure how the rest works)
18 A. Faintly excellent Scots knight impressed (5) ???e?
I can never get the Scots words.
Any help, suggestions would be much appreciated.

[roslyn251254]

Grid filled up quite nicely after I realised the theme from the title!
neveracrossword - your E is wrong in 18a - waly - scottish excellent with N (knight) inside
5d tramway -still working on its wordplay!

[bakajiji]

Thanks again, Daniel. Always much appreciated.

[roslyn251254]

yes - yaw/zigzag ascending with tram = truck in front

[Neveracrossword]

Roslyn, thanks - I stupidly gave my letters for 15 A rather than 18 A. I've sorted it now.

[mathsman]

Apart from ambiguities I have filled the grid. The first sentence of the preamble appears to end 'the same nd' - which means nothing to me. I have tried pairing the across and down options to no avail. I can't even anagrammatise the title.I must be missing something simple. HINTS, please.

[kayakamina]

The preamble states that the four works are from the same HAND - your copy must be indistinct.

I was sure that Brideshead would be one of them but was wrong!

[mathsman]

Dear Kayakamina.

Mine was an online download. Now it makes sense. Thank you.

[teenieleek]

Thanks as always DJA. I had to almost finish this before I got the theme, disgraceful since I spent 45 minutes listening to Melvyn Bragg this morning on the very subject.