AZED CROSSWORD 2564

CLEARING

1.  T. Rudd: Wherein we discover regal leader of court in As You Like It? (anag. incl. c., & lit.; ref. exiled Duke & court in Forest of Arden in AYLI).

2.  D. Appleton: Picnic spot where one might find e.g. empty lager can I abandoned? (anag. incl. l(age)r).

3.  J. R. Tozer: Piece of cultivable pasture, something seen after tree-cutting? (c lea ring, & lit.; ref. tree rings).

VHC

M. Barley: What a large number will have to enter to secure college education (i.e. c lear(n)ing, & lit.).

C. J. Brougham: Caught short with inordinate gin and ale, take a slash (c + anag. incl. r).

W. Drever: Opening up, slippery Lance Armstrong finally admits sources of racing infringements (r i in anag. incl. g).

A. Gerrard: Before being allowed to take their places, students may have to endure this ridiculous grace in Latin (anag. incl. L).

G. I. L. Grafton: Playing the French seeds in Roland Garros, can one break, with acers around? (anag. incl. le, R, G can I).

R. J. Heald: Breeze in some areas bearing rain, 50% overcast, turning bright (rain with ra reversed in cleg; breeze³).

M. Hodgkin: Fly around hectic air terminal in desperation to find gap between planes? (anag. + n in cleg).

J. Hood: Girl with acne desperate for removal of blemishes (anag.).

G. Johnstone: Guzzling one’s last Carling, bursting for a slash (e in anag.).

E. C. Lance: Concerned about life if rejected? This could help you gain access to higher education (l(if)e in caring).

J. C. Leyland: Deforested area horrendously large leads to climate inching closer to meltdown (anag. incl. c, i, n).

D. F. Manley: Arrangement offering college education with minimal number unplaced? (c lear(n)ing & lit.).

P. W. Marlow: See term for grazing area left in middle of forest possibly? (anag. of c, g, a, l in re, & lit.).

J. M. Rees: Topless audience with college lecturer one way to get into university (c l + (h)earing).

Dr S. J. Shaw: What might give forest this? Chopping fir tree logs can! (comp. anag. & lit.).

P. L. Stone: See hidden trace of rings in splitting open bit of wood (r in clea(v)ing).

K. Thomas: Organise right, angelic setting for ideal picnic, sunny yet shady (anag. incl. r).

Ms S. Wallace: Learning disrupted with start of coronavirus and no end of confusion for university admissions process (anag. incl. c less n).

A. J. Wardrop: College teaching Scots to which some students apply after Highers (c + learing).

Dr M. C. Whelan: Opening performance of King Lear has lead replaced by that of Coriolanus (anag. with C for K).

HC

P. B. Alldred, D. & N. Aspland, M. Barker, T. C. Borland, J. M. Brown, Mrs S. Brown, Dr J. Burscough, A. & J. Calder, C. A. Clarke, T. Clement, Ms S. Curran (France), E. Dawid, V. Dixon (Ireland), J. Fairclough, Dr I. S. Fletcher, H. Freeman, R. Gilbert, A. MacDougall, L. F. Marzillier (USA), P. McKenna, T. J. Moorey, C. Ogilvie, S. Randall, Dr J. B. Reid, A. D. Scott, A. J. Shields, I. Simpson, R. C. Teuton, P. Tozer, J. Vincent & Ms R. Porter, Mrs A. M. Walden, L. Ward (USA), R. J. Whale, A. Whittaker, D. Whyte (Ireland), G. H. Willett, K. & J. Wolff, A. J. Young, R. Zara.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 competitions)
 
1 R. J. Heald (2 prizes, 10 VHCs); 2 (equal) M. Barley (2, 8), Dr S. J. Shaw (2, 8), R. C. Teuton (3, 6); 5 (equal) D. F. Manley (2, 7), J. R. Tozer (1, 9), A. J. Wardrop (2, 7); 8 (equal) Dr I. S. Fletcher (2, 6), J. C. Leyland (1, 8), T. J. Moorey (2, 6); 11 (equal) T. C. Borland (1, 6), M. Hodgkin (1, 6); 13 (equal) W. Drever (1, 5), Mrs A. M. Walden (1, 5), R. J. Whale (2, 3); 16 (equal) D. & N. Aspland (0, 6), C. J. Brougham (1, 4), M. Lloyd-Jones (1, 4), P. W. Marlow (0, 6), T. Rudd (2, 2), P. L. Stone (0, 6); 22 (equal) H. Freeman (1, 3), J. Pearce (0, 5), A. J. Shields (0, 5), J. Vincent & Ms R. Porter (0, 5), Ms S. Wallace (0, 5), G. H. Willett (1, 3); 28 (equal) C. G. Millin (0, 4), N. G. Shippobotham (0, 4), K. Thomas (0, 4), K. & J. Wolff (0, 4).
 
BEST RUNNERS-UP
 
D. & N. Aspland, P. W. Marlow, P. L. Stone, J. Pearce, A. J. Shields, J. Vincent & Ms R. Porter, Ms S. Wallace, C. G. Millin, N. G. Shippobotham, K. Thomas, K. & J. Wolff.
 
Comments
 
147 entries, no noticeable mistakes. Of the 16 clues cited as your favourites, most went to ‘Junkie, how one might describe Cressida?’ for ACID-HEAD, though as a couple of you pointed out ‘head of the CID’ somewhat downgrades Cressida Dick’s position as head of the Metropolitan Police, for which I apologize. I sometimes wonder what non-UK-based competitors make of such domestic references, but I reckon that in these Googlified days most can be tracked down without trouble. No one ever seems to object. The next most popular clue was ‘Requiring more scratchings, I ordered thrice’ for ITCHIER.
 
I had some misgivings about CLEARING, which struck me at first sight as rather an uninteresting word to clue. In the event many said how friendly it turned out to be – nice letters and a wide range of meanings as both noun and (participial) verb. I hope the clues listed above illustrate this, with their many diverse approaches. Well done, everybody.
 
I feel I must respond to one critical comment I received for awarding a prize last month to a clue that included reference to the enduring children’s classic Little Black Sambo. I was aware of the racialist undertones this title has been accused of, and the various attempts to sanitize the title over the years. I should perhaps have been more conscious of the possibility of giving offence, and sincerely apologize for any I caused.
 
And so we complete another year of Azed competitions. (I was 29 when the series began; next month I shall be 79.) Congratulations to all who feature in the lists above, especially to Richard Heald for retaining first place. As I’ve said before, he is a most redoubtable competitor, always full of clever ideas and a tough man to beat, though pressed hard all the way. My thanks as ever to Martin Perkins for his sterling services as scorer. Still no sign of a resumption in the availability of financial rewards for winning efforts, I’m afraid.