After spending a lot of time on Saturday’s double, I had a busy day today and only got round to this one this evening. I eventually got and understood it all, but I was badly held up in the SW. I was sure that 22d must be ‘folio’ (a Minister’s concerns are his portfolio, and this minus one side (port) gives ‘folio’ (a document)! Of course this threw me badly out for 21a and 25a. At least I magnaged to think myself out of this mess having thought myself into it.

I liked 1a, 2a, 13a, 3d, 16d, and 24d.

A great puzzle in retrospect and at times along the way, but by the time I came to it, I rather missed the quicker solve Rufus usually provides!

Thanks for dropping in – it’s always good to hear from you!

I do indeed remember the Battle of Solferino from O Level Unification of Italy! [as I said, 'from the back of the mind', as Bamber Gascoigne used to say] – it’s just that I’ve seen SALERNO a number of times in crosswords because it’s conveniently an anagram ['new'!] of ‘Orleans’.

["One of these days I am going to set a puzzle with a hidden theme of Paris Metro stations, so Solferino may crop up again in that context. Be warned!"] Oh dear!

Thank you for the blog, and thanks to all who have commented.

I remember the battle of Solferino from O-level history [Europe 1815-1914] – remember O-levels? Apropos, there is a Rue de Solférino in Paris and a Metro station called Solférino, near the Musée d’Orsay. One of these days I am going to set a puzzle with a hidden theme of Paris Metro stations, so Solferino may crop up again in that context. Be warned!

Any crossword with meson is good for me!

Thanks eileen for explaining the last one. Flowers is a misdirect I usually pick up on but failed to see it thus time.

I thought ENOUNCE was really well hidden. I’m still not sure where the indicator is – which is why I didn’t mention it! I could make out a case, I think, for either ‘have’ or ‘out’.

caretman, re SOLFERINO: this was somewhere in the back of my mind but the first thing that leaped up was SALERNO [since my dad was involved in it, I think] but, of course, as you say, it didn’t fit! Just for the record, and for future reference, I can’t find I = Ireland anywhere. I is the IVR for Italy [and IRL for Ireland].

[I'm sure everyone here is relieved that your weather has been less severe than feared. We were thinking of you.]

After spending the weekend working out the prize puzzle, and now with probably spending the next few days figuring out how 4-5 of those clues work, it was good to have a gentle beginning to the week.

Lopakhin @7, you’re not the only one who missed the hidden answer in 11a. I thought it was a homophone clue with “speak out” acting as both the indicator of the homophone and what the light was to be a homophone of (“announce”).

I had to look up OFLAG and SOLFERINO to confirm. In fact, for the latter, I initially thought it might be SALFERINO, with F(rance) and I(reland) in SALERNO, a battle I was much more familiar with, even though I doubted that the result would be word meaning “alone.” I was just one letter off.

So thanks, Orlando, for a fun start to the week.

I’ve saved you the trouble – just click on the link!

Quite a nice puzzle although I have never heard of EL MISTI or the battle of SOLFERINO. Crimean war? I will have to Google it.

For a start I entered ALMOST ALL for 7D and this held me up for a while.

Agreed: a satisfying session with Orlando – but how did I not spot ENOUNCE hidden in there?