Best Of

Explanations to all the answers can be found on the interactive version of the crossword, accessible via the link TSE has provided in the header. But I'm happy to explain any of the answers so far if anyone wants clarification.

Merry Christmas, and well done for keeping the PB crossword tradition going. 🎄🎅🥂

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone on PB, especially those I've been stroppy to during the year.

Happy Christmas PBers!

Many thanks to St John for the crossword.

Not to brag, but it took me about five minutes to complete this crossword.

When I say complete, I mean upload and publish this crossword.

Happy Christmas to PBers everywhere, and thanks to St John for continuing this excellent tradition. I will continue my own by reading all the clues before deciding I can't do.

Hope you are all with those you love, and if you are not, just love the ones you are with.

PtP

Well, if we're lucky, I will be feeling well enough to make potato gratin to eat with sausages and cauliflower for dinner tomorrow. (We've frozen the ham we intended to eat in order to have a proper Christmas Dinner when we're both feeling well enough.)

But if we're unlucky, I'll have caught influenza from my wife and we'll be glad I stocked up on cereal today.

My wife has two different types of steroids and a strong antibiotic to help shift the infection in her lungs, but she does seem to be on the mend and has been able to swallow foods other than rice pudding today.

Enjoy all your fancy roasts tomorrow!

The foodbank donation bins were filled to overflowing at Sainsbury's earlier today, so that's good, except the need for them isn't.

Anyway, I have just returned from an early meal out of cote de boeuf, frites and wine, rather splendid. I'm girding my loins for tomorrow - last year, blissfully, we were alone; this year, we have the lot - three generations of trouble. I shall be accompanied in the kitchen by one of my daughters, a rather good professional chef, so I suspect I shall be confined to mundane duties - i.e. cleaning up after her.
So, a merry Xmas to all.

White House has released a Xmas card.
https://x.com/Heccles94/status/2003733479000080848

Mmm, first signifiant change to our Christmas Eve routine for about a decade. Thought we ought to otherwise we might never. Ginger wine instead of sherry. It works. Merry C to PB and PBers xx