The unclued lights (one of two words) can be resolved into six pairs, in some way related. Ignore one acute accent.

 

Across

11 Doc’s assistant possibly giving camper aid (9)

12 Peaceful girl, alluring one, topless, at end of promenade (5)

14 Old tub’s revolving cover (4)

15 Gun, for instance, made from macrame. Not odd! (3)

18 On the go, going by rail (7, two words)

19 A little energy from coal refined by Rhine, regularly (7)

22 Prevent, for instance, computing command (6, two words)

23 Mendelssohn’s songs of the boss, we’re told (6)

24 Single computing instruction from the nameless president (5)

27 Firmly establish award in limited edition (5)

29 Sour Drambuie Ma removed and put in the ground (6)

31 Farm buildings housing five in Cornish resort (6, two words)

34 Rain and wet ruined kitchen items (7)

35 Sergei, maybe, sort of blue, but lacking touch of purple (7)

38/37 Kolarian not once worldly (7)

39 Working hard, showing some gratitude (4, two words)

40 Vogue’s first popular feather dressing (11)

42 Old gym clubs removed from stately homes backing skill (9)

43 Savvies where to shelter at football stadia? (11)

 

Down

1 Experts organised class – is it PE? (11)

3 34 held out to fix a limit (11, three words)

6 Check again and plant it (6, hyphened)

7 Alternative recipe to go through (6)

8 ‘Long time, no see’ for such a bishop (7)

9 Herr Schmidt’s mistakes – only human? (4)

21 See 26 Down

26/21 Alloy used in jewellery making yellow duck, tailless (6)

30 Not having eaten enough to have posed nude, frolicking about (7)

32 Artist in Spanish car going round old city (6)

33 It’s a fiddle losing a small breed of domestic fowl (6)

36 Bitter for Pierre eating fries off and on (5)

37 See 38 Across

 

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 30 May. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@spectator.co.uk – the dictionary prize is not available. We will accept postal entries again at some point.

 

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