Spectator # 2487

[Matakari]

Bonjour, I'm on the trail of the birthday boys and have got one of them with his works and birthplace. But I'm stuck on the following clues for which I seek some help so that I might find the other birthday boy. Thanks in advance!

ACROSS:
24 Dejected cardinal fell to the ground (7): ?L?????
35 Hilary, say, at home with Bertie or Charles de Gaulle? (8): ?E?ME?T?
43 Old moolah left entry in chronicle (5): A?O??

DOWN:
4 Article cramped storehouse upended (4, hyphened): ?A??
7 Maiden stops greeting upright learned man (6): ?LL???
8 Bill enthralled by square lass (6): ??D???
30 Some angsty Lusophile means to write (6): ???LA?
34 … cast in Arne opera (6): D?U???

[Matakari]

Yes, Neveracrossword, very instructive and helpful information to absorb! Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Matakari. I think this might have been the last normal puzzle of the year and I was fervently hoping that you'd manage it unassisted!

[Matakari]

Thanks for your unstinting help, Neveracrossword! Next week, we should get a bumper crossword for Christmas?The New Year, I hope, should see much improvement for me. Have you got a look at Gordon
Gray's Christmas Charity Puzzle? It's interesting, as usual. Cheers! https://christmaspuzzle.uk/download.asp

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Matakari. Yes, I looked at that puzzle yesterday. Although I enjoyed it initially, I found it a little unbalanced - filling the boxes was very straightforward and didn't take long, then I tired of the very thematic clues. Still, it was good to see it.

[Matakari]

Yes, Neveracrosswword, I found the theme very early in the game, so the beginning letters did not give trouble, but about 4 or 5 words are somewhat tricky for me. A nice challenge, though! I particularly got a lot of amusement from the homophone bit. Thanks for sharing your learned views on it!