Old Radio Times Crossword got me stuck!

[RayGuy]

Hi,
Found the Radio Times Prize Crossword from last Christmas and started doing it - now completely stuck!

Its the Radio Times Christmas Prize Crossword 2005 (no 51)

Cant for the life of me find the answers with google. Wondering if any of you guys have the full solution / can help witht the below clues :

12a Grey monarch put sport on for prime-time cop
_ _ _ e / _ e _ _ _ s _ n


20a Alongside canyon, journalist avoided
_ _ _ _ _ s _ _ bypasses / bypassed??


1d Last-ditch recovery by one side
_ a _ e _ _ _ l _ waterfall???

3d Lost out to nice rustic labourer
_ e _ s _ _ _ ?

6d Horse going round wide tree
_ o _ a _ ?

17d A community I would enter with biterness
_ c _ _ _ t _ acolyte ?

19d Carpenter loses a minute returning third gift
_ _ _ r _ myrrh???

21d A sports teams central line
_ _ i _ axis??


Yeah - Ive clearly only done half of it - but its driving me mad. Any help would be appreciated!


Thanks,
Ray

[lloyd1e]

12a is Jane Tennison
20a I also think is bypassed

[lloyd1e]

3d peasant - pleasant without the l for left

[lloyd1e]

6d rowan - sorrry for doing these one at a time!

[Otleybard]

6d Rowan

[kayakamina]

17 Acidity

[lloyd1e]

17d acidity - I think I'm stuck now!

[kayakamina]

1 Laterally

[kayakamina]

Axis

[Otleybard]

21d Yes, axis (XI = 11 = team)

[johnalex]

19d Myrrh is correct (Harry , -'a', +'m', reversed)

[RayGuy]

Wow - thanks everyone!! They all fit and Im done!

As Im pretty new to cryptics - would some of you mind explaining how you get to some of the more obscure ones?

eg - where does "laterally" come from. Is it "Late Rally"?

rowan = horse going round wide tree ??? huh?! :D

where on earth is the journalist reference in "bypassed" for "alongside canyon, journalist avoided"??

Thanks for all the others - I can see where they come from now!

Thanks very much,
Ray

[bridgenut]

Hi RayGuy ,
was waiting for others to reply .
Correct for late +rally
A ROAN is a horse round W for wide gives the rowan ( tree)
alongside is BY the canyon is PASS and a common abbreviation for an editor or journalist of a paper is ED to give BYPASSED = avoided
some of them are real stinkers though - have fun .
Regards

[RayGuy]

Thanks!