Spectator 2644

[Maxxer]

CheeseCracker's offering this week was challenging but nevertheless entertaining. But as an occasional Azed competitor I would suggest Mr Crowther might consider a couple of the clues 'unsound' or 'unfair'. 4D and 45A would definitely not pass 

[quinol]

why? I thought them quite normal and fun as a humble Times solver

[Maxxer]

Hi Quinol, for example in 45A 'reckless' is clued indirectly as 'rash' whose letters are to be reversed. Strictly speaking, a clue must include everything a solver needs within it. A bit technical, I know but some purists take a dim view of such practices :)

[TheFrogman]

Although it is a barred puzzle, the Spectator crossword does not require that its setters adhere strictly to Ximenean principles, so you may well encounter clues in that puzzle of the sort which might be found in a back-pager but not in Azed (and which wouldn't be acceptable as Azed competition entries).