Where Falls the Axe? by Hedge-sparrow

Puzzle explanation

The theme of the puzzle was the UK’s High Speed Two rail project initially linking Curzon Street in Birmingham and Euston in London. It was published a few days after the parliamentary bill received royal assent and became the “High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017”.

The first instruction from extra words in down clues was “enter proposed railway NW to SE”. Entering HIGH SPEED TWO on the diagonal, connecting the unclued entries CURZON STREET to LONDON EUSTON, formed trees in combination with the jumbled entries: holly, gardenia, sycamore, yew, elder, sallow. The second instruction was “remove six trees but keep HS Two”, so the trees were removed (apart from letters on the diagonal) as trees will be when HS2 is built. Letters in circled cells spelt “can’t see the wood”, to be completed by “for the trees” entered below the grid.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer (jumble) Explanation
Across
5   COOLLY (COLLYO) COLL + YO(b)
7   DEDUCE DEUCE around D
11   ORIEL ORIENT with L for NT
12   ICE PAN CEP in IAN
13   BRAZIL (ZILBAR) ZILCH − CH + BAR
15   DENIALS (E + N) in DIALS
17   REEL REED with (rol)L for D
18   HALSES S in HALE + S
19   COMETARY (TYCAMORE) TYRE around (CAM + O)
21   CETANE CETE around AN
23   PHOTO PO around HOT
27   YEAST (TSEYA) TSE(tse) + Y + A
28   WEDELN (LED in NEW) <
29   AS IT WERE (WEARS TIE) *
33   HELLER (REHELL) RE + HELL
35   ERST VERST − V
36   ERGODIC RECODING * − N
37   VETOES TO in VEES
39   LEMMAS LS around EMMA
41   LOTUS (LOTSU) LOTS + U
42   ADAPTS ADEPTS with (le)A(d) for (l)E(ad)
43   LEAN-TO LENTO around A
Down
1 extra SCRIEVES SERVICE * + S(unday)
2 naked TOILET TET around OIL
3 tramp ELLA EL + LA
4 end-on EYE 2 meanings
6 Re-evaluate ODDLY letters positioned ODDLY in “road crew” = RACE
7 Priest’s DIES 2 meanings
8 Ramsay’s DEISM DESPOTISM − SPOT
9 office CALORIE (O + LAC) < + R + IE
10 Prix ENSUE (GRANDEE − GRAND) around SUN *
14 ointment BLOATING BOATING around L
16 secretly A GOOD BET (TO BE A GOD) *
18 Excessively HENS H + ENS
19 deferring TEE 2 meanings
20 Russian CHA CH + A
22 Arab TASERED (S + TEA) * + RED
23 illustrated PYE (Photoco)PY E(dition)
24 little OWE O + WE
25 wicket TEAL STEAL − S
26 Athens CLOSES ON CLOSE + S + ON
29 Yemeni AKELA (ALE + KA) <
30 Numpties TROMP ROMP after (foo)T
31 wishes RECAL CLEAR *
32 tinstone GROTTO (OTTO + RIG − I) <
34 omitting HISS H + IS + S(ervice)
38 show ÉLAN LEAN with L moved to second place
40 emporium LEO LEASE − EASE + E O
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