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Started with the on line version rather than waiting for the paper tomorrow because of a busy week ahead. Pleased to find a much easier grid fill than last week and thought I was romping home. A clear instruction - but no PDM yet. Will need to sleep on it.

Sleeping on it was very helpful. Penny dropped.

I liked this one. The theme wasn’t something I’d come across but was one of those things you thought you ought to know!

I'm where Smithsax was at midnight, I can parse all clues other than the 1 off down clue that has a thematic removal - and I somehow think this is needed for the PDM.

Gitto, it is thematic but parsing it is not essential for the PDM. I finished the puzzle before managing to parse it.

There are a couple of others that I haven't so far managed to parse.

There is also one clue where an abbreviation is wrongly indicated since it's not supported in the latest Chambers. Alternatively, the setter has used a synonym for an alternative abbreviation, but I find that unacceptable. I'm referring to the fifteenth across clue, the one with 'Macron'.

I agree. There was a similar issue with m for minute last week. Also it is a shame about the letter at the bottom of the 6th column. It is needed for the end game but somehow it seems wrong to have it in the grid.

For the penultimate part of the endgame I was about to enter 9 but am now thinking it should be 20 for some reason?

I see where you're coming from but isn't that being just a tad harsh? I've only just come to this thread after finishing the puzzle but the wordplay left me in no doubt whatsoever as to the answer. Departed is indeed a synonym for died but the latter could hardly have been used as it would have destroyed the surface reading of the clue.

As for 'm' it is listed as a symbol for minute(s) in Collins and is a universally accepted abbreviation - quite why the BRB omits it is a mystery to me. Its stable-mate the Complete Crossword Companion does list 'm' as an alternative for minute which makes its omission even stranger.

I thought this was a most enjoyable puzzle and it taught me something I didn't know

Not 9 nor 20, I'd check your numbering as I suspect you're close ...

On second thoughts may not be numbering as I see where you got 20 - forget the sausages!