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35 Anag AN+YOU = 'drink'
45 usual 4 for 'fix' minus the 'L' + 4 letters for 'race'/run (al backwards).

9 a word for 'appropriate'/steal with the initial 'f' changed to M

26 'in' =I + the usual two for 'home counties' inside 3 letters for 'block' (starts with P).

30 the 'gathering' is a BOIL
38 what 'so' is musically + R

Kirky @47+48. Thanks v much. It doesn't say there's an alternative prize in The Times (I never send them in anyway - used to with The Guardian prize xword if they were particularly tricky). Just do them for fun now. Certainly wouldn't send in an entry if I'd had any help! It just seemed funny that the prize (in The Times) was something that you needed to have in order to win it. (:o)

I have MILCH for 9dn but don’t see how it works using the first few words of the clue. Help much appreciated.

Just seen drxx answer above. Thanks!

Thank you both. That should nudge me forwards😊

I've had another half hour on this after getting home from the pub quiz. Three pints of Guinness seem to have oiled the cerebral wheels and have moved on with just 45across to solve.

Is the top row entered SGT*HETSIL*CO ?

I don't want to go down a blind alley and totally addle
my brain if that is incorrect!!

Close, bobbycollins, but not quite. You need to transpose the S and I in the first and ninth columns