Hello S - Strange - I thought I'd just posted a thread to say "How goes it?" but it hasn't appeared. I've just finished it too. Really enjoyable - a bit more difficult, but great. Two hours passed in a flash. 33d wasn't in Chambers - which wasn't mentioned.
Yes AJT , time goes very quickly when you are absorbed! Bradford's Crossword Dictionary certainly helped!
3 pairs of curtains to shorten now for my son's friend, so a busy afternoon in store!!
Enjoyable puzzle that came together with the solution for 14A - as usual though I require a bit of clarification...
6D - With only one unchecked letter this should be easy but I'm struggling to understand the gardener bit(I really hope this isn't just a reference to the answer being a plant)
Hi Ixion -Chambers again - a mallee is a small tree of the eucalyptus genus. Is is also an arid area where these mallees form the predominant vegetation. It's from am aboriginal word.
Ty AJT - I'd decided on that - all the other clues are very precise though so expected it to also be a word for gardener or for there to be a well known gardener called Malcolm Lee!