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Hi all. Last clue, 21 across.
Various items on table in afternoon for mother to be. (3,6)
I have T?A ?H?N?S.
Looks like tea things. But why?
Any help appreciated.

It's just that very old sense of 'mother', pour out the tea - 'do you want to be mother?'. It's very dated!

Thanks Malone, thought it might be something like that.

Andy, thanks. It definitely isn't a great clue!

That really is awful! I thought it might be a homophone of teethings for what a mother to be might expect! This was a very tricky puzzle with very few write-ins.

While I'm here, what's the significance of "but no header" in 57a? I can see the answer must be stretcher.

57a One doing exercises, but no header (9)

STRETCHER and HEADER are different directions of laying bricks

Can't imagine why I didn't think of that! Thanks Chris.

16ac Suggesting diner thought to start well prepared (3,3,6,7)

Has to be “Hit the ground running”. Darned if I can see why though (other than the obvious definition).

"diner thought" is an anagram of "hit the ground" (I think - I haven't written it out", so if "running" is taken as an anagram indicator, "hit the ground running" would give "diner thought".

Hi Tim,

You're right - It's an anagram of "diner thoughts" and the last word is also the anagram indicator.