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Thank you. All completed now. I also had the wrong vessel for 14a. Now sorted and I am happy 😊

Well goodness me, this was a tough nut to crack! And crack is all I have managed to do to that shell so far. It’s still only opened up a little bit. 20 mins to find my first answer (22d) and currently only half completed. Thanks for the hints that have helped me get beyond those first four letters in.
Tricky clues but the ones I have found so far have been really rewarding because they are clever/ humorous and not too simple.

19a I found a little alarming as a term for tea!, and I would like to understand why the first three letters mean “rod” please. (I hope this is not an obscene reference!). Confused.

Hints for 9a would be appreciated

Enjoyed 12a

!9 american slang for a firearm
9a "My" is the definition, as in "goodness me!"

Ah got it thank you Chrise.

4d the two letter part made me think of the late great Victoria Wood!

Hi everyone

Started late again. I think this might be my last trip out on a Saturday, but the gardens at Burrow Farm in Devon were lovely.

Welcome back Brendan. I missed you last week when I struggled to finish. In the end I was helped by my crossword buddy in Sheffield who told me the theme.

This week hasn't been much better. I only got 1 answer on first read through - 15d. I also suspected the answer to 19 ac. Thanks for the parsing above.

I've still got lots to do - I had raiser in 5d. Need to think again.

Can I have a hint for 22d. I have A?F?, so I suspect the F is wrong.

A hint for 1d would also help. I only have the last letter- G

Must finish before The Bridge at 9.00pm

1d definition “one likes to shoot”.
Needle is a verb for last three letters

Thanks femmenoire

I think I can get the last three letters, but I haven't got the synonym yet. I'll keep at it, but may be back late tonight for more help.

I'm sorry I can't share Brendan's enthusiasm for this puzzle. I'm not familiar with Tramp as I mostly do Times crossword books, preferring their uniformity of style, but I've begun to branch out a bit during the pandemic. Paul is my favourite setter, so I don't mind liberties being taken, especially in aid of a good gag, but this puzzle defeated me -

5d is given only as a type of salamander in both Collins and OED. I don't object to obscure words, but feel they ought to be widely referenced. It would have been fairer to clue the widely referenced amphibian rather than an alternative meaning which only appears in Chambers.

19a is not a type of tea, nor 22a a kind of armchair, in the same way that 'walking' is not a sort of stick. I was familiar with the tea, but not with the American slang 'rod', which seems very obscure. 22a clues American for the letter A, this is not a common abbreviation, I've not managed to fine a reference for it in Chambers (online).

23d 'see' as the phonetic spelling for the letter seems fine, but I'd not come across it nor can I find a reference for it.

Sorry for the negativity. The crossword is cleverly constructed, but with some minor changes it would have been a lot fairer.

Hi Griidled,

We are a broad church on this Forum so your views are more than welcome - it would be a poor show if everyone agreed about everything.

5d Chambers gives the answer as "a reckless or debauched person" (the type of person who'd love to party). Of course, it also gives the "salamander".

19a Chambers gives the answer as "a type of green China tea".

22a Chambers gives "armchair" as "amateur". Also, under "A" it gives "american".

23d Chambers gives "see" as "the third letter of the alphabet".

It would perhaps have been better if it had said the primary reference is Chambers, like the EV, Listener and IQ do, as not everyone has a copy of that particular dictionary - so your point is well made.

PS If this is your first post on this thread - welcome:-)

Thanks Brendan, I understand that Chambers is the official reference for Guardian crosswords, so perhaps I ought to make it my first port of call. I can't find the references you point to in the online version of Chambers, but it's likely I missed something, or perhaps I need the book. I suppose my grumble is with wanton obscurity: if something only appears in Chambers, the setter's alarm bells ought to ring.

A as an abbreviation for American: I believe the Times has a rule that abbreviations are only permitted when they are commonly known, so A could be clued area, acre, ampere, argon, etc.

I'm a rare visitor to this forum because I like solving crosswords without recourse to any reference material, but this one completely defeated me. With the help of this thread I've only three remaining to be solved, so thanks to everyone for their hints. If Tramp's setting style expects solvers to pore over reference books, that's fine, but I'll probably avoid him in future.