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I stayed up late last night and had a brief look at this puzzle when it first came online. Could barely see anything, so it was with some trepidation that I started out this morning.

Decided to tackle the theme first and as the potential answers became uncovered, I thought “surely that can’t be a thing?” so a quick detour to google confirmed that yes indeed it is.

After that, I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so assisted by a theme, not that I’m especially into either of the pastimes (although I did once have a small part (ahem) in a work by Spencer Tunick...) but it definitely helped things fall into place. 8d a new word to me, but fairly clued. 3d Young Murphy??!! Inspired! COD 18d though but only after Geeker pointed out that it’s effectively a double themer. Brilliant!

Hi Richard,

This is great - some really choice comments today - "I did once have a small part (ahem) in a work by Spencer Tunick" - brilliant 😂

Keep 'em coming:-)

A bit cold here today for this!
Very quick after I got the theme. A couple of questions, though.
Where's the bloomer in 10a?
Why "pot" in 24? Ours are in the ground.
Favourites 3d and 5d (for the misleading "does").

Hi Chris,

10a - Isn't the answer a "late bloomer"?

24a - I think it just says "pot" for a smoother surface, as it goes better with "deadheaded" (as in pothead?) - that's how I read it anyway.

10a - Chambers says it blooms in late summer and autumn.

Hi chrise

The bloomer is the defined word.

You need to divide ‘deadheaded pot plant’ into two components.

Sorry, brendan, we crossed.
On my reading of 24a, ‘pot’ is crucial to the cryptic part of the clue and not just there for the surface reading.

Hi Rogissimo,

24a - I'm sure you're right - unfortunately, my knowledge of this theme is verging on the non-existent 😢

Hi again brendan
‘Deadheaded pot’ isn’t in fact thematic. Clever misdirection.
‘Plant’ relates to the second word of the solution.

Thanks both. I had 10 wrong, in fact.

I'm still struggling with 24. The definition is the first three words of the clue, and the plant is the second word of the solution, but I'm not seeing how "having deadheaded pot" gives the first word.