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Well everyone. I've been finding it hard today and may need a lot of help. I'm very tired after a long drive to see an old school friend yesterday and my brain has gone on strike.

I started as usual after lunch, read all the clues and got a few, then went to cut the lawn edges. My husband mowed the lawn while I was out yesterday, but doesn't believe in cutting the edges. So I spent the afternoon in the garden alternating between looking at the crossword and tackling the lawn.

Can you tell me if all the answers are a fruit? I wasn't sure if some were merely a reference to fruit, like 20ac.

I've got a glass of wine now, so will go away and work again on those clues where I've gleaned hints from the forum.

I'll be back!

The answers aren't all fruit. Just fruit somehow incorporated in the clues and wordplay.

Thanks AbiCoop. That's what I thought.

I've struggled in recent (most) weeks particularly with Paul but found this relatively straightforward - didnt feel like a prize crossword especially for a Bank Holiday. COD was 16d.

Thanks for the hints

I've still got five clues to tackle - after the scandi noir. Top north west corner and 16d.

Any hints for 2d I have ???A ??I. I'm very doubtful about the last I, which may be why I haven't got 12d. A hint for 2d would be helpful too.

2d Large animal = definition.
Feast as a verb.

12d European river = definition
Date as a verb.

Hi Roof, yes your I is wrong in 2d, but don’t miss the Scandi noir, I cheated and watched it already on iPlayer, it’s very good. 16d seems to have been a favourite for many here, it contains a hidden fruit …

2d: defn "large animal", a staple of crosswords. 3 letters for "feast" (v) inside a thematic word.

Evening all. Feel I've been a bit of a 7a today, struggled with a few of these. Thanks as ever for all the help I got from posters here. FOI 16a, LOI 15a, COD joining the crowd with 16d.
Slightly disappointed we didn't get an extra-sized puzzle for the holiday weekend, but chapeau to Paul for missing the usual Pauline clues but making up for it by being comprehensively fruity in another way.