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Almost finished. Some of these are quite difficult to spot. Apart from a bit of tidying up to do, I need to solve 25a and think about 26d. For 26d, I have a starting solution that's 6 characters long but I'm not convinced that the bulk of my solution is actually synonymous with the relevant word in the clue (hope that's not too vague but trying not to spoil). If my solution is correct, then I can't immediately see a thematic entry. Could anyone confirm/nudge please? Thanks.

Doh! Sorted it as soon as I posted. It was wrong. All good now.

Late to this again, and i found it a bit of a struggle. I had an end-of-lockdown garden party at the weekend and my synapses are still stumbling around in the dark...

There's one to go and it's driving me mad - your Nemesis too simond9x, 26d. I suspect it is spitting in my face telling me how much it really, really loves me (from your ps 'Doh!', S9x). But I still can't put my finger on its bloody name.

I think 10a is pointing to the hendiadys...

sir crispin - for the pickup, think abbreviation of the U in SUV. You will have linked it to the 2 dropped words in my own nemesis - 13 ....

Thanks Prospero, I'm not there with it yet, but I sense a Doh moment coming

yes, doh. Thanks Comrade P

bit of a struggle this - left with 20, which which nobody seems to have mentioned (exchange?) and 17 where I can't see if the 30 word goes in what the partner could be

aspria - 20 is asingle letter substitution (from 19). 17 does come from 30 and is plural - kitchen equipment

Many thanks, Prospero. Got me over the line. Not my favourite, but that's probably sour grapes because I made such a hash of it. Ingenious, though.

needed substantial help myself - as this thread shows ... but geniuses aren't supposed to be a breeze and Vlad is always a bruiser. But clever