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Not as tricky as yesterday's prize, but tricky nevertheless. SW quadrant took forever to get right. FOI 5a LOI 26a (once I'd got 21a and 22d). I don't know it it's intentionally observing the two towers, but the two central towers in this puzzle are the rhyming couplet. Over to the experts. Good fun as always.

Hi alzy,
A new starter. Yes, the long rhymes are there and the primarily clue. My last one was 11a, after I remembered what the military connection can be for the Brits and a meal.
I expect the mathematicians to look sideways at one down the puzzle, but it accepted use.
There is a bit of a food theme with four entries. And even a Pauline one in the downs. I felt one of the down clues could have had a homophone indicator for part of it too.

Hi Mystogre. Yes 11a was my COD. And I enjoyed the Pauline clue, too. I have to say that 1a was the weirdest clue for me. It took me a while to summon up the courage to enter it; it seemed too lame. Not sure I understand all the parsing in 21a, but what the hey. If you mean 1d as the "one down"questionable, there was a UK TV show a million years where that was half the title. (If I remember correctly.)

I found this difficult, slow overall with NW quadrant causing the most trouble. Thanks to Everyman, as noted above all the familiar Everyman features seem present, with a bonus naughty clue.
FOI 5, LOI 3. 11 was difficult, parsing fairly clear but usage unfamiliar and Google needed to confirm.
I enjoyed many clues, 10 COD over 19, 24 and 21, several others made the "long list". IMO 1d was a bit of a clinker and it was nearly LOI due to uncertainty.

13 is nearly in Pauline territory, but I won't count it as such for reasons omitted right now to avoid spoilers... :-)

Hi Geeker. Re. 1d - the last word of the clue is the def. Think music symbol.

3d is a UK brand (or name) of candy that's been around even longer than I have. And that's saying something.

Alzy, thanks, I see the def. of 1. My confusion stemmed from "hiding" in the wordplay, which seems not strictly kosher. Mind you, I don't object too loudly to such things (unlike, for instance, many posters of comments on 225 ;-) ).

Hi alzy,
Other things finished so I am back here.
21a - for Home Counties think compass direction inside that is a small word meaning “present day” and another word meaning smallest part, but not the “a” one. I not so common these days.
Geeker, I was looking at 15d as being the almost Pauline one - completely forgot about 13a as it was so obvious.
8d was the one I thought needed a homophone indicator.

took me ages to complete. Everyman has become more difficult since last week. Not sure how we can parse and get the first and last letters in 21a, though all other letters in the middle fit.