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Good point. Also, reading back through I think 11d and 26a each need a ‘?’

A very tough but satisfying solve. I can see a very clear and contemporary theme, but to list all the references would I think be classed as spoilers.

chrise - I think your first answer to 22 dn is at best a loose synonym for ‘draws on’. We don’t speak of an afternoon ‘ageing’ (except possibly poetically). Whereas the actual solution is a precise synonym.

I think AGES is just as close as the solution at 3d, for example!

Finding this v tricky as others have here. Hints would be welcome for 1a, 6d, 17a please.

16d with 18a I can see the definition and have an answer but parsing eludes me as yet

22d was my second one in thanks to having S from the easy 24a
but I am still only a quarter through and this may take some time ....

Hi Femmenoire,
1a Nicks is the definition, colloquial. Wordplay splits 5 around 3.
6d Sporting definition of stakes around a single letter noon, all after a word for ‘at the back’
17a definition is ‘went with’. 4 letter word for member, then two alternate letters and a three letter bet in roulette.
16/18 is a straight anagram

16/18 is an anagram. I’m not sure of the parsing of 6 myself.

I think 3dn is a valid cryptic definition derived from emojis, chrise.

Thank you rainman and jono.
Still not got 1a maybe I haven’t heard the expression. I guess the surgical procedure parr is an abbreviation?