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I also didn't notice Roof had already solved it ;)

I've got Covid (was only bad for 3 days really last weekend) though so I have an excuse for the brain fog. Making us all go into the office last week... that didn't work out well!

You see 22d is a good example of why I struggled with this. Not a criticism but perhaps why I wasn't on Tramp's wavelength. To me that should have read something like Downed? Or Downed, for example.

"downed one" as the definition made sense to me

Finally finished on Sunday morning.

LOI was 27a because I always forget that abbreviation for men. Still don't really get some of these clues. 11d, yes I see it and I see Tramp was trying to make the clue more interesting but really? 5a still awkward imo.

Anyway, a tough challenge and better that than a write-in.

COD 18a for all the time I took trying to see where Victoria fitted in. One for football fans there.

Well, I got there at last, but not without a struggle, and I never would have done it without a few hints from this forum. The most difficult crossword puzzle I've done for years. However, unlike several posters I think on the whole the clues were fair, but just difficult. Well, maybe just one or two slightly dubious ones. Funnily enough, my initial impression was that this was an easy puzzle, because several of the first few clues I looked at I git right away, including FOI 1a, which I got as soon as I read it. LOI 26a. COD 14a/24a, without any doubt. A very clever clue, which I found very difficult, even though very early on I thought of the idea which turned out to be the answer to 24a.

Well just finished this, Tuesday morning and wouldn't have done it without you fine people. Agree with some comments about maybe not being on same wavelength, just too convoluted for me, in the end your comments, guesswork and a bit of instinct did it....