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About three quarters of this puzzle I found straightforward, but then I suddenly 1-acrossed, with quite a number of clues still left. I puzzled over them for ages, and then resorted to looking on this forum for hints, which I always keep in reserve as a last resort. With a bit of help from this forum and a lot more effort I have got it down to 7 clues to do. The contrast between the easiness with which I did most of the puzzle and the difficulty I have found in the rest is astonishing. Even with all the help that has been given here on 61d, I am totally lost. For 17d the second word seems pretty obvious, but I can't think who cuts, nor can I manage 20a, which cuts it. Then there's a little group on the left that I can't manage: 37d, 38d, 41a, 48a. I actually have an idea for what kind of thing 48a, but I can't think of anything that fits. (If the first word were 6 letters then "charge" would be perfect.) Any help on any of those 7? Please? Please? 🙏 ~~~~

Hi Rocky

I still have about 12 to do, all symbolic ones, but once again my eyes are too tired.

Perhaps tomorrow will bring more progress, but I may have to admit defeat.

Perhaps you should support Exeter or Plymouth Argyle. They are a bit closer to Teignmouth. I still don't understand the football divisions. There used to be four when I was young, but there seem to be more now.

Micky, for 48a, it sounds like you have the right second word. The first one refers to the offence, not the charge.

61d Ken Dodd had a stick that did this.

20a one of two usual abbreviations for church preceded by a four letter word for row, often used when one is above another.

37d is two terms for sailor. First is two letters, for the other, J (joint) needs removing)

38d the symbol is at the end. Fresh means not long ago

41a symbol at the end. He wrote Zuleika Dobson

Hi Micky

Hi Mickey, I have got some of your unknowns. For 17d you need to think about a way of cutting. The name is film genre. The first four letters are the symbol. 20ac is an ecclesiastical term. I had trouble finding the symbol, but it is the first three letters.

I've got 37d after a hint somewhere above I think from Brendan. What actual name do we give to sailors, then remove a letter. I haven't got 38d, 41ac or 61d. But I do have an answer for 48ac. You are nearly there with charge. It refers to what's been done, but is not a term I knew about.

Best of luck.

Thanks, Quisling & Roof. I've now finished them. Some of the last few were words I'd never heard of, but some were words I surely should have got. I very much do know the solution to 41a, and I pretty well correctly parsed the clue too: goodness knows why I didn't do that last step. For 37d I got fixated on the idea that "joint" meant T-joint, so I tried removing "t" from various words for sailors. Of course I should have put some thought into other possible joints to remove. Well, it's done now. Thanks again.

Well done Micky, glad you’re sorted

Roof, I actually live right next to Teignmouth FC but being a 'blow-in' my choices were made in different times.

So of course I've picked it up again this morning. I got 61d but only because I put in symbols at the front until I got words. But did not know that as a file or a poker. Got the actress. 10d and 20a I have solved but no idea what the symbols are. Just left with 16d, 41a, 37d and 38d now.

10d a 3 letter greek character
20a tie can also mean same or "equals"...
16d Stanley Gibbons...
37d 2 synonyms for sailor...2nd one has the J(joint) missing ...it's a normal clue
38d 8 letter word for reserved ...last 4 to make a symbol for some money...

All done. Thanks Sudokulover and Quisling above in response to Mickey. Safe to say I would not have got or parsed some of these without hints. A real brain worker but I enjoyed it. Glad I can move on to something else for the last day of the holiday.

All done at last , mistake in 27 down (6) but only five in grid had me confused for a while.