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An enjoyable start to the day. My FOI was 1d and last 5a (for which I kicked myself as I we stayed in a Cornish holiday cottage last year where the owner was particularly proud of their traditional XXXXXXX roof!).

I have no problem with ‘at’ meaning ‘near’ in 10a although other options such as ‘in front of’ would have been more appropriate and still worked with the surface.

Let’s hope my football team can make the day continue as well.

If I'm not mistaken, 17d is an element on the periodic table with its own symbol. It has a compound form becoming an oxide. Just double checked and t'internet would seem to agree with me.

Neko99, the element would end in 'um'. Ending in 'a' makes it an oxide. A number of elements in this part of the Periodic Table form oxides with the formula 'A2O3', using same naming convention where A is the element.

yes rainman. The most familiar example is the oxide of aluminium, known as alumina. (Al2O3)

I did my subscripts in Word, but they don't seem to have survived being transferred!)

About half way through and I've already learned some new words and definitions. Hob being one of them.

Despite a few mentions on here I'm not getting 3d at all. What am I missing about American banknotes that gives that second word?

Rocky, it’s definition 5 in Chambers (annotated as North American slang)

OK thanks Jono. I had it right open at that page but didn't see it.

All done. 1a another new word for me. It tested my GK this one but I don't really have too much of a problem with that. Standout COD for me 23d.

Thanks Brummie. Enjoyable.

Thanks Rogissimo. I had never heard of the coin before. One for the numismatists!

The coin used to be a staple in USA non-cryptic puzzles (I switched to cryptics so don't know current trends). One of those infrequent bones thrown to non-UK solvers! :-)

Also the venerable "ANNA"