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The Times Ed Sup has a pretty decent cryptic crossword in. I'm stuck on these last few:

Ladder stockings leaving Hotel Bloom (3, 4) I think it's TEA / _ _ _ _

One's inclined to run after parcel delivery firm (7) U _ _ _ _ _ E

One gets tied up in Oxford (8) S _ O _ L _ _ _

All ideas gratefully received!

Tea rose, tear + (h)ose
Upslope, UPS + lope
Shoelace, Oxford shoe

Amazing!

Can you explain these clues to me?

Three points ahead; close! = SEW UP
I know "sew up" means "to close" but why three points?

Two firms -- American -- prohibit importing English cash crop = COCOA BEAN

I did pretty well on the rest of it but these few stumped me.

1. Points of the compass, South, East, West

Two firms is Co Co (abbreviation for Company)
A must be abb forAmerican,
prohibit = a ban
importing English- put the letter E for Engish in the ban = bean
Cash crop = definition

Three points ahead; close! = SEW UP

South, East, West (points of compass) ahead: UP

Two firms -- American -- prohibit importing English cash crop = COCOA BEAN

Two firms: COmpany, COmpany

American: A prohibit: BAN importing English: E

Points (of the compass, N,E,S & W), ahead up
Firm = co (short for company), A (short for American here but can be others), prohibit = ban with (importing English) = outside of E (short for English here but again can be others)); so
co + co + a + (ban round e)

Yoo-hoo, rosalind! Wires crossed.

And ginge makes it a party.

Hello aristo (& ros), still enjoying the Listeners ?

Will the three of you be available for the next Olympics? Synchronised Solving/Synchronised Parsing is going to be added to the list of events/sports.