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I've done this again because it's easier to find with "prize" in the title).

Wow!! This was a real struggle 🤪

I know I nearly always say that but, with this particular offering by Paul, after 10 minutes I hadn't got a single answer!

As is often the way though, once one goes in, a few more follow and....

Anyone looking for an easy anagram to get started will be sorely disappointed - I only counted one!

There's one I haven't fully parsed, namely 21d (I can see A L(earner) but not the rest) - though the answer is clear.

One I got going I found this to be very entertaining, with lots of witty and clever cluing.

COD - I'm going to split it between 1,22a which did make me laugh and 11a which has a beautiful surface.

I look forward to reading what everyone else made of it.

Thanks to Paul for a tough but fair crossword.

Stay safe:-)

I think I see 21d - it looks like it's another where you have to split a word in the clue - I think we had one of those last week.

I did wonder slightly about the definition in 26a - the phrase, though widely used, is not in Chambers but The Online Free Dictionary has it and it matches up nicely.

Morning all,
Well by contrast that went fairly smoothly for me. The Cornish references jumped out for some reason and that helped with 20a. My LOI was the only anagram to be found.
5d and 18d were new to me but the word play was clear enough. I wasn’t sure if the reference in 6d was to a specific film? Seem to recall 2d was in last week’s Everyman. Paul’s clue is better imho!
I think you’re right about the parsing of 21d Brendan, you do have to split a word in the clue. Seen a few like that recently. 26a seemed familiar enough to me that I didn’t really challenge it. Bedtime!

Hi Jono,

Isn't often the way, what one solver finds difficult another finds easy.

26a is an everyday phrase but it was just the actual definition I was curious about - but you're right, it should cause no problems.

6d is famous for wanting "some me time" although she didn't phrase it like that but rather a very famous quote.

I think a few people will have trouble with that anagram.

my foi was 10a, which i've never seen with that meaning. quite fun after that - i agree 11 for cod.

i don't see exactly how to get the last 4 letters in 26

re 26 - "evidently" must account for the last 4, as it's not doing anything else, but i can't see how...

I did the same as you I think, but if you assume mouth is the 3 letter word and ‘off evidently’ accounts for the last 4 letters, you might get there

thanks jono. a bit weak, along with the nasty "in" in 3d. otherwise a very good puzzle.

I had the same reaction to that ‘in’. Also the one in 20a. Should surely be ‘and shed’ and ‘and battle’.