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It's taken me 6 months but I finally solved a whole puzzle without looking here for help along the way. Yippee.

Just to add my FOI was 9ac. It would have been 8ac if I'd ever heard of it, but I am vegetarian. My LOI was 10.2 largely because that was my last corner. I'm not sure how it parses. I realise that I haven't crossed off 12ac. I can't parse this one either. I got it from 4, 25 after googling the ingredients.

As to my favourites, there are too many to count. Thank you to Philistine for a crossword I could do.

10, 2 is words preceding it "all vacated"

Thanks PS

I thought the car was the first four letters (silly me)

Once again I had my french man as the first four letters, thus leaving me with four letters that are not an oath. Once again silly me. Of course I know the word for oath.

Yeah, 13D and 16D were similar.

I posted the parsing of 12 in post 31 anyway.

The inner part of 16 is not just an oath, it's probably the most common crossword "minced oath". :-) Remember Paul's Prize #28,452?

Brendan, just saw your post @11. Fawlty Towers came out about the same time as Monty Python was getting some attention over here, so of course it was picked up. I have seen every episode multiple times, but it was so long ago that I didn't make the connection until you all posted. I will have to go watch that particular episode now. I think John Cleese must be a big cryptic fan. Every episode began with an anagram of Fawlty Towers on the sign. Besides that, I recall vaguely a movie where he played Sherlock Holmes, and in one scene Watson was trying to do a cryptic in the paper, and had to ask Holmes for help. Each answer was a play on the expression "Elementary, my dear Watson."

I discovered Fawlty Towers very late, only in this millenium. I have the series on DVD, but only viewed it once. Subsequently loaned it out for many years and only got it back last year (too polite to demand return - long story). Memories of the episode (#3) in question are vague, but I'll soon watch it again.

Back story on anagrams in the hotel name was that it was a disgruntled newspaper delivery boy who rearranged the letters on the hotel sign .Basil had upset him . There was a cryptic crossword solver in crew who devised the anagrams .
Not all were accurate anagrams for example Flowery Twats , Very risque for the time .And yes, I am a fan .

Flowery Twats is an anagram.