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Thanks, Brendan. I'd actually heard of her (24d).
But I had written down a wrong solution (with a vowel as the 4th letter - I parsed "ace" differently) and had an "old" figure I didn't think sang.

I think many will be perplexed by 6d, which requires specialist knowledge, and 12a, Which i, for one, thought meant the exact opposite to "curled up" but, as usual, Chambers proved me wrong.... again!

Despite total lack of GK I parsed 6d straightaway, but did then have to google for verification.

Finally finished, so thanks to Tramp for a challenging Prize.

I didn't make life easy for myself by overlooking some obvious anagram indicators but, hey-ho, sometimes one just isn't on the setter's wavelength.

If I have one tiny quibble it's with 9a where the answer and tense used in the wordplay don't seem to match. Of course, what usually happens at this point is that someone immediately posts why I'm wrong but, until then...

COD: 18d - mainly because it took me longer to parse than the Bible probably did to write!!

Stay safe:-)

I may have had the same alternate answer.

Overall, I found this more difficult than average for a Prize.

Bren, re 9a there is no wordplay, it’s a double definition (I made the same mistake).

Darla and Matt, I think I fell into the same trap, and it's only because I'm an ex-matelot and I was confident with my 11ac that I looked for another 'air'.

Generally a nice puzzle with some interesting diversions, thanks Tramp

Darla and Matt, I think I fell into the same trap, and it's only because I'm an ex-matelot and I was confident with my 11ac that I looked for another 'air'.

Generally a nice puzzle with some interesting diversions, thanks Tramp

Thanks Jono @17.

I'm sure your right but I still can't make it work.

If something is "stained with blood then hasn't it ??NE ???

I guess it's the past tense of "stained " that I'm struggling to convert, in a sentence, to the present tense.

I don’t think the 3,2 parse is relevant. It’s just two meanings of the 5 letter answer. Both past tense.