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Am I the only person on the planet to be unsure of 15 Across? I can think of an answer that fits but wordplay and BRB don't seem to confirm it. A teensy-weensy hint would be appreciated.

I'm sure you're not alone, Beerbore. It was the last one I solved.
The definition is the first word: a common-enough word but an uncommon meaning. The wordplay is an abbreviation round a synonym for 'stock' (noun).

Beerbore. It is the third definition in the BRB app.

can anyone tell me why 2 straight lines and not the 3 from the picture?

Thank you Lewap and Mack. I had thought of the correct answer and now I understand it. It didn't help that I misidentified the word to be removed.

Like others, some of the extra words gave me the PDM and theme before I finally sorted out the message and omitted letters.
I really admire the (tricky in some cases) clueing, grid construction and end result. I presume the omitted letters are deliberate and a tribute.

1Esk19, I suppose, from a practical point of view, letters forming real words in squares on a grid will inevitably limit how detailed the representation of a picture can be

I'm not quite convinced by my two lines.
My two are made up of a 5 and a 3, and joined, creating a knee-bend.
The 5 seems likely but the 3 feels a bit off, as it exits the top of the shape. Is the third cell of the three also involved partially in the highlighted area?
Thanks

I have the same as you, Lewap. If you make the shape the maximum size possible and stop the second line before the centre of the final cell, the right-hand side works. The left-hand side is still not quite right, but it conveys the idea. The angles are wrong, too, but it is only a crossword.

You have all OK. As probably mentioned earlier - using square cells impossible to be accurate. I personally used half in/ half out for 2 of the cells.