Cryptic crossword No 1,861

Nice and smooth, as per MP. A nice set of words too - a couple of unusual words but nothing too out there. I enjoyed both the succinct nature of the cluing and the nicely worded surfaces that disguised the wordplay. Faves inc 9a, 10a, 11a, 16a, 3d, 5d, 7d, 18d and 25d. Thanks. PM

Thanks Umpire - no pushover, but just at that level of difficulty for me that makes a satisfying solve. Much to like here, but I’ll give honourable mentions to 9a, 10a, 29a, 1d, 4d, 7d, 15d. A couple I struggled with since I found the wordplay a bit ambiguous, but resolved in the end. Some really nice defs throughout that gave me the ‘aha’ frisson we all do this for! A little more detailed discussion in reply. Spoilers…

Delightfully witty and smooth. Too many good clues to pick a favourite. Thanks. I see you are going to the S&B event in October in York. Hope to meet you there.