Cryptic crossword No 2,395

Very good Gennaro, thanks. I think this is possibly your best and also your most challenging puzzle to date. I needed help from various sources to complete it (Google, anagram solver, crossword solver …)! But a lot to admire amongst the surfaces and wordplay. Favourites: 6a, 14a (a bit chestnutty but good anyway), 22a, 2d (very neat), 4d, 9d (COTD), 18d and 24d. Spoilers …

What a workout! I found this quite challenging, more than some of yours, with several NHOs and left field clueing. Nevertheless, I got there in the end helped by very few reveals (and right at the end, Nina provided the hoped for assistance! Faves included 6a (satisfying FOI) 11a (neat surface) 14a (ditto), 25a, 26a & 4d, 9d (took a while, very pleasing when finally unraveled) and 13d (neat def). Thanks as always, Gennaro!

Fabulous, and loved the theme (that’s not a spoiler, is it? You always have one 😆). Podium: 20a, 22a, 2d (a nice new spin on a crossword staple!) - rest of comment is spoilers so in reply. Thanks!

I loved 14a (as did my students today), 11a, 22a, 24a, 9d, 13d*, and enjoyed learning some new words . . .

Hey Gennaro, you probably don't know unless you happened to be hanging around on Twitch randomly 😁 but Liari just live-streamed a solve of this puzzle - it went down well 👍

Sorry, Gennaro. Thought I had commented on this after the CS stream but it was a Reply in one of the nested comments. I enjoyed watching the solve and the theme revealed itself very nicely. You do a good job at keeping to a very consistent level of cluing. Thanks. PM