I remember solving this in a single session last Sunday, and my grid only had a few question marks and one scribble out so I didn’t find it too difficult.
I rather liked the grid for this one, with 90-degree symmetry, it looks a little like a windmill with the seven letter answers meeting in the fully-checked 2×2 block in the middle, and the grid lines running straight for three cells.
Away we go…
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | MICROPUMPS: I(one), CROP(way of cutting) in MUMPS(disease) |
| 11 | BLOUSON: B(black), LOON(bird) surrounding US(American) |
| 12 | UVAE: E(energy) next to UV A radation |
| 14 | TRENDIER: TRIER(German city) surrounding END(outer district) |
| 15 | ASDIC: anagram of ACID’S |
| 16 |
TOURE: TOURE(d) – there appears to be a number of them; Yaya, Kolo, Ibrahim and Thomas all show up on a search |
| 17 | NEW AGER: remove O from ONE(individual) then WAGER(hazard) |
| 19 | TEAR PIT: T and then an anagram of IRATE surrounding P(president) |
| 23 | NEELE: old spelling for NEEDLE. Had to look up the wordplay, I believe it sounds like Andrew NEIL, former editor of the Sunday Times and a BBC broadcaster |
| 24 | UNIDO: I(island) inside UNDO(ruin) |
| 25 | CHESSEL: CHESS(game), E(english), L(league) |
| 27 |
HEAL-ALL: ALA |
| 30 |
EMMET: MET after E |
| 31 | SILVA: sounds like SILVER(like birch) |
| 33 | ROMANISE: O(old), MAN(fellow) inside RISE(revolt) |
| 34 | GUAR: GUITAR(instrument) missing IT |
| 35 | TEA BALL: anagram of BEAT, then ALL(everything) |
| 36 | IN TERROREM: ERROR(mistake) inside an anagram of MEN,IT |
| Down | |
| 2 | ILLS: SILL(ledge) with the first letter at the end |
| 3 | CORDWAIN: anagram of IN,A,CROWD |
| 4 | RUBIA: RUB(difficulty), A1(trunk road) |
| 5 |
PORGE: PORE(small passage) containing G |
| 6 | UNEARTH: anagram of NEAR,HUT |
| 7 | MONTANE: anagram of TOM and ANNE |
| 8 | PUDOR: reversal of DUP(NI party) then OR(men) |
| 9 | CAERULE: C(conservative), AE(one), RULE(government) |
| 10 | CEREBELLAR: anagram of BEER in CELLAR(space below bar) |
| 13 | TANTUM ERGO: anagram of TUNE,MARGOT |
| 18 | RESALGAR: anagram of SLAG,RARE |
| 20 | ENAMOUR: ENA(woman), then MORUN(keen) missing N(name) |
| 21 |
POUT NET: anagram of ONE,PUT surrounding |
| 22 | ICHNITE: anagram of THIN inside ICE(glacier) |
| 26 |
DEARN: |
| 28 | EASER: TEASER(puzzle) missing T(time) |
| 29 | LIMBO: double definition |
| 32 | VOLE: L inside VOE(creek) |
You’re correct about Andrew Neil – better known as Brillo