Cryptic crossword No 3,053

Thanks for an entertaining puzzle. I particularly liked 10a, 24a, 8d and 21d. I do have some minor eyebrow wiggles in the reply, if you're in the market for some constructive feedback 😁

Thanks Sisyphus, I actually completed this except for 23a and I enjoyed it quite a bit. You must have toned down the difficulty because I'm not getting smarter! My top picks were 13a, 18a, 25a, 2d, and 22d. More in reply.

Well done on rising to the challenge Sisyphus! This was much more enjoyable to solve … and solvable! I thought 13a and 25a were particularly good. Still a few rough edges - see reply - but the puzzle was solvable nonetheless because the intricacy and whimsy were dialled back.

Hi Sisyphus. Lots of great comments and advice already so I'll just mention my top clues which were 1a, 5a, 24a, 2d, 7d, 21d!