Cryptic crossword No 3,272

34d triggered me - thanks for the fun!

A fun construction and gimmick, OzP. Obvious something was going on and the penny dropped slightly earlier for me when I explored the two oddities at either side of the grid. A very impressive piece of grid fill - though I suppose by the time you reached the middle, you were done! Thanks. PM

Thanks Ozpiper and welcome back. I was initially puzzled why you picked a rather unfriendly grid but it eventually dawned on me that it was necessary for your brilliant construction. I liked many of the clues including 14a, 29a, 31a, 7d, 15d, 23d, and 28d. I revealed 18d, couldn't parse 35a and 6d, but none of that impeded my fun.

Thanks OzP that was a fun solve and very neat idea! Particularly liked 12a, 20a, 31a, 6d, 7d and 23d, and of course the grid fill itself! :)