Cryptic crossword No 4,157

Everything assembled and finished to the highest standard- hats off to a master craftsman! I was beaten by 19a and 4d but delighted by 9a, 15a, 25a (wonderful anagrind!), 1d (hilarious), 2d, 6d and 17d. And I thought the letter selection device in 21a was clever and original. Thanks Podger!

Thanks Podger. I managed to parse most but had to read 21a several times before it made sense to me - clever construction indeed. 4d, I had another railway town in mind which delayed me until the crossers put me right and 24d was a guess that I couldn't parse. I was looking for the usual theme and mistakenly thought there wasn't one - would never have spotted it. Favourites were 15a, 26a, 1d (haha), 3d, 5d, 18d.

Always a good day when there's a Podger puzzle. I was bested by a few: 4d (lack of UK GK) and 9a (wordplay too clever for me), but there were plenty i loved. 8a,10a,12a,25a,27a,1d,6d,7d (brilliant surface),17d,22d. One question...

Hi Podger! What a puzzle this is. I needed a bit of help, but generally I was able to get on your wavelength and power through. Great clues, solid wordplay. Lots of favourites: 10a, 12a, 13a, 15a, 21a, 1d, 2d, 5d, 14d. The spectrum of tricks on display is a masterclass. Cheers again.