Sunday Toughie No 245
by proXimal
Hints and Tips by Sloop John Bee
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I found this from proXimal at the tougher end of my ability spectrum, not because of the Spooner that fell early doors, but one of the compound anagrams had a tricky to spot definition in the middle. I was on the verge of phoning a friend just before the penny dropped!
I hope you have an easier time than I did, but I will try and give a nudge if you ask.
The brass bands on Wetherby Ings are finished for the season, so even if we have a blue sky today, Mama Bee and I won’t be going far
Here we go, Folks…
As it is a Prize puzzle I can only hint at a few and hope that will give you the checkers and inspiration to go further. I’ll return with the full review blog just after the closing date. Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
I hope I don’t have to redact any comments, but you have all been so well-behaved that the red pencil is likely to remain in retirement.
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also” Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious. Don’t forget the Mine of Useful information that Big Dave and his son Richard so meticulously prepared for us.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions. Some hints follow: Remember the site rules and play nicely.
Across
1a Pet carrier in vampire’s vessel, according to Spooner (3,6)
A creature such as a vampire and the vessel in which he retires for the night is altered according to Reverend Spooner
11a Demonise such black magic developing in closed communities (9)
I stared at this far longer than I should have and did quite a bit of digging into black magic. Eventually I concluded that it had to be a compound anagram, but I couldn’t make the necessary leap. Just as I was about to slip off to the land of nod, I realised that closed communities could be developed from demonise and the black magic we seek, phew!
12a Never-failing friend hides secret base from the East (9)
A never-failing plant that grows constantly. Something secret and the base letter of natural logarithms are reversed (from the East in an across clue) into a friend 
18a Those rummaging around in auditorium for IT equipment (7)
A homophone (in auditorium) of pigs that rummage around perhaps
20a Friendly bookie accepting proof of age on the counter (7)
A chain of betting shops contains a reversal (on the counter) of papers that prove your age
23a Fuming about what rats do in passages (9)
A synonym of fuming contains what rats or informants do. Passages by ferry perhaps
25a It’s unsafe ignoring simpleton working in Barking hospital department (9)
I think this compound anagram was easier to spot than 11a, because the definition wasn’t hidden in the middle. Ignore an anagram (working) of simpleton in hospital department, then an anagram (barking) of something unsafe remains
I think you would have got short odds from the bookies on my choice here
29a Navigation aid starts to show corner turn by pub (6,3)
Two starting letters, a synonym of turn and a pub. It usually appears on the right of a page or screen that is too large to be displayed whole
Down
1d Successful athlete first of hundred admitted to training school (5)
A training school contains an initial letter
(See also 5d)
3d Stone mass a bomb has brought up (9)
A semi-precious variety of garnet can be found when the abbreviation of mass is brought up in a type of bomb laid on or near the surface which explodes when trodden on or driven over
7d Removal of this compiler’s popular, encapsulated by delight (11)
How this compiler (proXimal) refers to himself and a synonym of popular is encapsulated within a synonym of delight
8d Competition, one with fine influential hosts (9)
A synonym of influential hosts a Roman one and a fine abbreviation
13d Audible commotion with party game (11)
A homophone (audible) of a commotion and a dance party
15d Do you know the Bishop of Norwich? —”Awfully nice fellow, but never passes the…”
22d Joyous sounds from Spanish Armada coming north (4)
A lurker (from) that is reversed (coming north in a down clue) that is a shortened form of cheering
24d Picked up thin fleece (5)
A homophone (picked up) of thin fabric perhaps
27d Kid topped card game (3)
To kid or tease from a card game that has been topped to remove its first letter. I initially had another tease from a different card game, only sorted when the 29a checker came to the rescue
Compiler
proXimal
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Well that was time consuming, even for a SPP, not helped by bunging in a couple of early “certs” which later proved to be otherwise. Having said that 1a went in immediately and remains my favourite for the podium, joined by the 8d competition and unsafe 25a. The stone at 3d was unknown and required the services of the BRB checker solver and SJB for the parsing.
Many thanks to proXimal and SJB.