Long hard struggle. Still five to go. Even Baitress's advice to have extra digestive with coffee hasn't worked!! Kick-finish needed. 1ac Words of old chief end when son interrupts (8) _ _ _ _ A _ S _. 1d Various notes produced by bow (6) _ _ C _ _ _. Fo'c'sle? How? 28ac Lots of farm girls return, deprived of equipment (6). I have M_R_A_ (if 25d isPAPA(razzi). Many thanks in advance. Still leaves 2d &12ac but hope requested answers will help.
Many thanks. I do feel this harder than most Times; having been doing them for some 25 yrs. Usually pretty competent with cryptics (in 1991 won The Guardian crossword set by Araucaria after solving a 92 letter, 24 word anagram) but doubt I would have completed this one without your help.
2d is carouse O in car use (driving) pretty obscure and 12a is doubleknit (alternate letters in oLdErKiNdIs in doubt~unreliable) ps PAPA is pap and a nonsense plus first letter of awards ~ oscar follower being oscar papa quebec romeo etc