Spectator 2508 "Grovels" By Doc

[Matakari]

Good morning,
Some answers/hints would be appreciated for the following, thanks!
ACROSS:
10(A) Alpine skier initially taking exercise by Norway’s top ski-resort (5): A??E? (ASPEN )?
12(A) Most of the month witnesses are heard. That’s novel! (7): ULR??E?
31(A) You once receive records of evidence of Fido’s excitement (5): YE??S
33(A) Perthshire village where wretched artist is taken in (7): R?T????

DOWN:
7 Pastureland on half the county drains away (7) : AE?C?E? ( Thought LEACHES at first...)
15 Soldiers’ pipes (5) : ?A?K?
23 Dismissed actor left 1D grafting French bloom (8): N???I??E
32 Bird’s lavatory humour? (6): ??E???

[bobbinwales]

A s pe n looks fine if its a ski resort

[bobbinwales]

Wheres the a from in 7

[Mamyalynne]

31 Ye LPs

[bobbinwales]

Lea ches looks ok to me

[bobbinwales]

Ulysses??

[Mamyalynne]

32 Peewit

[Mamyalynne]

33 Rattray

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, 23 is a subtractive anagram, I know you've discovered the joy of those.

[jollyroger66]

15 Ranks if pips

[novalis]

15 is ranks - double definition Soldiers and a set of organ pipes.

[Matakari]

Many thanks, all! I've got all the Unclueds except
14 for which I have: ?ARG. Unless my letters are incorrect, I should be able to find the answer now. I did not think the Unclueds
would have been such a palatable bunch given the title
of the crossword. I wonder what Doc had in mind!

[novalis]

14 is one wrapped in nettles and the name is a reversal of the company's founder's surname.

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Matakari. Glad you haven't had quite such a struggle with this Doc!

[Matakari]

Many thanks, Novalis! I could not find it in Chambers word wizard, but it's in the Free Crossword solver. It's done now! But how significant is Doc's title?

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, a quick look in Chambers will answer your question about the title.

[novalis]

The theme word is given under 'grovel' in Chambers Crossword Dictionary.

[Matakari]

Thanks, NACW and Novalis, I saw the Unclueds quite early and admit that I need to have my Chambers sent to me!

[Boethius]

Thanks. The answers/hints above helped me too, but still at a loss with ‘grovels’. Chambers gives the expected definition. Palatable? Drawn a complete blank.

[Neveracrossword]

Boethius, my post was maybe too cryptic! Look under the six-letter theme word and you will find ' to grovel'.

[Boethius]

Thank you very much for answering, NACW. Kind of you, but I still can’t get it. ‘Grovet’? Wrestling holds?