mature times

[hairs]

6D Engineer madlystrives to be ex-soldier (9) 2D It's late in the day for poets (3) 22A Considered the point in the mire (5)

[bibblebub]

6d reservist
2d eve
22a mused

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Many thanks for your help bibblebub, but I now have a problem with 8A Pine sphere is a long way in the distance (4-5) which I thought was LONG RANGE , but 2D EVE does not fit in! makes the letters in clue; L?E?R?N?? Any ideas?

[bibblebub]

maybe EEN (short for evening) - don't have crossword to know with e must be wrong since 'long range' looks ok

[bibblebub]

just realised that it must be the 2nd E that is wrong so EEN would fit

[hairs]

many many thanks, EEN fits!

[bibblebub]

happy to help