T7 Down : Morning caller before stopping cuckoo clock. Answer : cockerel .
I guessed ' cockerel' before reading the rest , but have no idea how ' before stopping cuckoo clock ' comes into it....
11 Across : " Only one vehicle in heavy traffic ". Answer " lorry " . Can't see anything cryptic - lorry can be 'heavy traffic' , but " only one " ?...
Can't see these two : Ruler time and time again abandoning femme fatale (1 Down )
Answer : Empress.
12 Across : Way lad breaks into grand musical sound . Answer " Birdsong " ....
6 Down : " Little dash, perhaps, that could give spice to man eating fish. " Answer ; "punctuation mark " . I got the answer from the across letters but have no idea about spice , man or eating fish ?...
5 Down : Perch and carrots perhaps with seconds coming up . Answer : roost . Obviously 'perch' but can't see the carrots connection. 27 Across : Tireless gulper, half-cut sibling with wine. Answer :...
1 Across " Struggle to capture good clear picture " Answer: " vignette" .
Definition is " picture that fades away at the edges " . Is that the explanation - not cryptic at
all ?...
12 Across : Daughter browsed around district, almost made to seem small.
Answer " Dwarfed " Apart from 'd' for daughter, I can't see the rest at all....
18 Down " Remarkably, Conservative initially isn't attending latest party. " Answer: 'social'.
I can see " c = Conservative , followed by first letters 'c i a l ' . Is 'so ' really 'remarkable' ?...
I think the DT compiler has been too clever in 22, 1 and 20 Down. Even Danword cannot give an answer. Clue to all 4 spaces : " Publication of which damaged party - and House - regret ? (3,3,4,6) "....
25 Down : Said case of spirits to be missing. Answer " oral" . All very obviously "said" but ' case of spirits' which often means ' s,s ' seems irrelevant ?...
1 Down " Singular P&O leaders in new squabble over retirement fund " . Answer " sponsor". I can only see 'p' and 'o' - no idea of where the squabble and the fund is. It seems we shall reach no. 30,000...