Across
Conservative following unpleasant persons' pathetic tale (3,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
An unpleasant person is an S.O.B. (I’m not sure I’m allowed to type it in full!). Add the possessive ‘S and follow it with a Conservative TORY’
Old country manufactured spare parts to accommodate India (6)
Love in pleasing Bible entry developed for novel (7,2,6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Written by 16d and the inspiration for 23a – I’ll let you know if I spot any other connections. So we have love: O contained in pleasing: GOOD and an anagram (developed) of BIBLE ENTRY
Plug connected to earth in top universities (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A plug is an AD[vert] which links to E[arth] and is contained in ACME, which you know is top or best because of Wile E. Coyote.
Sound point preceding two more (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
One version of a sound or inlet or strait, though some are -um- wider. The point N[orth] precedes ARROW and S[outh]. Arguably two ARROWS would also do.
Endless dread in ship: seamen were in dazed state (3,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Dread is AWE, cut the E. Place in SS for ship and add TARS for seamen.
Grouse hearts Graves perhaps consumes (5)
Spirits not initially present: some here perhaps! (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Spirits, particularly of the underworld, are SHADES. Absent their first letter. Arguably there is an &littish flavour to this clue.
Drunk aunt stops woman quaffing black and tan (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A matryoshka clue, B[lack] inside an anagram (drunken) of AUNT, inside SHE who must be obeyed…
Carriage about to stop at nightclub (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
For carriage read CAB, follow with RE for about “stopping” AT.
Right character feeding bird in treeless plain (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
R[ight] plus AIR for character inside [mag]PIE for bird.
He's one advertisement for sister to hold over (8,7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Chambers marks PERSONAL for advertisement as an American usage: whatever, it’s then PRO (for) a NUN (sister) holding O[ver].
Wife leaving order is notorious (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Always puts me in mind of Henry V’s Fluellen: “Kill the poys and the luggage! ’tis expressly against the law of arms: ’tis as arrant a piece of knavery, mark you now, as can be offer’t; in your conscience, now, is it not?”. We just remove the W[ife] from WARRANT for order.
Immature king has it in for campaigner (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
…and here’s good old S[ex] A[ppeal] standing in for “it” contained in a CRUDE, immature R[ex] or king.
Down
Exceptional clue? (6)
Risk to health — bachelor, one with nothing to say, tentatively? (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
B[achelor] and I (one) and O (nothing) and HAZARD for say tentatively, such as I’m prepared to do for this blog.
Battels misused for MDMA consignment? (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
An anagram (misused) of BATTELS. In Oxford colleges (and others among academe) battels are accounts rendered by kitchens and butteries (sic) for provisions, which sort of makes sense of the wording. MDMA is the drug Ecstasy.
Former Kent player always around to save English (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I am genuinely mystified by this. Not by the wordplay: that’s just EVER (always) reversed with an E[nglish] chucked in. But I’ve been through the entire list of everyone who ever played for Kent, and there’s no Reeve, ever. Dermot Reeve played for Sussex, Warwickshire and Somerset, and for England, mostly in ODI’s. Oh b****r, I’ve just realised. It’s Clark Kent, isn’t it! And Christopher Reeve. Well, I’ve had so much fun typing up that righteous indignation stuff I’m leaving it in. Enjoy!
See file under B — something pencilled in? (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Not on my face, it isn’t . But see gives EYE, then place ROW for file (rank and…) under B.
Saint in Lisbon quaffing fifty-five shots (5)
Chant, somehow anguished, hard to be ignored (5,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Remove the letters of hard from ANGUISHED, then anagram (somehow) what remains.
Idiot keeping in with G&S activities (6-2)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Idiot is GOON, insert IN and G and S.
French friend beheaded one possessed by Devil (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Messed around with AMI for too long. It’s [p]AL plus the devil, SATAN possessing I (one). Not the German Shepherd, but the person from Alsace, French region sometimes owned by Germany.
Writer is with crowd outside court (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Christopher, author of 10a. IS plus HERD for crowd surrounding WOO for court.
Plant elegant parrot devours quietly (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Your elegant parrot is a CHIC KEA. Insert P for quietly.
Loris butchered at home: delicious meat (7)
Strong women almost stagger working with spades (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
AMAZE for stagger with the E missing, ON for working (my computer is on) and S[pades], more from the deck of cards
Take furtive look round a new tower at Pisa? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Is a LEER a furtive look? Chambers allows, so OK. Insert A N[ew]. I didn’t realise the Tower was especially skinny….
Wooden ships damaged by this tidal wave on river (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Any burrowing creature that makes holes in wood. A BORE is a tidal wave (especially on the Severn), add the R[iver]
Musician Philip seen with his missus? (5)
Type letters or click words in the clue