Unable to solve ahead because the URL number was not in sequence from yesterday's, I tackled this in bed on waking and had hardly begun my tea and toast before finishing it in 5 or 6 minutes. It's at the shallow nursery slope end of the mountain, with a nice mix of clue types, no obscurities, a good work-out for a novice at cryptics.
| Across |
| 3 | SHARP - S = small, HARP = musical instrument, def. note. |
| 7 | PRIEST - PRIES = asks many questions, T = end of sacrament, def. cleric. |
| 8 | AJAR - Double definition; partly open, a container. When is a door not a door? |
| 9 | TERRAPIN - Insert P = quietly, into TERRAIN = ground; def. reptile. |
| 10 | TASK - T = little time, ASK = demand, def. something to do. |
| 11 | NELSON'S COLUMN - Mandela's = Nelson's, regular newspaper spot = column, def. a capital feature. |
| 15 | SPILL THE BEANS - Double definition, one literal, one meaning 'own up'. |
| 16 | KILT - KIT = set of clothes, insert L for large, def. skirt. |
| 18 | BLUEBELL - BLUE = unhappy, BELL(E) = beauty queen maybe, cut; def. flower. |
| 20 | HEAR - (HARE)*, anagrind 'jugged', def. try, as in court case. |
| 21 | RESIST - Hidden word in CHART(RES IS T)ERRIBLE; def. weather, as in bear. |
| 22 | YIKES - Alternate letters (odds missing) of mY sIcK pEt'S; def. Gosh! |
| Down |
| 1 | FREEZE-UP - Def. very cold spell, sounds like FREES UP = is liberating. |
| 2 | BEAR - BEAR(D) = whiskers being trimmed, def. put up with. |
| 3 | STEP ON IT - (IN TOP SET)*, anagind 'after revision', def. make quick progress. |
| 4 | AMEN - The last word, hidden in L(AMEN)TATIONS. |
| 5 | PASTILLE - PAST = sort of tense, ILL = unwell, E = start to eat, def. throat lozenge. |
| 6 | DAIS - DA = US Lawyer, IS, def. platform. |
| 12 | SOLITARY - (ROYALIST)*, anagrind 'struggling', def. lone. |
| 13 | CHEQUERS - Double definition, one a board game also called draughts, one a mansion. |
| 14 | MINDLESS - Def. ill-considered; if you reduced baby-sitting commitments, you'd MIND LESS. |
| 17 | IDEA - (IDEA(L) = perfect, almost; def. concept. A crossword chestnut. |
| 18 | BOOK - Obvious double definition. |
| 19 | BUST - Another double definition; bust = broken, bust = work by sculptor. |