If you're familiar with saints days then getting the long anagram quickly will speed you through this. I ended up on 14 minutes. A good crossword with plenty to work out - a good balance, I thought - thank you Alconiere.
ACROSS
1. Dessert - pudding. DESERT around seconds (S).
5. Baked - very hot. A and (K)id in BED.
8. Kick one's heels - have nothing to do. Give up wearing stilettos - to give up is to kick, stilettos are heels so to stop wearing them is to 'kick ones heels'.
9. Orifice - opening. An anagram (moves) of twice I (I, I) and FORCE.
10. Aware - conscious. A, major conflict (WAR), close to home - hom(E).
11. Alpine - in the mountains. A, large (L), tree (PINE).
13. Stamen - a bit of a bloomer. Anagram (all over the place) of AM SENT.
15. Sinew - tendon. Stitch (SEW) holding IN.
16. Foresaw - predicted. Gold (OR) inside an anagram (strangely) of FEW AS.
19. Madame Tussaud - founder of exhibition. Anagram (works) of AT A MUSEUM ADDS.
20. Doyen - senior member. Party (DO), intense desire (YEN).
21. Dunedin - city down under - in South Island, New Zealand - the location of my only forage into sheep farming (I helped round up and hold lambs for inoculation for a couple of hours).
DOWN
1. Dekko - butchers (hook = look). Dithce(D) th(E) por(K), a big blow KO - knockout.
2. St. Crispin's Day - October 25th. Anagram (prepared) of SANDYS SCRIPT I.
3. E-Coli - bacteria. Upwards in so(IL OCE)an.
4. The Met - London police. Topic (THEME), (T)hat's.
5. By heart - how to memorise things. Times (BY - multiplication), man (HE), skill (ART).
6. Keen as mustard - raring to go. In the role of Cluedo suspect Colonel Mustard (often to be found in the library with a lead pipe - but each to their own).
7. Discern - make out. Record (DISC), queen (ER), new (N).
11. Assumed - took on. Idiot (ASS), (U)ndress, sea (MED).
12. Newsman - reporter. Novel's (NEW'S), isle (MAN).
14. OFSTED - inspectors. Anagram (version) of FT DOES.
17. Risen - in state of revolt. D(R)u(I)d'(S) b(E)i(N)g.
18. Woden - ancient God. Without (W/O), somewhere to retreat to (DEN).
ACROSS
1. Dessert - pudding. DESERT around seconds (S).
5. Baked - very hot. A and (K)id in BED.
8. Kick one's heels - have nothing to do. Give up wearing stilettos - to give up is to kick, stilettos are heels so to stop wearing them is to 'kick ones heels'.
9. Orifice - opening. An anagram (moves) of twice I (I, I) and FORCE.
10. Aware - conscious. A, major conflict (WAR), close to home - hom(E).
11. Alpine - in the mountains. A, large (L), tree (PINE).
13. Stamen - a bit of a bloomer. Anagram (all over the place) of AM SENT.
15. Sinew - tendon. Stitch (SEW) holding IN.
16. Foresaw - predicted. Gold (OR) inside an anagram (strangely) of FEW AS.
19. Madame Tussaud - founder of exhibition. Anagram (works) of AT A MUSEUM ADDS.
20. Doyen - senior member. Party (DO), intense desire (YEN).
21. Dunedin - city down under - in South Island, New Zealand - the location of my only forage into sheep farming (I helped round up and hold lambs for inoculation for a couple of hours).
DOWN
1. Dekko - butchers (hook = look). Dithce(D) th(E) por(K), a big blow KO - knockout.
2. St. Crispin's Day - October 25th. Anagram (prepared) of SANDYS SCRIPT I.
3. E-Coli - bacteria. Upwards in so(IL OCE)an.
4. The Met - London police. Topic (THEME), (T)hat's.
5. By heart - how to memorise things. Times (BY - multiplication), man (HE), skill (ART).
6. Keen as mustard - raring to go. In the role of Cluedo suspect Colonel Mustard (often to be found in the library with a lead pipe - but each to their own).
7. Discern - make out. Record (DISC), queen (ER), new (N).
11. Assumed - took on. Idiot (ASS), (U)ndress, sea (MED).
12. Newsman - reporter. Novel's (NEW'S), isle (MAN).
14. OFSTED - inspectors. Anagram (version) of FT DOES.
17. Risen - in state of revolt. D(R)u(I)d'(S) b(E)i(N)g.
18. Woden - ancient God. Without (W/O), somewhere to retreat to (DEN).