The puzzle of Mat - Mat loved a puzzle so see if you can work him out. Winning prize is a bulb of garlic!

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Across
  1. 3. it wasn’t a dating service! (14)
  2. 8. the loves of his life (3, 3, 4)
  3. 9. a landmark of the Metaswitch office, covered in damson gin, lego and dead parrots (5, 4)
  4. 10. Cambridge college Mat attended (5, 7)
  5. 11. George Formby had nothing on Mat and his electric version (7)
  6. 13. his most notable item of clothing (5, 4)
  7. 15. Mat optimistically tried this without a wetsuit but soon changed his mind (4, 8)
  8. 16. many a fun day spent squeezing pork into skins to make these (8)
  9. 20. one of Mat’s more exotic dining experiences, it was a crunchy but didn’t “bug” him much (6, 5)
  10. 22. something you do to presents. Mat was supremely good at it (8)
  11. 24. The pastry which defeated him (10)
  12. 25. the holiday of the infamous party (9)
  13. 27. he had a range of this toy but thankfully didn’t need a licence (6, 7, 3)
  14. 31. type of goat which gave Mat the slip and he ended up chasing it down the lane and rugby tackling it (5)
  15. 34. Mat split a pair of these while executing some funky dance moves at the Metaswitch Christmas party (8)
  16. 38. the only cycle he owned which he couldn’t ride (8)
  17. 39. got stuck in a very tall tree at a posh country hotel and he had to go ask for it back (10)
  18. 40. Mat was great at making this and even better at eating it, only Jack could rival him in the speed of demolishing one (3, 5)
  19. 41. Mat would never be without one or more of these in his pocket (9)
  20. 44. you'd usually find Mat under a pile of these (4)
  21. 45. Finland, Finland, Finland, the country where I want to be (5, 6)
  22. 47. single malts were the favourite (6)
  23. 49. the place we slept through the largest powercut Europe had ever had (5)
  24. 50. superb cake he made for Hels bday, inspired by our kitten acquisition (6, 4, 4)
  25. 51. He definitely “kneaded” a lot of flour for this one and the “yeast” of his concerns was tidying up after this food treat (5)
  26. 53. one of our favourite bands to hear with Michelle (5, 3)
  27. 54. only a small uprising and coup d'état in the neighbouring country on this trip (9, 8)
Down
  1. 1. BBC young musician finalist playing this (5)
  2. 2. Mat’s very useful part-time job at Uni (6)
  3. 4. he did like a queen (5)
  4. 5. this gyro swing made him queasy for hours, much to Sam’s delight (10)
  5. 6. possibly the most revolting concoction ever made using a vegetable and a pair of tights (6, 3)
  6. 7. Only months old and Sam was already beaing taught this card game with his fluffy friends and a few bottles of whisky (5)
  7. 12. the only thing I’ve ever known Mat to be unable to eat!! (5, 6, 5)
  8. 14. One of Mat’s favourite hobbies and got both his boys going aged 2 (7)
  9. 17. the beetroot version looked like strips of ham. Not very appetising (5)
  10. 18. affectionately known as Pinchy, Hels brought him home from Borough market and we spent the day expecting him to escape out the back door (6, 4)
  11. 19. this holiday destination had just been bombed – no wonder we got a cheap deal! (5)
  12. 21. Mat was lucky enough to sample the private areas of this prickly delicacy (3, 6)
  13. 23. Mat’s favourite dining experience (3, 3, 3)
  14. 26. Mat's favourite outdoor wind-powered “toy” (5, 4)
  15. 28. you wouldn’t often see Mat without one of these slung around his neck. Kept smuggling in new models and hoping Hels wouldn’t notice! (6)
  16. 29. a bathfull of these creatures overnight made a dreadful noise (11)
  17. 30. a hobby he was hopeless at regardless of how many years he tried and lessons he took. Think Bambi. (7)
  18. 32. I swear a shark tried to nibble his bottom doing this once. It’s hard laughing with a regulator in (5, 6)
  19. 33. Mat owned 3 of this musical instrument, one brought back from Australia and one he made out of plumbers pipe (10)
  20. 35. The reason for cycling to Ware, highlight of Sam and Jack’s trip out with Daddy (7,4)
  21. 36. something Mat was inordinately good at throughout his life and could do very quickly. Famed for it at uni, only Jack could rival him when an ice cream was involved (6)
  22. 37. Mat spent years perfecting these and takes after his Mum. Sunday dinner won’t be the same without them (9, 8)
  23. 42. we were making omlettes for days (7, 3)
  24. 43. we tried out various of these and only got a few stuck in gutters and narrowly missed an old lady after Mat souped one up with hair shampoo (7)
  25. 46. More successful with wild garlic than elderflowers which smelt of cat wee! (8)
  26. 48. only one had a puncture and bottomed out in Hartham river (5)
  27. 50. Hello Dave! (6, 2, 9)
  28. 52. many a visit here after halls in Cambridge (6, 3)