With only four solutions entered during my first, quick pass through the clues I thought this one was going to be tough but thereafter I made steady progress and was able to complete the grid before breakfast.
A lot of unfamiliar words for me today, and some that I had only met previously in other cryptics, in what was an enjoyable challenge. With hindsight, I should have solved more clues during my first pass but perhaps I wasn’t fully awake at that time.
Across
1 Pastime enjoyed initially in spot with greenery by kid full of energy (12)
ZEITVERTREIB – E[njoyed] (enjoyed initially) in ZIT (spot) VERT (greenery) RIB (kid) around (full of) E (energy)
10 Group of stars from Spain behind revolutionary burning in spirit (8)
PRAESEPE – SEAR (burning) reversed (revolutionary) in PEP (spirit) E (Spain)
12 Sea swallowing mixture of beer and alkaloid (9)
BERBERINE – BRINE (sea) around (swallowing) an anagram (mixture) of BEER
13 Cases advanced by soul in holy building (5)
CAABA – CA (cases) A (advanced) BA (soul)
14 Garment mostly worn back around beginnings of summer holiday (1-5)
T-SHIRT – TRIT[e] (mostly worn) reversed (back) around S[ummer] H[oliday] (beginnings of summer holiday)
15 Ring to bring an important date about (5)
ARENA – AN ERA (an important date) reversed (to bring … about)
16 Staff left in Arabian country endlessly hot (5)
OMLAH – L (left) in OMA[n] (Arabian country endlessly) H (hot)
17 Member of dynasty in sporting body retiring (7)
FATIMID – FA (sporting body) TIMID (retiring)
22 Damage on large old bottle (7)
COSTREL – COST (damage) RE (on) L (large)
23 Periods when temperature’s dropped after noon in French city (5)
NIMES – N (noon) [t]IMES (periods when temperature’s dropped)
25 Murmur in beloved place and look around (5)
BROOL – BRO (beloved place) LO (look) reversed (around)
27 Independence shown in film by absolute monkey (6)
COAITA – I (independence) in (shown in) COAT (film) A (absolute)
28 Keel that’s empty sunk by mine (5)
SKEGG – S[un]K (empty sunk) EGG (mine)
29 Get moving equipment to hold loose tracks (4-5)
KICK-START – KIT (equipment) around (to hold) an anagram (loose) of TRACKS
30 Inner circle inside compound in command (8)
ESOTERIC – O (circle) in (inside) ESTER (compound) IC (in command)
31 Tissue men scarcely bothered about ending in rubbish (12)
SCLERENCHYMA – an anagram (bothered) of MEN SCARCELY around (about) [rubbis]H (ending in rubbish)
Down
1 Weavers getting support in lifting cap on measures (5,7)
ZEBRA FINCHES – BRA (support) in FEZ (cap) reversed (lifting) INCHES (measures)
2 Curses suit, torn as I changed (11)
EXECRATIONS – EXEC (suit) plus an anagram (changed) of TORN AS I
3 Tense before relief about prohibition for gadfly? (7)
TABANID – T (tense) AID (relief) around (about) BAN (prohibition)
4 Wandering, fine in desert? On the contrary (7)
ERRATIC – RAT (desert) in ERIC (fine)
5 Artist one thanks for Indian dish (5)
RAITA – RA (artist) I (one) TA (thanks)
6 Singers including soprano tightening muscles (7)
TENSORS – TENORS (singers) around (including) S (soprano)
7 Electron really losing velocity, weirdly (6)
EERILY – E (electron) [v]ERILY (really losing velocity)
8 Resort to their label to find name for Brazil nuts (12)
BERTHOLLETIA – an anagram (resort) of TO THEIR LABEL
9 Scots from border, miles away (4)
FRAE – FRA[m]E (border, miles away)
11 Sign from prince amid fresh hope supported by good force (11)
PHRASEOGRAM – RAS (prince) in (amid) an anagram (fresh) of HOPE plus G (good) RAM (force)
18 Rising problem, layer becoming mouldier (7)
MUSTIER – SUM (problem) reversed (rising) TIER (layer)
19 Studies blood in woollen cloth (7)
DOESKIN – DOES (studies) KIN (blood)
20 Draw out hush before gag (7)
STRETCH – ST (hush) RETCH (gag)
21 High explosive taken from Panama to Lima (6)
AMATOL – hidden in (taken from) ‘panAMA TO Lima’
24 Substance from shellfish crane cracked (5)
NACRE – an anagram (cracked) of CRANE
26 Ancient inscription over school (4)
OGAM – O (over) GAM (school)
I recall this going in quite quickly last week although I had to do a word search for a couple at the end. 25ac I knew neither the word not “bro” in the word play. 13ac the answer was obvious from the crossing letters but I couldn’t for the life of me parse it so thanks for the explanation.
Another good ‘un. Thanks S&B.