Flexible tube used by Phillip in socks at start of evening (8)
I believe the answer is:
hosepipe
'flexible tube' is the definition.
(I know that hosepipe is a flexible tube)
'phillip in socks at start of evening' is the wordplay.
'phillip' becomes 'Pip' (Pip can be short for Philip).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'socks' becomes 'hose' (I've seen this in other clues).
'at start of' says to take the initial letters.
The initial letter of 'evening' is 'e'.
'hose'+'e'='hosee'
'pip' going into 'hosee' is 'HOSEPIPE'.
'used by' is the link.
(Other definitions for hosepipe that I've seen before include "It's used in watering" , "Flexible tube for conveying water" , "Watering device" , "it will water garden" , "used to water" .)