This crossword No. 21727 clues and answers were published on Wed 27 Oct 1999 and the puzzle can be visited by following The Guardian Cryptic Crossword No. 21727 link.
All Across Clues and Answers:
1-across – Keep house? : CASTLE
4-across – Place with cultural image abroad – Rome, perhaps? : TWINTOWN
9-across – Course for Hebridean island sound : RHUMB
10-across – Fitful rise in foreign trade is most depressing : DREARIEST
11-across – Grand Alliance, perhaps, of Principalities and Powers : ANGELICAL
12-across – Growing row takes husband to the brink : HEDGE
13-across – Pole, Italian and Englishman : NORTHUMBRIAN
17-across – Voice raised against the general trend : COUNTERTENOR
20-across – Quarrel? A quarrel’s about right! : ARROW
21-across – Assign troops to the front that’s holding : ALLOTMENT
23-across – Banker provided backing to girl that’s in credit : FINANCIER
24-across – Weed the bed : COUCH
25-across – Service is nevertheless no good : EVENSONG
26-across – Opening of security lock needed force : STRESS
All Down Clues and Answers:
1-down – The end to hangings! : CURTAINS
2-down – Loafer, having taken swig of booze and draw on fag, turned over : SLUGGARD
3-down – Liable to drop article misconstrued as smear : LIBEL
5-down – Hard bargainer – like Molly Malone? : WHEELERDEALER
6-down – Maybe another way to make a point : NORTHEAST
7-down – Exceed, or not quite exceed, prescribed intake : OVERDO
8-down – Newspeak of a crank : NUTTER
10-down – Concerted action mounted by the papers : DOCUMENTATION
14-down – Variable wind blows around bluffs : HOODWINKS
15-down – Guarantee about European Commission is shaky : INSECURE
16-down – Pants – broken rib distorting chest : BRITCHES
18-down – Food producing lots of wind : WAFFLE
19-down – A bang on the head : FRINGE
22-down – Silent Service’s pathetic attempt to cover up : TACIT
This crossword has in total 28 where 14 are across and 14 are down.