Clues

1-across – Part of horse’s back becomes dry and shrivelled : WITHERS

5-across – A set of new books, one which in Paris would be seen as old : ANTIQUE

9-across – Shiite leader always getting a number of people killed – my! : AYATOLLAH

10-across – This palm needs cold in the region : ARECA

11-across – King, one to act crazy! : KNUT

12-across – Very big object that’s kept below : THUNDERING

14-across – There’s a superficial pretence with the archdeacon always : VENEER

15-across – Look at young man going the wrong way, a disgrace : SCANDAL

16-across – Heavenly body’s very good when clothed in rough fabric, right? : JUPITER

18-across – Business information put into account before start of year : AGENCY

20-across – Drama instructor comes in vintage vehicle : STAGECOACH

21-across – Till the cows come home here? : FARM

24-across – Something on the building site to make yours truly smile : IBEAM

25-across – One short meal allocation – and what Oliver would have liked! : ITERATION

26-across – Sailors from ‘ere getting leave : ABSENCE

27-across – Party enjoyment – I being hugged may be most stupid : DOZIEST

1-down – Women kick and hit : WHACK

2-down – Have nothing good to say about cease-fire coming without notice : TRADUCE

3-down – Cupid can help make lover ostentatious : EROS

4-down – Pours elixir out with thud – a corrosive mixture : SULPHURTRIOXIDE

5-down – Ancient eras had a different statement of Christian belief : ATHANASIANCREED

6-down – Titles of commercial products could make admen stare : TRADENAMES

7-down – Asked about what might be required when leader’s gone : QUERIED

8-down – Christian message on part of church that’s seen when looking up : EVANGEL

13-down – We shall get a bit of heat and even bits of rain, according to him : WEATHERMAN

16-down – Leather strap, one around a female : JESSICA

17-down – Cast aside, in two parts as it were : PLAYERS

19-down – Poison may turn nice day nasty : CYANIDE

22-down – Painter turned up two hours before midday : MANET

23-down – Make fun of artist, character coming last repeatedly : RAZZ

1-across – Create extra strain for a biologist : CROSSFERTILISE

8-across – Is one prepared to walk out for a wedding? : UNION

9-across – First pairs chosen are coloured alike – dark grey : CHARCOAL

11-across – Run 20, getting hungry at last – like some bacon? : STREAKY

12-across – Stop travelling overseas : HEAVETO

13-across – Nick passage for piano Tchaikovsky used : NOTCH

15-across – Air of unrequited love transformed mostly corny ghost : TORCHSONG

17-across – Come to steal from trendy lords and ladies? : WAKEROBIN

20-across – Wearing suit received for birthday : NAKED

21-across – In which one conspires about Scots, showing irritation : CAHOOTS

23-across – Lassie translated to accommodate one part of Europe : SILESIA

25-across – Dismiss ethnic origin in sports day event : SACKRACE

26-across – Support leads to 50% of vote – well done! : BRAVO

27-across – Behave like Rumpelstiltskin, maybe, where one’s haunted : STAMPINGGROUND

1-down – Port served after all mem-bers had hefty snack : CLUBSANDWICH

2-down – More comfortable after pollarding willow : OSIER

3-down – Someone getting browned off, still on the beach : SUNBATHER

4-down – To conceal meaning of record, PC had to swap two letters : ENCRYPT

5-down – In a class of my own, should I be true to form? : TEACHER

6-down – Clinging fabric sported by Darcy? Lizzie’s taken aback : LYCRA

7-down – Routine preparation – does it make you spit? : SPADEWORK

10-down – Person showing crude quality, potentially brilliant : ROUGHDIAMOND

14-down – Be encouraged by sequence of film – earth-shattering! : TAKEHEART

16-down – Cope with pub that’s used by bikers : HANDLEBAR

18-down – Graduate’s mum finally going off Tim Rice’s style : BASMATI

19-down – Gets in information about object of savings policy : NESTEGG

22-down – Approval given, without a hint of hesitation, for stopgap material : OAKUM

24-down – This situation starts to seem naughty and frankly untoward : SNAFU

1-across – Contribution one wild enthusiast keeps quiet : INPUT

4-across – Point many in the country take note of : INDICATE

8-across – 10 president left out – safe bet in six pieces of music : VIOLINCONCERTO

10-across – Guardian compiler seen outside pub : SHEPHERD

11-across – German article about pub grub : DINNER

12-across – I sternly criticise a sinful city : ISLAMABAD

15-across – Unenthusiastic about parliament’s reception of president : TEPID

17-across – High priest wielding an oar : AARON

18-across – Noble game in song reflected by precocious score : EARLYGOAL

19-across – Overdo amateur joinery, trapping end of digit – a strange result : ODDITY

21-across – Nude must confess to eating a 99 : ADAMITIC

24-across – Source of 4 25 8 transformed first part of 8 : ANTONIOVIVALDI

25-across – Guarantee covering a boy at certain times only : SEASONAL

26-across – Poles in German city : ESSEN

1-down – Detective has starter con-taining cored vegetable : INVESTIGATOR

2-down – Driver with decent length inserted : PROPELLER

3-down – Pat’s alternative shirt : TRISH

4-down – Become liable to fit : INCURABLE

5-down – Boy king in need of an airing : DANK

6-down – Experiment on short shirt in the name of science : CHEMISTRY

7-down – Moon’s metal-clad volunteers : TITAN

9-down – First choice tip the Parisian accepted : PREDILECTION

13-down – Sun Motors, manufacturing giant : MONSTROUS

14-down – Reckless character left serious crimes to the lawyer : DAREDEVIL

16-down – Architectural features of poor housing received by the lower classes : PROSTYLES

20-down – Say fling about’ in Scandinavia : DANCE

22-down – Picture getting doctor to compete : MOVIE

23-down – Bearing on the origins of Middle English : MIEN

8-across – Reproduction of a man’s oil painting : MONALISA

9-across – Lemons and melons may come from here : LEMNOS

10-across – Lincoln died sleeping? Apparently so : ABED

11-across – Proverbially it implies madness : OUTOFSIGHT

12-across – Tugboat? : LUGGER

14-across – Christmas visitors can include one conjuror : MAGICIAN

15-across – Lose wind when seeking muddy shoal in Cheshire estuary : DEFLATE

17-across – The sort ready to compose something impressive? : TYPESET

20-across – Nuts? You’ll need these : CRACKERS

22-across – Property gets one thousand short of estimate : ESTATE

23-across – He’s against accepting royalties : REPUBLICAN

24-across – A mother for the first orphan? : ADAM

25-across – Tenant in the French diocese : LESSEE

26-across – Example set by the ancients, maybe : INSTANCE

1-down – A strapless top is a mistake on the Underground : BOOBTUBE

2-down – Worker provides assistance : HAND

3-down – Potency of port half an hour later : VIGOUR

4-down – Old man’s period for diversion : PASTIME

5-down – Godly foe disposed to be reactionary : OLDFOGEY

6-down – In error, since I’m not all-knowing : OMNISCIENT

7-down – She may out pantihose, but not net : SOPHIA

13-down – Was it designed for handicapped drivers? : GOLFCOURSE

16-down – Music of the Depression? : THEBLUES

18-down – Charm one’s way in : ENTRANCE

19-down – Possibly spy on fashionable medium : PSYCHIC

21-down – Smoking jacket? : REEFER

22-down – Hemingway or Sterne, perhaps : ERNEST

24-down – Just open – so have a glass of ale : AJAR

1-across – One begins running, jumping the gun : STARTING

5-across – See 1 : PISTOL

9-across – Bearing cost of sending goods : CARRIAGE

10-across – Limit trade union backing more than any other : UTMOST

11-across – Even rate changes weaken : ENERVATE

12-across – Tongue of stout shoe : BROGUE

14-across – Insect on filthy drink container : BLUEBOTTLE

18-across – Newly built big ride is carrying 50 flying things : DIRIGIBLES

22-across – See customer wanting 50% off tree : LOCUST

23-across – Verify having circulated live data : VALIDATE

24-across – Marine went ahead and stopped up : SEALED

25-across – Act to rid movement of oppressive person : DICTATOR

26-across – Charge for borrowing caused understandable concern : SIMPLE

27-across – See 26 : INTEREST

1-down – One hundred soldiers in blue, worthy of respect : SACRED

2-down – Pair mentioned to some of the pilots : AIRMEN

3-down – To steal this the day before is pointless : THIEVE

4-down – Dark suit for entertainers? : NIGHTCLUBS

6-down – Bury pensioner, first to look up police organisation : INTERPOL

7-down – Still with back-street ideas? : THOUGHTS

8-down – Learned to describe seaside rock? : LETTERED

13-down – Commission cut, got about a grand back : DELEGATION

15-down – Adores having doilies scattered on top of sideboard : IDOLISES

16-down – Declare pit leader’s on edge about coal production : PROCLAIM

17-down – Urge female students to paint : EGGSHELL

19-down – Goodness! Six regret going round the West End! : VIRTUE

20-down – Fight club over title it lost : BATTLE

21-down – Feel sorry when soldiers get to guard Roundhead : REGRET