Clues

9-across – Climber accepts a period without a sweetheart : VALENTINE

10-across – Smoker in lead is sound : PLUMB

11-across – Confound laid-back star working to capture record : NONPLUS

12-across – Polish plate and check for sign of approval : PLAUDIT

13-across – It could have an accidental consequence : NOTE

14-across – Famous craft worker in the old country : SANTAMARIA

16-across – Criticise a guerrilla for dashing style : PANACHE

17-across – Hanging a writer to make an impression : PENDENT

19-across – Solution to shyness frees communications in the main : ICEBREAKER

22-across – Animal detailed in portico : STOA

24-across – Wild animal’s desire : RAMPANT

25-across – Linesman half-heartedly spread pigment : MELANIN

26-across – Bridge player left the game : SPORT

27-across – A prankster’s sick initially, being nervous : ILLATEASE

1-down – Plant devastated vigneron’s empire : EVENINGPRIMROSE

2-down – Support heavyweight sea creatures : PLANKTON

3-down – One does not start a fire : INGLE

4-down – Petroleum producer offers inducements well : OILSHALE

5-down – Leading serviceman in store had complete authority : DESPOT

6-down – Flavouring and cooking man’s tripe : SPEARMINT

7-down – Split up left-wing union : SUNDER

8-down – Remove a rope in Gorky, say : ABSTRACTPAINTER

15-down – Damage network with the removal of church composer : SCARLATTI

17-down – Reformed pleb keeps papers of introduction : PREAMBLE

18-down – Scholar entertains Pole or other European : ESTONIAN

20-down – In the West Country without having to hitch : EXMOOR

21-down – A trail blazed in the sky : ALTAIR

23-down – In Northumberland it’s said to be cheerful : BLYTH

8-across – Excited by a small speculation : AFLUTTER

9-across – One grows flowers : IRISES

10-across – The old ruler of Tibet’s a refugee : TSAR

11-across – Sort of look designed to cheer him? : COMEHITHER

12-across – Foreign Office taking back dirty books : FOLIOS

14-across – Cryptic clues add weight to articles : ANAGRAMS

15-across – Bear belly : STOMACH

17-across – Without doubt, clock starts in good time : CLEARLY

20-across – An orange tongue – and that’s official : MANDARIN

22-across – Before robbery, looking over enclosure : CASING

23-across – Drink not bought, we hear, in the Lake District : BORROWDALE

24-across – Run carelessly after slap : DASH

25-across – Playwright producing page by and by : PLATER

26-across – European trash: Antoine’s : ESTONIAN

1-down – Branch that is not on fire : OFFSHOOT

2-down – Each sound is a sound of contentment : PURR

3-down – Furniture stays put : STICKS

4-down – Type of school providing Greek in the morning, followed by introductory mathematics and religion : GRAMMAR

5-down – Dance, intoxicated by drink : HIGHBALL

6-down – Station poles for old people : VICTORIANS

7-down – Old-fashioned advice is to take them in exchange for money or goods : REDEEM

13-down – Excessive love admitted by crazy meter maid : IMMODERATE

16-down – Wearied by anxieties, oarsman turns up in jail : CAREWORN

18-down – No sailor alights on isle : LANDSMAN

19-down – Busy old English prior : ENGAGED

21-down – God with head surrounded by a circle : APOLLO

22-down – Make a fuss about a Greek island : CREATE

24-down – High-ranking Mafioso has enemy leader polished off : DONE

1-across – Such a fare is economical : FRUGAL

5-across – One of the art gallery’s main exhibits : SEASCAPE

9-across – Soldier carrying sailors? : MANOFWAR

10-across – New style navy : MODERN

11-across – An estimate of how resourceful one is : CREDITRATING

13-across – You used to be grand : THOU

14-across – Habitual criminal makes for difficult police work : HARDCASE

17-across – Drink lands teenager in trouble : GREENTEA

18-across – Aim low : MEAN

20-across – He keeps an eye on the hands to avoid overtime : CLOCKWATCHER

23-across – Millionaire’s roe? : CAVIAR

24-across – An apology for a dance : EXCUSEME

25-across – They won’t stand for their instruments being played : CELLISTS

26-across – Saw off the tongue : SAYING

2-down – First ride on a new horse : ROAN

3-down – Valid reason for giving to charity : GOODCAUSE

4-down – The instruction he gets will be brief : LAWYER

5-down – Yet on stage she might be a curvaceous performer : STRAIGHTACTRESS

6-down – Errs amid wayward lovers : ADMIRERS

7-down – He is working on commission : CADET

8-down – Wild party ends a school occasion : PARENTSDAY

12-down – Leisure time for a craftsman : SHORELEAVE

15-down – Unwilling to go into print : CAMERASHY

16-down – They’re enquiry agents, of course : STEWARDS

19-down – Corresponds with central Europeans, say : CHECKS

21-down – Central heating off apparently! : CHILL

22-down – Being awkward, mean to get the last word : AMEN

1-across – Precautionary marriage – no spontaneous combustion! : SAFETYMATCH

9-across – Sycophant who’s hardly a streak of lightning : CRAWLER

10-across – Top brass is not particular : GENERAL

11-across – Uncivilised and hurtful remark by heretic : BARBARIAN

12-across – Fear of locks, perhaps : DREAD

13-across – Over there one sees privates : YONI

14-across – Cropper takes Tyler for a seabird : SHEARWATER

16-across – Go on at length about king being a foreigner : EXPATRIATE

19-across – Ray’s biblical eye trouble : BEAM

21-across – Nurse’s profession drops a point : CARER

22-across – Basic redesign of M10 secured by airline : ELEMENTAL

24-across – Not quite the end of the road in the Song of the Mystic Symbol : MANDALA

25-across – On board, appear sick of harvested corn : SHEAVES

26-across – Lived in Spain with team of conservationists coming into Arab money : RESIDENTIAL

1-down – Injured stripper twice ran away with good friend despite the fighting : SPARRINGPARTNER

2-down – Composer of notes about student : FALLA

3-down – Sweet delight in steamy bath? : TURKISH

4-down – Red spy keeping mum? On the contrary! : MAGENTA

5-down – Moderate not keeping god up : TONEDOWN

6-down – Autumnal event’s hot and summery – bring in right underwear before first of February : HARVESTFESTIVAL

7-down – Head of school and professional driver with skin complaint : SCABBY

8-down – German taking cover from aircraft : GLIDER

15-down – Point to untrained traitors mounting futuristic defence : STARWARS

16-down – Newly emancipated, give up a diet and settle down : ENCAMP

17-down – Country fellow raised in poetic subcontinent : ICELAND

18-down – No tears shed for betrayal : TREASON

20-down – Pests with time to pester : MOLEST

23-down – Resin occurring in diesel emissions : ELEMI

1-across – Come down on fire : ALIGHT

4-across – Mistakes are holding a sailor back : ERRATA

9-across – We hear top player is to step down : CEDE

10-across – I’ll repeat what has been said for those unable to read : ILLITERATE

11-across – Stop and surrender : GIVEUP

12-across – The present time : YULETIDE

13-across – Kind of dive lorry drivers try to avoid : JACKKNIFE

15-across – It makes a pass into a path : LISP

16-across – Squirrel’s home moved back three feet : DRAY

17-across – Broken down, oddly enough : CRACKEDUP

21-across – Biased team and what may be done about it : ONESIDED

22-across – He brought fresh weight to laws of motion : NEWTON

24-across – A cut in the rate : PERCENTAGE

25-across – In the course of a lacklustre comeback : AMID

26-across – Is getting in support to carry on the fight : RESIST

27-across – Nun wanders around diocese with unprepared translation : UNSEEN

1-down – A married woman in the country : AMERICA

2-down – Girl showing passion over loveless one : IRENE

3-down – Used to make a lock fast, or to pick it : HAIRPIN

5-down – What a snake may do to make one nervous : RATTLE

6-down – A highly offensive action : AIRSTRIKE

7-down – Caused trouble, getting Bill and Edward out of bed : ACTEDUP

8-down – Aims at parity in the field of sport : PLAYSFORADRAW

14-down – Chip bags or containers : KNAPSACKS

16-down – Nursed a crippled male ballet dancer : DANSEUR

18-down – Restaurant cutlery : CANTEEN

19-down – Too good to be true : UTOPIAN

20-down – The handsome chap said no, unfortunately : ADONIS

23-down – Soundly beat one in school : WHALE