Clues

8-across – Such finally gets bagged by countryman? : PHEASANT

9-across – I may enter strange place of large proportions : EPICAL

10-across – Bandage the man following hit : SWATHE

11-across – It’s experienced through hearing a unilateral declaration by politician : AUDITORY

12-across – A neat dwelling : BYRE

13-across – Where we hear the canopy of power may be brought down : OVERTHROWN

15-across – Dear little rodent coming back into place of rest : BELOVED

16-across – Things making a bang give little boy endless fear : TIMPANI

18-across – Maiden has one home recipe – one for possible first course : MINESTRONE

19-across – Muck that gets stomachs turning over : SMUT

20-across – Cutting grass outside always : SEVERING

22-across – New hesitation about monetary unit : RECENT

23-across – Travelling doctor encounters bad temper : MOBILE

24-across – Speculator may get the gold first : THEORIST

1-down – Our present circumstances may be novel : THEWAYWELIVENOW

2-down – Sort of reproduction in earphones gets distorted : PARTHENOGENESIS

3-down – Man using force, one out to be evil : MALEVOLENT

4-down – Vessel set out towards a foreign sea : STEAMER

5-down – Regard daughter as offspring : SEED

6-down – You can’t write much on it – produce script at random : PICTUREPOSTCARD

7-down – Northern town’s funnier characters involved in arguments in pubs : BARROWINFURNESS

14-down – Cloth goes with bathroom items : TOILETRIES

17-down – In brotherhood ought you to appear valiant? : DOUGHTY

21-down – Wild animal in the same place no longer : IBEX

8-across – Buttons said to represent danger to sailors : BELLBUOY

9-across – Made to smile by a thought? : AMUSED

10-across – The advantage of keenness : EDGE

11-across – When it leaks, it’s hard to stop : BRAKEFLUID

12-across – Twice appearing as an understudy : DOUBLE

14-across – Time off for his lady-love, perhaps : HOLIDAYS

15-across – They go along with kinky corsets : ESCORTS

17-across – Where one lives a little in Panama, for example : HABITAT

20-across – No racehorse alive is one : DEADCERT

22-across – She made her name in production of Hamlet : THELMA

23-across – Ritual miracle one produces : CEREMONIAL

24-across – What dogs do around trees : BARK

25-across – Did this hen lay the golden eggs? : GUINEA

26-across – Refinement, for example, in an eastern weapon : ELEGANCE

1-down – Mortality figures are a complete write-off : DEADLOSS

2-down – This may lead us to the light : CLUE

3-down – Fraudulent scheme in a soap by-product? : BUBBLE

4-down – Sideways? : BYPATHS

5-down – Blooming beast of burden that has trouble getting up : CAMELLIA

6-down – Pondered over the beef, we hear, and warmed drink : MULLEDWINE

7-down – It’s frivolous having a tax about it : LEVITY

13-down – They’re widely grown for eating : BROADBEANS

16-down – What the driver needs on the whole is to be sober : TEETOTAL

18-down – What gunrunners take part in? : ARMSRACE

19-down – Match for a football player : STRIKER

21-down – Place that was hellish before getting public transport : EREBUS

22-down – Rang the bell as instructed, say : TOLLED

24-down – Its vicar was always ready to accept a new sovereign : BRAY

1-across – From A to E, a cliche to be smashed – kill waffle also : ALLWALKSOFLIFE

8-across – Assigned task of putting clock back : REMIT

9-across – Numbers need editor: the crossword setter’s taken the plunge : NOSEDIVE

11-across – Propagated by philosopher who’s been conducted outside : LAYERED

12-across – Catcher where there’s a rift that’s crescent-shaped : LUNETTE

13-across – Prince and queen, perhaps, in board game : HALMA

15-across – Craft on the hawthorn : MAYFLOWER

17-across – Powell’s little house built in Powys : WELSHPOOL

20-across – Rope-maker of Paris is a Londoner : SISAL

21-across – Wild boar with two craft : ROWBOAT

23-across – Lashes await when master fell upon painter : MASCARA

25-across – Face villain that doesn’t start conversation : DIALOGUE

26-across – Cubic character with kings for tips : RUBIK

27-across – Drowned, perhaps, marryin’ the offspring of Spooner? : DEADINTHEWATER

1-down – Swirl has rope-maker producing 15s : APRILSHOWERS

2-down – Put up with your starter being like my sauces! : LUMPY

3-down – Sequel to a lot of parents accepting time at school : AFTERMATH

4-down – Brunel’s animal, say : KINGDOM

5-down – River meadow concerned : OUSELEY

6-down – American city study on which a lot hangs? : LADEN

7-down – Game in which draw by one point was scripted by Bennett : FIVETOWNS

10-down – Favourite soldier getting about an awful lot may be full of spirit : PETROLTANKER

14-down – The boys in green are not responsible : LILYWHITE

16-down – Endure Jack injuring camel : LASTSTRAW

18-down – Figure of a man in charge with label attached : OCTAGON

19-down – Little girl on strike because she canêt have the job? : LAMBETH

22-down – Too drunk to squeak? : OILED

24-down – Boundary? Then I’ll be shy, be shy : AMBIT

1-across – Something one just has to have : OWNERSHIP

6-across – Some prickly characters created scenes in Channel Islands : CACTI

9-across – Clot, however, begins to identify one of these goddesses : FATES

10-across – Complain and criticise, starting Sunday dinner? : ROASTBEEF

11-across – Given extra volume about precipitation? It amplifies what’s been said : LOUDHAILER

12-across – See 4 : BONE

14-across – Hound rapid progress, as controller of papers : BULLDOG

15-across – Fellow holding a fit of pique back, where details can be recorded? : NOTEPAD

17-across – Tom may leave at this point, as Queen makes an entrance : CATFLAP

19-across – See 6 down : WHISKER

20-across – Heard evidence for woman’s appeal that PC won’t accept : WOLF

22-across – Failing to understand, be embarrassed receiving Oscar? : BEWILDERED

25-across – Where change is made in production of sterling quality : ROYALMINT

26-across – One called in rejected unconvincing message : EMAIL

27-across – For this one needs sugar daddy to abandon translation of papyrus : SYRUP

28-across – Never leaves off advertising such growth : EVERGREEN

1-down – Refuse to abandon Irish county finally? : OFFAL

2-down – Teachers ignored inadequate service, served vegetarian meal : NUTCUTLET

3-down – To do this to her clues, editor intervenes : RESCHEDULE

4-down – Get sharper about sinful bishop setting example for the cloth : HERRING

5-down – Touring Spain, start off garbling Spanish and grad-ually make progress? : PHASEIN

6-down – Old radio component, not quite the best : CATS

7-down – Religious belief expressed by socialist in company : CREDO

8-down – Does he appear silly, playing cricket? : INFIELDER

13-down – Plays may be in production by this August : STRINDBERG

14-down – Support hospital facilities getting into a worse state : BACKWARDS

16-down – Cope with freak storm? An aspect of self-control : POKERFACE

18-down – Best to have no outsiders with lions about and be in control : PRESIDE

19-down – See 20 : WHISTLE

21-down – Hen party finally inhibited by genuine cock-up : LAYER

23-down – Bob’s next to nominate Thomas : DYLAN

24-down – See 14 across : CLIP

7-across – Seed’s fan prepared to make a personal complaint : DEAFNESS

9-across – Notice present and hold on : ADHERE

10-across – Laughing at a depressed fence? : HAHA

11-across – Inform about a mad character going to pieces : SHATTERING

12-across – Retiring artist getting just deserts : REWARD

14-across – Was more than once granted around a quarter : EXCEEDED

15-across – A royal house built in Stroud : TUDORS

17-across – Man races to get in drink that’s superior : BETTER

20-across – Quiet charm and taste : PENCHANT

22-across – A country hat : PANAMA

23-across – The defence work in successes with hardly any encouragement : FORTWOPINS

24-across – Making tin and silver amalgam presents a problem : SNAG

25-across – Breaking a horse? Not in the main : ASHORE

26-across – They’re on their own before the children appear : EREMITES

1-down – A great number in quite good environs degenerate : DECADENT

2-down – The dyke builder would take endless refuse : OFFA

3-down – Some are clever, sedulous and learned : VERSED

4-down – Cancel it in error and there’ll be a song made! : CANTICLE

5-down – A town in the USA, Princeton say : CHARLESTON

6-down – A large property – note the extent : GRANGE

8-down – High-minded person allowed the last word? That’s a bit of a bloomer : STAMEN

13-down – Regal resignation : ABDICATION

16-down – Embarrassed about a misshapen nose, it’s thought : REASONED

18-down – Involving the bell-boy in strikes could well cause storms : RAMPAGES

19-down – Band having an outing in the Canterbury area : STRIPE

21-down – The self-centred individual, for example, is to reform : EGOIST

22-down – An old-fashioned cold remedy some airmen prepare : POSSET

24-down – Gratuities may be used up for a rotisserie : SPIT