Clues

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

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

1-across – Pretentious woman with plenty of brass? : LADYMUCK

5-across – Play opens here, with a battle : ACTION

9-across – Rocker’s rival dwelt around here: what wickedness! : DEVILDOM

10-across – Eager as the North Wind : BOREAS

12-across – He solved Turandot’s riddle with some musical affectation : CALAF

13-across – Pinter’s tender scene shot again in the car : CARETAKER

14-across – The Lettuce-Wiper, Oil-Changer and Ant-Destroyer – that’s some magazine! : COSMOPOLITAN

18-across – King sat reluctantly nude at first: so what’s wrong with the photograph? : UNDEREXPOSED

21-across – Smart performer once could be male relation : LIONTAMER

23-across – Extremist usurping Lenin, Trotsky, Rasputin and their leaders : ULTRA

24-across – René has lost the Benefits Agency: what’s his game? : ECARTE

25-across – Dined at the club? On the contrary, indulged! : SPOONFED

26-across – Crippen’s Ethel changed parts and turned side : ELEVEN

27-across – Like Simon, the cross-bearer, a cynic about to convert : CYRENAIC

1-down – The same lousy characters surrounding this symbol of Nazi retribution : LIDICE

2-down – Might cavil as devoted disputant : DEVILS

3-down – Othello left flat out in this part of the distillery : MALTFLOOR

4-down – About to consume alco-pop, saw a wasteful way out of Rome : CLOACAMAXIMA

6-down – Influence cast after May 31 : CLOUT

7-down – Glider could freeze fish : ICESKATE

8-down – Piggy-wig controlled with this shilling’s worth? : NOSERING

11-down – The art of the Enigma Variations? : CRYPTOGRAPHY

15-down – Sweetener might lose value : LAEVULOSE

16-down – Boss taking a lead from Bill Sykes? : BULLSEYE

17-down – See 2 : ADVOCATE

19-down – Waller’s rising note: I’ll hear it in the Hebrides : STAFFA

20-down – Lyrical, possibly Shakespearian : BARDIC

22-down – Bird-man’s tribute : TITHE

1-across – Capital fellows – in pairs as required : PARISIANS

6-across – A little bit of spirit shown in honour : CRUMB

9-across – Telephone pointlessly to organise things : RIGUP

10-across – Flashy second : TWINKLING

11-across – A safeguard for the daylight viewer : HELIOSCOPE

12-across – Inspect and put back casual shirt : TEST

14-across – Lasted longer than an officer in unusual situation : OUTWORE

15-across – 4 down presented in narrative form : RECITAL

17-across – Down payment made, a hearing-aid can be sent : EARNEST

19-across – Create a beastly row and seem angry, so get a place to stay : MOORAGE

20-across – Edge into church : INCH

22-across – Not favouring certain offers made by the opposition : CONTENDERS

25-across – High lighting is torment for top players : STARSHELL

26-across – Lie concerning strength of character : FIBRE

27-across – Each single woman is on track : EVERY

28-across – Didn’t feel enough would be basically supportive : UNDERFELT

1-down – A rod for fresh-water fish : PERCH

2-down – Controlling mechanism raising gun on a mount : REGULATOR

3-down – American students appear more posh so dressed : SOPHOMORES

4-down – A piece of writing that’s just the thing! : ARTICLE

5-down – Bound by the boss : SKIPPER

6-down – Being firm, kept half the fuel : COKE

7-down – Concert given in the sun – it encourages attendance : UNITE

8-down – Game to make music? : BAGATELLE

13-down – Explain a pro taking in many a European aristocrat : ACCOUNTFOR

14-down – Superior children unduly put out : OVERISSUE

16-down – Strain within the board may be detected : TRACEABLE

18-down – A writer taking a tour he himself arranged : THOREAU

19-down – Medico, a non-drinker, was first to be spotted : MOTTLED

21-down – React badly – bring a case : CRATE

23-down – Set about the French in unpleasant conditions : SLEET

24-down – Observe secret agent following Oriental : ESPY

1-across – Undeveloped? No, I teach like this : INCHOATE

5-across – Toast is comforting : CHEERS

9-across – Policeman laid low at the end of the bed : FLATFOOT

10-across – Italian liqueur strong and mature on reflection : STREGA

11-across – How awful to cut up dead rook for amusement! : LAUGHTER

12-across – Left Capone in imposing entrance : PORTAL

14-across – Second-class lodgings on credit for mobile witch : BROOMSTICK

18-across – Casanova to deposit about 500 with butcher : LADYKILLER

22-across – Trollop to keep virtuous if returning from Amsterdam? : TULIPS

23-across – What Ruth played: Bottom at The Globe : BASEBALL

24-across – Incense might be in the soup : NETTLE

25-across – He cries piercingly, taking a poor risk here : SHRIEKER

26-across – Prairie wolf retiring with dislocated toe : COYOTE

27-across – Plant pest, immature, to travel through the air : GREENFLY

1-down – This thing may be hot? : ITFELL

2-down – Trophy broken by bowler, perhaps, in this court : CHATUP

3-down – See 1 : OFFTHE

4-down – Baby ate dry wool when confused : TWOYEAROLD

6-down – Once you needed to fill stockings, being delicate : HOTHOUSE

7-down – Vote for all but wealthy to be charged : ELECTRIC

8-down – Was ankle twisted in the ballet? : SWANLAKE

13-down – A warning, of course: connect her with stout ancestor : FOREFATHER

15-down – Short drama, a stimulant, is non-romantic : PLATONIC

16-down – Adoration shown for lady trio harmonising : IDOLATRY

17-down – Silky top gets this clergyman excited : SKYPILOT

19-down – Colour of church tower : CERISE

20-down – See 1 : BACKOF

21-down – See 1 : ALORRY

1-across – Having won holiday, I missed out, in total disarray : ANYOLDHOW

6-across – Assistance required for Beatles’ performance : HELP

10-across – Prison officers occupied old fellow – one always inside : OFLAG

11-across – One presiding over award ceremony for the MC? : ANNOUNCER

12-across – Insect buzzing around wine – a funny little creature : BEASTIE

13-across – Holy Roman Emperor, given sign, got votes from 11 : LEOPOLD

14-across – Honesty’s importance in a crisis? : MOMENTOFTRUTH

17-across – Finally, they just miss a century : DOUBLEFIGURES

21-across – Greek character facing total disaster, having mixed parentage : MULATTO

22-across – Time to pack in dodgy cigars affecting one’s digestion? : GASTRIC

24-across – Whip pinching MP’s cheese? : CAMEMBERT

25-across – Recalled section of book originally specifying hardwood : IROKO

26-across – Tabloid king scuppered : SUNK

27-across – Precise time to phone up – very excited about that : STRINGENT

1-down – A grave situation – order second category weapon : ATOMBOMB

2-down – Some betrayal tactically here during WWII? : YALTA

3-down – When AA members need clarification of a way forward? : LIGHTINGUPTIME

4-down – Jack’s crying out for the sack! : HEAVEHO

5-down – Part of building rented, one with restricted lift facility : WINGLET

7-down – Mutually excited and explosive in race riot? : EACHOTHER

8-down – Show off these days, staying in trim : PARADE

9-down – Tip for drivers? It may affect one’s own behaviour : AUTOSUGGESTION

15-down – He must be involved with the media! : MIDDLEMAN

16-down – Be intimidating, editing copy thus? : PSYCHOUT

18-down – A source of continuing pride : LIONESS

19-down – Someone very determined to find a plane? : FIGHTER

20-down – Legal adviser briefly left out of musical wrangling : AMICUS

23-down – River horse, so it’s said : RHONE