Clues

1-across – Perhaps one shut a gap? : HIATUS

4-across – Patrol leader like mother – it’s in the blood : PLASMA

9-across – Premature demise may be hated : ACCIDENTALDEATH

10-across – Where reels of film may be seen – or heard : CANNES

11-across – Flatter and not so piquant : BLANDISH

12-across – He’s admitted cruel manipulation in the course of his labours… : HERCULES

14-across – …being brave and beloved, but heartless : DARING

15-across – Vegetable pot found in the dump : TURNIP

18-across – Ovation for leading car overtaking : CLAPPING

21-across – It may have a bearing on rushful possession : BALLRACE

22-across – Neat shot, though not centred with precision : NICETY

24-across – Obsolete political tools? : HAMMERANDSICKLE

25-across – The feast is almost oriental : EASTER

26-across – Repeat action of a revolver : GYRATE

1-down – The acre is roughly 40% of it : HECTARE

2-down – It’s injurious to cut off headdress : ALIGN

3-down – Take a turn with silent cooking in the kitchen : UTENSIL

5-down – Old reformer found everything held up by his superior : LOLLARD

6-down – One for the road – a quick gin, perhaps? : SPEEDTRAP

7-down – The skilled worker in Cathcart is a necessary part of the Cape economy : ARTISAN

8-down – He painted a vessel with a little boat on board : STUBBS

13-down – Feast of cold and cooked meals : CANDLEMAS

16-down – Ignorant woman took the English to war : UNAWARE

17-down – Spoken prayer that’s plain : PRAIRIE

18-down – Walk by the river : CHEYNE

19-down – This could set many free : AMNESTY

20-down – Girl gives boy a tall story : NATALIE

23-down – Officers take a drink : COCOA

1-across – Walk from American time and charge into New York time : USEONESFEET

9-across – Spoken verse in instalments through one’s teeth! : ODONTIC

10-across – English truffle hunter swilling ale close to the ground : EPIGEAL

11-across – How an alpine colonist squares accounts? : SETTLESUP

12-across – ‘eaves one within range : URALS

13-across – Contract in Franco-Roman law : FLEX

14-across – As man involved with Ireland might view one from England : MAINLANDER

16-across – So Wordsworth’s minstrel appears to have thee flustered, as a matter of fact : ETHEREALLY

19-across – Rastafarian held at more than arm’s length : AFAR

21-across – Montcalm’s conqueror’s in misery about his left foot : WOLFE

22-across – Slater’s demand for full pension? : ROOFBOARD

24-across – His ‘n’ her venture in hock : RHENISH

25-across – Comfort needed when you and me revoltingly grow old : ASSUAGE

26-across – Autodidact displaying fame ‘n’ medals : SELFMADEMAN

1-down – Source of 17 scattered seed of Terah with topping of mulch : UROFTHECHALDEES

2-down – Crack up making those absent from W — K, say? : EXTOL

3-down – Name one Greek island: one with a divided capital : NICOSIA

4-down – Ignore the alarm! These slippery customers are over a barrel : SLEEPIN

5-down – Labour’s injection of backbone? : EPIDURAL

6-down – Destination of 17’s line and then of a canal restoration : THELANDOFCANAAN

7-down – The ______ 16,4,17’s 23 : SONSOF

8-down – Successful deal maker is caught by failure : CLOSER

15-down – Spontaneous declaration: Release the Stratford One! : FREEWILL

16-down – One of eight from a demoralised War Department : EDWARD

17-down – Race starter – for the Lincoln! : ABRAHAM

18-down – One is spotted by Lampedusa : LEOPARD

20-down – Shipping line director : RUDDER

23-down – It could be uplifted for Dr Mowlem to cry on : BOSOM

9-across – Opposite of core gay activist, perhaps, reaching majority : OUTERMOST

10-across – Nothing, as it happens, on the green : OLIVE

11-across – Coat sported, unoriginally, by fabled beast : UNICORN

12-across – Introduction to the umpire’s instep? : PREFACE

13-across – Jabber of game : POKER

14-across – Look cross about fool starting to wash decanters, for example : GLASSWARE

16-across – Line of prisoners pegged out, having received punishment against medical advice : CONTRAINDICATED

19-across – Tear into less risky yield : SURRENDER

21-across – Unquiet tree at one extreme or the other : POLAR

22-across – Otter’s not a total inversion of another aquatic mammal : MUSKRAT

23-across – Splash out on Luxem-bourg in Bloom : SPLURGE

24-across – Island business with excellent turnover : IBIZA

25-across – Letter to Greek man embracing Muse – half a half, say : NUMERATOR

1-down – Conjuring house point for officer in America : HOCUSPOCUS

2-down – Crippled gun, putting some hay in it : STRICKEN

3-down – Passion sounds more complicated in EastEnders : ARDOUR

4-down – The fuzz appear in blue : DOWN

5-down – Snake slept badly on top of decorator’s equipment : STEPLADDER

6-down – Judicial distribution of conifers : FORENSIC

7-down – Agents ensnared amoral character with bug : CICADA

8-down – Dog’s reported huff : PEKE

14-down – Knife-sharpener gives a smile, having agreed about saint : GRINDSTONE

15-down – Chuck’s dad’s source of wine? : ELDERBERRY

17-down – Characters from Derby are upset by baker’s product : RYEBREAD

18-down – Bear left on time to participate in gambling system : TOLERATE

20-down – German state’s leader’s gone somewhere further east : RUSSIA

21-down – Derisory tax on dog food : PALTRY

22-down – Servant given a month in France and Germany : MAID

23-down – House erected in Lime Street : SEMI

9-across – Superior worker’s advantage : UPPERHAND

10-across – Bulky specimen needing no introduction : AMPLE

11-across – p or n? : NUCLEON

12-across – There’s material for a writer in it : INKWELL

13-across – Cattle without water : NEAT

14-across – Stop work and say nothing at society dance : SHUTUPSHOP

15-across – Quire being delivered to editor is questioned : QUERIED

17-across – One officer after drink getting the classical cover : PORTICO

19-across – English trees stay around in an affluent state : EASYSTREET

22-across – A river guy, they say : TEES

23-across – Screen right round American island : TRELLIS

24-across – Stylish swipe that gives body support : HIPBONE

26-across – Canoe capsized in the water : OCEAN

27-across – Airs produced when playing organ with care : ARROGANCE

1-down – eg Is this suitable for the fire? : BURNINGQUESTION

2-down – Bet the gallery will do this : SPECTATE

3-down – Language from overseas : ERSE

4-down – Had meal about 1st April and started enterprise : LAUNCHED

5-down – Notice the narrow opening at sea : ADRIFT

6-down – High-flier’s a stimulus to the plant : LARKSPUR

7-down – Delivery address : SPEECH

8-down – Fit with padding to make plump : WELLUPHOLSTERED

16-down – Fresh in part of the Channel? : INSOLENT

17-down – Excess pother travelling with a learner : PLETHORA

18-down – Arctic explorer could be drug-limited : ICEBOUND

20-down – Joint fixer : SKEWER

21-down – Lascar abroad could be a rogue : RASCAE

25-down – Buttons, perhaps silver, appearing in drill : PAGE

8-across – The orator’s awkward situation in the Park : SPEAKERS

9-across – : CORNER

10-across – Swallow hurriedly in the bar : BOLT

11-across – Team matter about learner in the test : ELEVENPLUS

12-across – Complain about head, doctor being brought in : BEMOAN

14-across – It’s experienced in coagulated milk, they say : INCURRED

15-across – This is the flattest beer in two ways : STALEST

17-across – Signary used in the plant : SYRINGA

20-across – The AA man in trouble? I don’t like it : ANATHEMA

22-across – Man to look around for an opening word : SESAME

23-across – Erred and began to go wrong in the drinking place : BEERGARDEN

24-across – The garden trowel produces a hollow : DENT

25-across – : VESTED

26-across – Personal involvement in an item of clothing? : INTEREST

1-down – One hopes he’s the one down! : OPPONENT

2-down – An inclination to use jargon : CANT

3-down – Stretch of water to divide the North : SEVERN

4-down – Austere person is kind of acid about society : ASCETIC

5-down – Harsh stones near the churchyard : SCREECHY

6-down – Ropes giving support to suitable possessions : PROPERTIES

7-down – Some paper used in study : PERUSE

13-down – Cancel change to a better oil : OBLITERATE

16-down – Those officiating care for parking in stages : STEWARDS

18-down – The spirit of sportsmen? : GAMENESS

19-down – Lady Heather, in the main very sentimental : MAUDLIN

21-down – Joint flat, we hear, is required : NEEDED

22-down – Assembly’s thrash held up in cathedral city : SENATE

24-down – River race : DART