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

8-across – Someone who never wears out : NATURIST

9-across – They could be involved in a crash : CHARAS

10-across – Girl likely to be heartless : LILY

11-across – Jeweller’s work could make Cornelia rub, etc : GEMCUTTING

12-across – Namely, a hollow red mask : VIZARD

14-across – Speed created when centre of star drops out : CELERITY

15-across – Example of where the stick is thickest : ANAGRAM

17-across – Kind of English issuing from big mouth! : ESTUARY

20-across – Order cream tea? That’s steep! : MACERATE

22-across – Amateur performer of 22 down? : LAYMAN

23-across – Water with jolly blue colour : AQUAMARINE

24-across – Does the dismissed athlete take it running? : JUMP

25-across – Turn off! I’d come back green : DIVERT

26-across – May the small stone change colour? : AMETHYST

1-down – Place at Brighton for retired cricketers : PAVILION

2-down – Girl used in 11 across : RUBY

3-down – Put up horse in frisky ride : RIGGED

4-down – Thomas could first muster up courage for the fight : STOMACH

5-down – Do they weigh on the conscience? : SCRUPLES

6-down – Where an archbishop keeps his books? : CANTERBURY

7-down – Stone I cut from hewn granite : GARNET

13-down – A great egg’s smashed – stuff for the mixer : AGGREGATES

16-down – Diamonds once formed from very hard sulphur : ADAMANTS

18-down – What the highest jumper does at the back? : REARMOST

19-down – Bird crossing the road? : PELICAN

21-down – Leaders of army coup go free : ACQUIT

22-down – I*d reel out art-songs : LIEDER

24-down – The Augustus who painted gents? : JOHN

1-across – See 5 down : FAMILY

5-across – Clumsy splices start with slices : JUMPCUTS

9-across – Could be Sixth Form to politically correct young woman : TOPCLASS

10-across – God of home, family and Hull’s library? : LARKIN

11-across – Silent monkey milked silent cows here! : MILTONKEYNES

13-across – Back English measures to score a duck : SMEE

14-across – So Antony of Brutus finally might lie with gusto : EULOGIST

17-across – Lost memory? One might have a beef here : PASTRAMI

18-across – Dutch Redcoat on board : EDAM

20-across – Get Tom’s goat? That’s the last thing one would do! : PUTOUTTHECAT

23-across – A knight, a wife, a dam : KARIBA

24-across – Hawks often here with swan; not a good combination : PENTAGON

25-across – Truth in failing variety clubs : VERACITY

26-across – This angler knew the score : WALTON

2-down – Desperate as a docked donkey : AMOK

3-down – Vicar, say, enjoys living on immoral earnings, say : INCUMBENT

4-down – Periodical too wise, we hear, to admit a nobleman : YEARLY

5-down – Sibling joy: the takeaway fry-up with Ma, Pa and, perhaps, the 10s or the 26s : JUSTONEBIGHAPPY

6-down – Unblended Scotch left in family oven : MALTKILN

7-down – Primitive cry going out for a takeaway : CURRY

8-down – Bog standard TV drama? I wash my hands of it! : TOILETSOAP

12-down – This conception turned out well : IMMACULATE

15-down – China’s Long March? : GREATWALL

16-down – Singers of the lost generation : CASTRATI

19-down – Concede old ledge added now : ACKNOW

21-down – The other sideboard : OUIJA

22-down – Car ferry’s repeated verbal instructions to the galley : RORO