CRYPTIC # 24412

ACROSS

1 Diversions resulting from pontoon bridge splitting (4,5) 6 One water-bird on river is mature (5) 9 Child’s mother holding black snake (5) 10 Firm date put out for hostile takeover (4,5) 11 Lived somewhere like Liverpool? (7) 12 Openness of university with positive attitude? Right (7) 13 Flexible in thought, in way that’s enhancing (14) 17 Bad run symptomatic of what makes red cells proliferate? (9,5) 21 Person used to be seen in musical, with a piano backing (4,3) 23 Line in a great novel, unbound (2,5) 25 Hold up popular poet as one favouring wealth redistribution (5,4) 26 Seas are hidden by ’aze, reportedly, in this port (5) 27 Indicate period charm (5) 28 Writer’s depression getting character on to screen (9)

DOWN

1 Squeeze some energy out of host on ship (8) 2 One responsible for capital ancient region raised (5) 3 Sporting achievement in which opponents never regain the lead (5,4) 4 Broken stones gardener put under cover (7) 5 In course taken initially, study very little (7) 6 The thinking man’s sculptor (5) 7 Having nothing, under pressure, book slogger’s put in? (9) 8 Kind mother, so-called (6) 14 Put together a lot of data for pub facility, perhaps (4,5) 15 Try again to meet this person’s request (9) 16 Set of characters female encountered in would-be dominant church (8) 18 State(3,4) of knower, confused about unknown 19 Act like supporters in part of ground not far away (5,2) 20 Sun exposed this high-flier’s mistake (6) 22 Piece of wood, a selection of which is put in box (5) 24 Page three, for example, churchman finally eliminated (5)