THE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Spring tide say (5) 8 Spring maintained in good order (4,4) 9 Stone made entrance (5) 10 Storage place for a trophy near the table (8) 11 At home help is given back to the country (5) 12 Deep black stream (3) 16 Complaint about Ma’s hat (6) 17 Dead or possibly worshipped (6) 18 Be sociable and create a stir (3) 23 Admit pound note is forged (3,2) 24 Shanties add spice to Gilbert and Sullivan (3,5) 25 Flat country lacking beauty (5) 26 New form of travel in space (8) 27 Solid in form, they may have fragile footing (5)

DOWN

2 Trio sang composition of this musician (8) 3 Left in error? (3,5) 4 Read through and turn to account (6) 5 All countries appear bent on it (5) 6 Don’t allow an untidy beard (5) 7 Room for some learning (5) 12 Preserve congestion (3) 13 It has to be paid when I leave the cab (3) 14 The mannequin went ahead and posed (8) 15 Something to remind one in passing (8) 19 Dressed up and ready to go? (2,4) 20 Moving out of bed (5) 21 It may be called for as the situation changes (5) 22 Meals provided for the directors (5)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Noble (5) 8 Very quickly (2,2,4) 9 A citrus fruit (5) 10 Those lacking material wealth (4-4) 11 Essential to existence (5) 12 Rocket-launching platform (3) 16 Harsh (6) 17 Very young child (6) 18 Strike lightly (3) 23 Plausible line of talk (5) 24 Be valid (4,4) 25 Storehouse (5) 26 Commonly said to be (2-6) 27 Willing (5)

DOWN

2 Partial (3-5) 3 Hypocritical (3-5) 4 Capital of Turkey (6) 5 Group of witches (5) 6 Buffalo (5) 7 Smallest (5) 12 Peevish fit (3) 13 A hollow (3) 14 Consistent (2,1,5) 15 Publicly known (2,6) 19 Much loved (6) 20 Stage in development (5) 21 Courageous spirit (5) 22 Supple and quick-moving (5)