CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Amassing hemp to be woven using various ruses (12) 8 Silly moo interrupts silly hymn — or him, for example (7) 9 Government submarine guards new armed vessel (7) 11 One records decorated

partition in church (4,6) 12 Queen of Carthage

achieved nothing (4) 14 On which babies move entirely for us, unsteadily (3,5) 16 Uproar after microphone shortened operetta (6) 17 Botham regularly showed some resistance (3) 19 Ham and eggs inspire Italian composer briefly (6) 21 Low reef upset night

spent sailing (8) 24 Wild revelry or

extremes of gluttony (4) 25 Chef Ben ran complex

vegetable plant (6,4) 27 Grand Hotel in solver’s town initially serves dessert (7) 28 Tweets about hot feelings of excitement (7) 29 Ditsy Daisy is corny —

it’s one of her quirks (12)

DOWN

1 Oral complaint? Stick on black greasy stuff (7) 2 Blue-purple flowers — they hide tonsures perhaps (10) 3 A few soldiers come over carrying British hat (8) 4 He slings his hook right below corner (6) 5 Transmit essence of message to finish (4) 6 James visits Iowa, terrible scene of battle (3,4) 7 Chemist’s course sounds like one for agri-environmentalist? (12) 10 Ring in via Cape, showing care and attention (12) 13 Disease — PhD worked with it, I hear (10) 15 Modest throw (3) 18 Alluring trap among conjuring tricks (8) 20 Tied up Old English first (7) 22 If possible, I had everything in extremely early (7) 23 On the wagon in 24, unfortunately feeling ill (6) 26 Old ground accommodates university game (4)