CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Quick! School bell’s ringing, but head’s absent (7)

5. Bear with what speaker holds as representative (7)

9. Abstract artist keeping one in shop (9)

10. Sitcom’s beginning with Nora Batty giving offence (5)

11. It may enable reception venue to accommodate a famous Swiss beauty (9,4)

13. Painter working only in certain colours (8) 15. Vintage year following fine footballer (6)

17. Odd bits of tissue and loo roll get cleaned out (2,4)

19. One suppressing inconvenient report on firing? (8)

22. Be impatient winner: rather gripping series of races against that fellow (5,2,3,3)

25. Pound making comeback cheers nation (5)

26. Astonished group of rugby players led by a point (9)

27. Church put out over replacing Conservative member of flock? (7) 28. Buzz around there, regularly going back for honey (7)

DOWN 1. Average doubled in this manner (2-2)

2. Tittle-tattle from exgrass, perhaps, drawing in listeners (7)

3. Order some sweet cider from the south (5)

4. One letting Desperate Dan dally (8)

5. Can defending holder of the Ashes retire? (4,2) 6. Fairly horrible smell mostly trailing behind stinker, say (2,1,6)

7. Puzzle from the setter’s pen, provided within (7) 8. Study chapter one on class resembling scallops? (10)

12. Wanting an actor, magic in plays, showing dramatic range (10)

14. I go around a hospital to set up feeding tubes (9) 16. Greeting appropriate over the telephone in the main (4,4)

18. Script read with feeling (7)

20. Item worn with cape at clubs, say (7)

21. House opening around 4th of January (6)

23 Black articles in wash (5) 24. A brief sort of a piece (4)