CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Involved ale in number of changes that can’t be counted

(11)

8. A giant bird with an additional part (5)

9. Although almost unnecessary, they have their point (7)

10. It is a setback that’s concerned with poetic writing (7)

11. With no starter to main meal, it’s still on-target (5)

12. Girl I’m returning service book to (6)

14. They are extortioners and voracious, in the main (6)

18. Billy, about fifty, will look wickedly exultant (5)

19. Man with a dog could land in her embrace (7)

21. Bob errs about them being criminals (7)

23. Don’t take a service vacation (5)

24. Minds recent development with which one discriminates (11)

DOWN

1. There’s an intervening period of merit in adapting to it

(7)

2. Going around in a vest, as those born to the place (7)

3. One not old enough for a musical sort of key (5)

4. Sort of bean for an athlete (6)

5. Limb he’s broken shows a flaw (7)

6. A fish starts eyeing every lure (3)

7. He hoards a well-boring instrument (5)

13. Can there be no painting without guile? (7)

15. Let go of the film for public viewing (7)

16. Something that crawls could be present (7)

17. How pure cheats are turned out (6)

18. Rig up the uncompleted belly-band (5)

20. Yarn only the North can produce (5)

22. A rudimentary shoot is indubitably held up (3) SATURDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: 1. French Riviera 9. Rusticate 10. Dosed 11. Users

12. Innocence 13. Abnegate 15. Silent 18. Endive

20. Magellan 23. Limericks 24. Pasta 25. Dunce

26. Archangel 27. Costermongers

Down: 1. Formulate 2. Epstein 3. Chips 4. Realists 5. Vienna

6. Endocrine 7. Absence 8. Ladle 14. Governess 16. Tentacles

17. Capsicum 19. Demonic 21. Lasagne 22. Octave 23. Loden

24. Plain