DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC ACROSS

1 Light shade of broken

plates (6)

5 Ringleader leaves crowd

leather strip (5)

9 Appellations from

Vietnam, especially (5)

10 Gate I’ll remove during

ploughing (7)

11 Went on horseback or

used oars, we hear (4)

12 Pay attention and accept

the money (4,4)

16 Show of effort appears joint for country, it’s said (5,6)

18 Text company to store

cold wine (8)

21 Existence is a bit dull

if editor! (4)

23 Awful son leaves pit to hit

back (7)

24 Belittle a foundation (5)

25 Relating to the city, going

back and forth (5)

26 Agreeable chaps are

second in country (3-3)

QUICK ACROSS

1 Put in an appearance (4,2)

5 Tale, yarn (5)

9 Card game (5)

10 Utter fluently (4,3)

11 Wedding attendant (4)

12 Send to ___, ostracise (8)

16 Monarch’s relatives (5,6)

18 Absurdity (8)

21 Short gaiter (4)

23 Bath with a whirlpool effect (7)

24 Surrounded by (5)

25 Boat, vessel (5)

26 Sibling’s son (6)

DOWN

2 Animal to maybe roam

round a herb (9)

3 Leaders of the organisation spout hopeless twaddle (4)

4 Rolled cigar fatally wrapped with no energy (13)

6 Girl to assist, mostly,

in French (5)

7 Hear nobleman when

we sleep (5)

8 Inactive nitre

compound (5)

13 Seeing things (4)

14 Pig-headed botanist

takes last of rose (9)

15 Mislay battered sole (4)

17 Gave way, like a Wimbledon favourite, it’s said (5)

19 Israeli teacher to talk

a lot, mostly (5)

20 Japanese dish somewhat

excites us, highly (5)

22 Vermin visible when sun

returns (4)

DOWN

2 Local (4-5)

3 Procedures (4)

4 By rote (6-7)

6 Eagle’s hooked claw (5)

7 Apply (to) (5)

8 Thin French pancake often folded around a filling (5)

13 ___ Barton, EastEnders

actress (4)

14 Call, ring (9)

15 Man or boy (4)

17 Theatrical platform (5)

19 Now broadcasting (2,3)

20 Sneeze-inducing

substance (5)

22 Angel’s string

instrument (4)