cryptic crossword

ACROSS

1 Crucial – and Kitty has the last word, with story unfinished (11)

9 Tasteful number without a

name? (9)

10 Some drinks and a single

shot (5)

11 Brown backed first person in

such a colony (6)

12 Weather when fish will take

line and bite? (4,4)

13 Tried very hard to wander, by

the way (6)

15 Neat sign designed for

perennials (8)

18 Careless mistake with

wearing shoes (8)

19 Praises army officers after cut

back (6)

21 Fail to be moved, finding

means of salvation (8)

23 Suffering at home, with

company (6)

26 Finally docked to get a book

of charts (5)

27 Suggests prisoners should

swallow note (9)

28 Bar in Cricket Club records

intellectual (6,5)

DOWN

1 Shows off apartments

housing a Parisian (7)

2 Detected rising attitudes one

shows (5)

3 Tacky substances he’s found

in adult nightclubs (9)

4 Warms up, removing top for

food (4)

5 Idle as credit gone (4,4)

6 Tempted, but left university

looking embarrassed (5)

7 Dictionary (American) incorporating one page for this complex character (7)

8 Go off with dog and escape

(4,4)

14 Weather that sees artist in

decline (8)

16 The sort of grouping that’s not expensive, with duty to replace European Commission (9)

17 Bad, if one turns out to be

genuine (4,4)

18 Insult a naturopath, pinching

eastern leader’s wife (7)

20 Greek island area with small

pastries (7)

22 Fundamental degree

(intentionally so) (5)

24 Opening bars – popular with

half of troops (5)

25 Infection prominent during

past years (4)