CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1,19 Early bird! (2,2,3,5,2,4) 9 Initial delivery (5,4) 10 Fall in energy clearly material (5) 11 Portion, or slice? (6) 12 Cavers head south-east, looking for natural feature (8) 13 It goes with a big-head? (6) 14 Look at mural – it’s all about philanthropy (8) 17 See 6dn 19 See 1ac 21 Men with energy, tent building (8) 23 Take in grip .., (6) 25 Head and shoulders above cap? (5) 26 Recoil from finding me in a boat? (9) 27 I left him to work with Anglo-Norse docker (12)

DOWN

2 Identify viewer via precise operation (9) 3 Bits and pieces? (7) 4 Kick a horny bit (4) 5 Buttons and brakes? (8) 6,17ac Not making sense (3,4,3,5) 7 Sing an important piece to royalty (5) 8 Note – in real time it’s long-winded (12) 9 Enter into a Male/Female arrangement following process of breakdown (12) 15 Endlessly romantic articles about lovers (9) 16 Outrages upset sad clans (7) 18 Make fun of man in pool (7) 20 Feverish belief in rebel leader (7) 22 Italian team lost in South Africa (5) 24 Having one party after another? Entirely obsolete (4)

ORRAMAN