DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES Across

1 Current company on road to agreement (6)

5 Daring display to astonish town (5)

9 Sound system not starting will irritate (5)

10 Reserves fuel in layer below (7)

11 Hot spot in Provence (4)

12 Alongside note, crimson faded (8)

16 Aggressive teller being difficult (11)

18 Official notification that the gun is loaded (8)

21 Enclosures for writers (4)

23 Withdraw from contest with slight injury (7)

24 Tune I arranged to bring people together (5)

25 Look at pair involved in shopping trip (5)

26 Plan putting GIs up in den (6)

Down

2 Fish caught on, eg reel perhaps (6,3)

3 Stone creature outside New York (4)

4 Made out to be famous (13)

6 Experience the dissolution of state (5)

7 One caught in part of church, being inexperienced (5)

8 Put restriction on nobleman (5)

13 In this position, the woman’s English (4)

14 Providing a coat on plaster (9)

15 Depressed Oxbridge sportsman? (4)

17 Headless hound, a useful thing (5)

19 Take the lid off a French hat (5)

20 Landlord’s beginning to reduce rent (5)

22 Realise sometimes umbrellas sell singly, initially (4)

QUICK CLUES Across

1 ___ con carne, spiced dish (6)

5 Wager money (5)

9 Lift up from above (5)

10 Sacred, hallowed (7)

11 Metal corrosion (4)

12 Perfect place (8)

16 Compassionate (11)

18 Expecting a baby (8)

21 Surety money (4)

23 Rice-based dish (7)

24 Extraterrestrial (5)

25 Domineering (5)

26 Nun’s title (6)

Down

2 Coiffure (9)

3 Disinclined (4)

4 Done in the blink of an eye (13)

6 Slightly tinted (5)

7 Leg parts with ‘caps’ (5)

8 Land along the edge of the sea (5)

13 Acme (4)

14 Simulated (9)

15 Distance between wing tips (4)

17 Window shade (5)

19 Large African mammal (5)

20 Offensive, disgusting (5)

22 God of war in Roman mythology (4)