CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 For second time arranges places to stay (7) 5 Remove customs duties (6) 9 Reverse a circuit, very nearly causing trouble (7) 10 Trees in the form of whips (7) 11 Healer, old resident in Washington (3) 12 Boston celeb demolished feature of old street (11) 13 Pulls hairy bovines around close to town (5) 14 Shouts to Royal Marines to get a cold shower (9) 16 Scandium for one is hard to find where we live (4,5) 17 Make adjustments to group of technical terms (5) 19 Firm to bring out of Spain crude source of vitamins (3-5,3) 22 Strange old Democrat hoards diamonds (3) 23 Decoration that’s cut out annoyed clients (7) 24 Journal not available covering old Italian city (7) 26 Big bird’s big victim (6) 27 US painter forgets his last pipe (7)

DOWN

1 After start of round I’d play ridiculously fast (7) 2 Fabulous character wears perfume and blusher? Such vanity! (4-11) 3 Culture vulture defends minister (3) 4 Get rid of undergrowth (5) 5 Hell is working under English doctor Grace (9) 6 A lot of soldiers and police surround radical (5) 7 Faculty of Philosophy — or its collective beliefs? (6,2,7) 8 Admire European sporting events on reflection (6) 12 Class actors rehearse finally (5) 14 Tomfoolery in ‘Equus’? (9) 15 Delay stumped everyone (5) 16 Break in proceedings dealing with tax (6) 18 Bureaucracy reached a point when parts are swapped (3,4) 20 Experience ruin frantically touring clubs (5) 21 Old Bob goes round unknown isolated bend in river (5) 25 Some people investigate European currency (3)

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