DOUBLE CROSSWORD CRYPTIC CLUES

Across

1 Cathy's cryptic craft (6) 4 Possibly get a gold finish on cake (6) 8 Bloodier less often (5) 9 Line catching stray dog (7)

10 Diffusion of moss is nothing to worry about (7) 11 Bewildered on the water (2,3)

12 Coach trim subtly coloured (9) 17 Splendour of intricate lace with tidy edge (5) 19 Tearing apart, more spicy (7) 21 Sentimental crush around week one (7) 22 Quickly spreading rumours begin when bottled (5) 23 Temperature of the city seen in Sikh headgear (6)

24 Sentimental lady initially held to be careless (6)

Down

1 Returning worry about a plant (6)

2 Back in Bergerac, I'm a recycler of pottery (7) 3 Rubber? Some normality restored! (5) 5 Side by side with a piece of chicken (7) 6 Point to images and long stories (5) 7 Lauren, strangely artificial (6)

9 Try out striker, an international (4,5) 13 Drunk retains drink (7)

14 Tweet Greek character backing happy sound (7) 15 Ornamental drapery from temple? (6) 16 Before recovery, nil by mouth (6) 18 More gloomy cow? (5)

20 New book (5)

QUICK CLUES Across

1 Tall thin tree (6) 4 Became invalid (6) 8 Soft flat hat (5) 9 Blowing (7)

10 Young of a maned animal (4,3) 11 Ringing instruments (5) 12 Willing attribute (9) 17 In golf, two under par (5) 19 Confiscate (7) 21 Relating to external stimulation (7) 22 Private instructor or coach (5)

23 Variety of apple (6)

24 Offspring of two different species (6)

Down

1 Shingly (6) 2 Reception room (7) 3 Roof space (5) 5 Genial (7) 6 Overflow (5)

7 Absorb (6) 9 Advertising (9) 13 Formidable (7)

14 Walk casually (7) 15 Expurgator (6) 16 Venerated (6)

18 Group consisting of closely related species (5) 20 Joanna Lumley's Ab Fab role (5)