CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Persuade civil engineer to go after trick with French wine (8) 5 Performance with four initial elements is ongoing (6) 9 Server may re-assign male gender, we hear (5,3) 10 Deflect plunge to the right (6) 12 Tags, ie constructs labels favouring the young, perhaps (6) 13 Stain spreading on shiny material (5) 16 Rustle possibly achieves effect (6) 17 Second relic part of stationary saint’s organ (8) 20 Gave member an adaptation of film (8) 21 Gently press in a bloom (6) 23 Increase pace with favourite on horse (3,2) 25 Disinclined to enter church to enrobe (6) 28 Sewer provides alternative to follow (6) 29 Have right to speak about an artist bidding goodbye in Japanese (8) 30 Transfer strong feeling that I have deserted (4,2) 31 Repent agonisingly being part of US HQ (8)

DOWN

1 To bow and scrape endlessly may stick in one’s throat (4) 2 Record absence of empty table (4) 3 Irish career soldier is out of order (9) 4 Feature included work by French composer (6) 6 Pieces of film about boundless astronomical event (5) 7 Miner exits sadly at the point of death (2,8) 8 Heat a stone in conflagration – do the impossible! (3,4,3) 11 Remain? Take run and wander off (5) 14 Going back to the start where the highest orders are issued (4,3,3) 15 Exercises performed by time I cross playground (10) 18 Train sprinter for big screw (5,4) 19 Original nuts put in fire provided food to go (5) 22 This delicate material can give comfort (6) 24 Brief publicity for concert comes to nothing (5) 26 Sharp anguish – you’ll find it inside (4) 27 Flat green delicate material (4)