CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Chart leader addressing favourite father? (3,2,3,4) 8 Rows heard before bedtime, perhaps (5) 9 Guts taking on one, a novice, shown by some ex-pats (9) 11 Spare clause of home agreement (6) 12 It’s not optimistic to admit and attend after initial defeat (8) 14 Present arc re-modelled by woodwork specialists (10) 15 Almost lose one’s balance backwards with twists of boat (4) 18 Frozen heroine was lioness (4) 19 “Aloha”, I spin jauntily on Caribbean island (10) 21 Happy to lead student events _ Sunday best (4,4) 23 Deep-rooted as a rule (6) 25 Order coat for disguise in Spanish battle (9) 26 Friend I go to following morning (5) 27 Wail at rate of return with avid attention (4,8)

DOWN 1 Frenzied rush at use of word-book (9) 2 Father’s attempts at baking (8) 3 Be ready to play against strong champion (4) 4 He will see about one diagram of solar signal (10) 5 Write – don’t exactly nag – to Malay state (6) 6 Polite request left out for old pudding (5) 7 I might eat cow prepared with substantial mass (6,6) 10 I entered school assessment of branch with approval (12) 13 Pitch small coin to get vegetable (6,4) 16 One who presents a defence in a dynamic game with nitty-gritty (9) 17 Swamp during international appointment (10) 20 Decree that road in should be rebuilt (6) 22 Clay gets contemporary honour (5) 24 Final letter a person found in divided region (4)