CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Put time off on file, setting a new best performance (5,3,6)

9 Everything’s fine with royal-sounding plant (3-4)

10 Did a prospective groom find new source of funding (7)

11 Records attempts to create wall hangings (10)

12 Eccentric character about to call doctor up (4)

14 Summon me to come back to take my medicine (6)

15 May hear about old ban on growing a hot chilli pepper (8)

17 Left-wing performer adapted text ready for publication (8)

19 Former president announced himself when lieing in wait (6)

22 Produced a drink from honey in the same address (4)

23 Large area central to climate control around a Pole, say (10)

25 Applauded former pupil, at first, for an eggshaped structure (7)

26 Between you and me, etc, needed support for retirement (7)

27 Frequently, in short, hotel door man managed his own large estate (4,2,3,5)

DOWN

1 Organised a publicity campaign for someone, using a loud instrument (4,3,4,3 2 Some pieces left out when the Sun disappears (7)

3 Kelvin had no time to fashion a French loop in embroidery (4-6)

4 He had a lot of time to grow some ivy (6)

5 Did a soldier armed for battle ransack an island? (8)

6 Talk about brisk sale, north of the Border (4) 7 Manage to get down in the valley, creating an old system of land holding (7)

8 Proceed down the aisle to celebrate a match (4,2,3,5)

13 Old sailor going upstream joined the first man to produce a smooth road surface (10)

16 Have to force Ben to produce some salted meat (4-4)

18 Little girl used a long, sweeping upper-cut in an old spinning top game (7)

20 Fabulous creature at university, briefly, expressed surprise, in the end (7)

21 Heard an accountant’s expression of disgust about north African fortress (6)

24 Group was put under an embargo, we’re told (4)