WEEKEND CROSSWORD

Dear Reader,

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic we are suspending competition entries for all our prize crosswords.

Puzzles will continue to appear as normal but no entries will be accepted or prizes given.

We hope to return to normal as soon as possible.

The solution to this week’s cryptic crossword will appear next Saturday as usual.

Stay safe!

Neil Mcintosh, Editor

Across

1 Operations that are only skin-deep

(8,7)

9 Norma made other notes (9)

10 Stop US money order (5)

11 Organised Church Farm (5)

12 No coal tar removed from part of

tooth (4,5)

13 Make a clean cancellation (5)

15 Senior female finds most of

threesome in parade (9)

17 You strayed badly in the recent

past (9)

19 Forgave Louis including small

hammer (5)

21 China April once smashed (9)

23 One not yet in the majority (5)

24 Left circular container for the cloth

(5)

25 Beastly flower? (5,4)

26 Not above enjoying special

advantages when deprived (15) 1 Cry shame, a movement when not

willing to be shot (6-3)

2 Half rushed over to study group (7) 3 Terminal’s high cost (5)

4 In a sound part of target (5)

5 Notice said notability is able to

endure stormy weather (9)

6 Going for another ride using same

materials again (9)

7 Lady had one real transformation (7) 8 Burden put on line for bumpkin (5) 14 Third little piggy not a vegetarian

(9)

15 Character who had a price on his

head (3,6)

16 Had a break, idle day, oh, fantastic

(9)

18 Diverts going round having

struggled (7)

20 Obscuring valley, we hear, in middle

of night (7)

21 Spicy dish in shop I laughed at (5) 22 Avenger loses a right travelling

round semi-desert area (5)

23 In fresco Ralph included rocks

under water (5)