CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Georgia manipulating whisk is clumsy (7) 5 Engineer was busy overlooking second pedestrian tunnel (6) 9 Top Dane mislaid thing for jotting (7) 10 Chance shortly in renovated cafe to see small boat (7) 11 Leaders in hospital undergoing briefing in centre of operations (3) 12 Asian is not troubled about end of meeting or rendezvous (11) 13 Some demote this short piece of sacred music (5) 14 Bill’s partner grabs a fine seat prepared for a jollification (9) 16 A French duke twice imbibing English drink shortly in an uncertain state? (9) 17 Start to budge connection showing momentary gleam of light (5) 19 I recite fact that’s represented in official document (11) 22 A container emptied? That’s fitting (3) 23 Like a TV performer, say, suffering difficulty? (2,1,4) 24 Waiting for evensong, maybe (7) 26 Group with day gone going round shack in Asian country (6) 27 Greek character in poor state has bacterial disease (7)
DOWN
1 Lightweight cloth, element in hanging hammock (7) 2 Comic introducing that barb he’d devised about European excitedly (4,5,6) 3 Weak sort not with young troublemaker (3) 4 Conceals skins (5) 5 A rug fades badly? Here’s protection (9) 6 A piece of stone held up in wood (5) 7 Italian comic sat fidgeting making adjustment (15) 8 Money a gent diverted into attractive bar? (6) 12 Halt at pitch regularly to see top part of building (5) 14 Terrible male taking lively interest in new racket sport (9) 15 Fellow on Mediterranean island turning up in short story (5) 16 Release for all to see new piece of footage (6) 18 Christopher, figure with small young cats (7) 20 Popular place for data (5) 21 A ship left at intervals? That’s an advantage (5) 25 Midlands county not secure for long, deep track (3)