BARE BONES

Complete the grid – numbers and squares. We have inserted four black squares and four clue numbers to get you going. The crossword has a four-way symmetry: both top and bottom and left and right match, so you can fill in 12 more squares straight away. Answer next week.

Across

7 Furnish your and my thoroughness 8 Musical party style 11 Firm custom to live together 12 Controversial European rationale 13 Question the method? 15 Youngster clambering around

16 Joins a religious man and a saint 18 Making a departure during coffee

21 Bagging hamster with a cloth

22 A match for the devil 23 Needlework points to part of manor 24 Concerning sound in reverse

Down

1 Side objected, being sensible (Two words, hyphenated)

2 Search heart of Toronto for jazz band

3 What managed to contain resistance to anger?

4 Article has registered with cast

5 Animal is found in good French surrounding 6 Give up and confess to achievement, following notes (Two words) 9 Terribly cool, heartless chap follows energy and science

10 Criticise church by noon? Certainly

14 Fool removes first slice of bread

17 Rich performance includes old singers 18 Last letter reversed time, doctor

19 Plants gold in

Alf’s design

20 Last of distributors manage range