CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

8. An example of the position one adopts at home to start with (8)

9. Where it begins with gold, one is given spirit (6)

10. Superb timing France has no right to achieve (11)

11. Time for instance to have a setback (3)

13. Melts with lights off as liquefaction starts (5)

15. He’s mad to join demo and give her a whirl (5,4)

17. Scattered here and there, is quite finished with the fish one left (3,4,3,5)

19. It’s just one redcap at rail disaster (9)

21. Some snooker will put one in the picture? The reverse! (5)

23. Free end of flag from tent door (3)

24. The hour of execution, and one is wasting it! (7,4)

27. Record goes haywire, and that’s the absolute truth (6)

28. Rousing call always brought back the sick heading east (8)

DOWN

1. Unless halved, it’s very bad to be illicit (8)

2. Stupefy one in a most unusual way (4)

3. Tobacco product a heel-tap provides (5)

4. They suited people with the material they provided (8,7)

5. State the East cited one less way to be put through (9)

6. Village community will get 11 if it’s an illusion (3)

7. Feel grief perhaps about end of prohibition (6)

12. One’s irascibility at finding a gap in credit (6) l4. Alarm created about circle outside ethical conduct (6)

16. Chamber of the heart suffering recent, almost vile upheaval (9)

18. Bitter tonic that might come with the mail (8)

20. Plant everybody will cut round (6)

22. ‘Not being Fortune, he’s but Fortune’s ____’ (Antony & Cleopatra) (5)

25. To the Roman it can be hard work (4)

26. Secretly ascertain odds at the off before end of May (3)