CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Quaint view of the East as something from the past (7) 5. With the first anthem one may have torn it (7)

9. Food, never drop of which can be mixed (9)

10. Plain clothes for serviceman must half fit, sort of (5) 11. One could make a purée for what one spends in India (5) 12. May be brave in skating venue on Thamesside, say (9) 13. Property builder may be of use in the darkroom (9) 16. How to clip sheep, or perhaps hares (5)

17. Turns towards the dials (5)

18. Forthright way to sing about rent first (9)

20. One living close could be in rough, somehow (9) 23. Fairylike it may be, if Len composed it (5)

25. Part of the record of a sort of athletic event (5) 26. Degrees east or west used, until Doge sorted it out (9) 27. A small jug handled with care put me right (7) 28. Being easygoing, allow nine to get free inside (7)

DOWN

1. Strove for higher things, out of despair (7) 2. Some soldiers who will show colour (5) 3. Might sell queen some forcemeat dumplings (9) 4. Duck down on the bed (5) 5. Going backwards, never rise out of it (2,7) 6. It tells one how long it might take to acquire merit (5) 7. Not being shot, doesn’t appear in the viewfinder (3,6)

8. One putting his mind to a sculpture of Rodin’s (7) 14. Give one an inoculation of carbon in, and leave the outside (9) 15. Like a kettle, author produces it to keep going (3-6) 16. A confidence one takes on, it being produced by a gland (9) 17. He’s excessively enthusiastic, in fact a variant (7) 19. A touching line from a Tibetan gentleman (7) 21. It’s all right to hum about, but it’s rubbish (5) 22. Learn about something of that kidney (5) 24. Wind instrument one can make groovy (5)