DOUBLE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Plainly express rail traffic’s behind time without one (9) 6 Takes off very loud entry into parties (5)

9 Politician at the heart of the Spanish man (7)

10 Bucks party or show (7) 11 Chameleon dropped each large piece of fruit (5) 12 Pitiful rags torn by meatheaded bully (9) 14 School caterer folds before spring (4,4)

16 Guide to heavy metal (4) 19 Publicity for some touchy personalities (4)

20 Fit cutback in ethical restructuring (8)

23 New arrival swallowing what’s left of the fig? (9) 24 Souvenir in order to hold in the fingers (5)

26 One man’s attempt to keep love in the past (7) 27 Title given to a railhead in working model (7) 28 Recoil from using can opener to pierce vintage (5) 29 Shop in devastated ruins of Japan (6,3)

DOWN

1 Work over suitable partners for internationals (4,7)

2 Cancel every year, except for the first of August (5) 3 Saint held a corrupt saint was a saint’s enemy (8) 4 Chafing when a piece of underwear is on wrong (8) 5 Former British state had representative in Ireland (6) 6 Made grid an inventive game (6)

7 Unshakable last word went back to Heaven (9) 8 Too timid for a fling (3) 13 Doctor sports denim around the theatre (8,3) 15 Polish or Caspian fancy dress (9)

17 Naked celebrities include the king and queen (8) 18 Misusing inflator as flattening tool (4,4)

21 Acting, at first, violently enamoured (2,4) 22 Sportsman in cup final film (6)

25 Turned over turf with British acclaim (5)

26 Who goes out? By what means? (3)

Yesterday’s solutions: Across:

1 Country bumpkin. 10 Aloft. 11 Plastered. 12 Instigated. 13 Rove. 15 Homage. 16 Reverend. 19 Defrayal. 21 Limpet. 24 Sway.

25 Ground down. 27 In the pink. 28 Cleft. 29 Fortune-telling.

Down: 2 Opossum. 3 Nottingham. 4 Repeat. 5 Bracelet. 6 Mete. 7 Karaoke. 8 Nudge. 9 Banished. 14 Periodical. 17 Detonate. 18 Hairline. 20 Flatter. 22 Protein. 23 Buckle. 24 Stiff. 26 Menu.