CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 I hand Pimms out, one in schooner perhaps (10) 6 Hunk’s small short dog (4) 9 English novelist — he sends a

message (7) 10 Deep Purple get a man rocking (7) 12 Business is booming at first

having experienced shock (13) 14 Sea monster covered up

bloomer (6) 15 Blossomed following getting depressed (8) 17 Illegal passenger’s expressions of pain and disgust going into hold (8) 19 Some Caerphilly cheese as

dessert item (6) 22 Labour politician mostly turned

to tackle electoral fraud (6-7) 24 Rich person takes year in

popular holiday area (7) 25 Abraham’s son is married, embraced by Jacob’s wife contrarily (7) 26 In Kent area, see fruit (4) 27 Laughing uncontrollably this

month is irritating (2,8)

DOWN

1 People taking in island air (4) 2 Uncompromising doctor with

cold drinks wine (7) 3 Can holy ritual somehow be producing visions? (13) 4 Stick in front of plane certainly for take-off (6) 5 Officers laid arms all over the place (8) 7 French tongue — clipped or showing listlessness? (7) 8 Bald, racked characters reincarnated in TV comedy (10) 11 I don’t believe you, on top of all the rage, escape punishment (3,4,4,2) 13 Composing bogus poems is a sign one’s scared (5,5) 16 Verbally abused an unpleasant woman (8) 18 Soldiers secure old holiday

resort (7) 20 Wizard boarding school’s not

right having hard bunk (7) 21 A spirit favouring youth (6) 23 A former railway charity (4)

LAST WEEKEND’S SOLUTION: Across: 1 Chamber; 5 Radical; 9 React; 10 Inflation; 11 Abovewater; 12 Scam; 14 Churchwarden; 18 Conglomerate; 21 Dolt; 22 Witchcraft; 25 Mishandle; 26 Latin; 27 Cashier; 28 Turkeys.

Down: 1 Cereal; 2 Amazon; 3 Betterhalf; 4 Raita; 5 Refresher; 6 Dean; 7 Coincide; 8 Liniment; 13 Particular; 15 Remainder; 16 Academic; 17 Analyses; 129 Mantle; 20 Stunts; 23 Cleft; 24 Taxi.