FRIDAY CROSSWORD

ACROSS

10 Author who wrote the classic novel about Black Beauty (6)

11 The world’s most expensive spice (7)

12 A plant with blue starshaped flowers used to garnish Pimm’s Cup (6)

13 Birds flying some 6,000 miles during their annual spring migration from South Africa to Britain before nesting in cowsheds and barns (8)

14 Genre of downtempo instrumental background music played during study, yoga, meditation or relaxation (7)

15 Instrument used in large Edwardian houses to signal transition times of day including dressing, breakfast and dinner (4)

16 Family name of Mary, Queen of Scots whose husband Lord Darnley was implicated in the murder of her private secretary David Rizzio (6)

18 Bridge player sitting to the left of North and partnering West (4)

20 Traditionally stored in a pantry and washed in a scullery, plates, dishes, bowls, teacups and saucers collectively (8)

24 Male of animals including the cow, bison and seal (4)

26 Author of Cranford (7)

27 Former world No. 1 US tennis player whose sporting rivals included Björn Borg (7)

29 — — IV; yacht in which Sir Francis Chichester sailed around the world (5,4)

31 The — Man; children’s novel by former poet laureate Ted Hughes (4)

32 White —; flag flown by Royal Navy ships and the Royal Yacht Squadron (6)

34 From the Greek meaning “ox-driver”, the Herdsman constellation (6)

36 Form of precipitation said to be heralded by the call of the green woodpecker (4)

37 Current television drama by Julian Fellowes which follows the lives of the fictional Trenchard family (9)

40 Customary Indian greeting accompanied by a bow and hands in prayer position (7)

42 Author of A Summer Bird-Cage and The Pure Gold

Baby (7)

44 The official currency of Thailand (4)

45 Centre of a target in shooting or darts, known as a gold in archery (5-3)

46 Horizontal threads passed over and under warp threads to make cloth (4)

47 The hottest of the world’s seven continents (6)

50 Sponge —; baked food used for Victoria sandwiches (4)

52 Disturbances made by a rower’s oar blades pulled through the water (7)

55 Garden building traditionally for cultivating citrus trees and exotic plants (8)

57 Fine-net ground used in lacemaking (6)

58 Ornamental cases for miniature photographs or mementos that are traditionally worn on necklaces (7)

59 — End House; Jacobean property in Essex (6)

DOWN

1 Name for a lapwing or green plover which is onomatopoeic of its call (6)

2 End of a trumpet; inventor of the first practical telephone; or, a stag’s cry (4)

3 Little Women and Little Men author (6)

4 King of Mercia whose boundary dyke is the longest ancient monument in Britain (4)

5 One of the three ABC Islands (5)

6 The forename of Henry VIII’s second wife and also his fourth wife (4)

7 Fence, rails, oxer, hedge

... a jump forming part of a cross-country course, such as any one of those designed by Captain Mark Phillips, for example (8)

8 An adult tadpole (4)

9 The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective —; series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith (6)

11 Seven —; series of chalk cliffs in Sussex (7)

17 Book of maps (5)

19 Wooden garden shelter used for potting up plants (4)

21 Genre of fiction found in novels by Barbara Cartland (7)

22 British peers ranking between viscounts and marquesses (5)

23 The Roman goddess of spring (5)

25 Mythical beast represented among the stars as the constellation Monoceros (7)

26 Activities such as Scrabble, ludo or jacks (5)

28 — rose; designation of a flower bred by David Austin (7) 30 Workshop or studio for lathework (7)

32 The — of the Ninth; novel by

Rosemary Sutcliff (5)

33 Vertebrates depicted in paintings by Jakob Bogdani (5)

35 — Nadu; Indian state (5)

38 A form of fossilised resin which is used as a gem (5)

39 Vessel for flowers and foliage depicted in paintings by Vincent Van Gogh (4)

41 Son of Aeolus (8)

43 Items used to decorate the garb traditionally worn by pearly kings and queens (7)

45 Jacket traditionally woven in the identifying colours of a rowing club or school (6)

47 James Cameron film set in 2154 (6)

48 Trumpet-like instrument played in brass bands (6)

49 Kitchen utensil for flipping a fish in a pan or lifting a piece of cake (5)

51 — Project; environmental complex near St Austell whose biomes house the world’s largest rainforest in captivity (4)

53 Herb related to fennel and celery (4)

54 Traditional straw beehive (4)

56 The —; gallery in a theatre (4)