PRIZE CROSSWORD

Finnies is an independent family jeweller renowned throughout the north-east of Scotland for commitment to personal service and an underlying love of quality jewellery, watches and gifts.

ACROSS

1 Go on and on about an instrument (4)

3 Bounder – captain of HMS

Bounty takes tailless seabird (8) 9 Engages and listens anew (7) 10 Tests former partner a woman of unknown marital status (5) 11 Black book in auction (5) 12 Doorman, perhaps, losing nothing by chance (6)

14 Hot food not, it’s said (6) 15 Choke regulates itself (6) 18 Texan ad usually includes poetic location (6)

20 Out of practice, so appearing red? (5)

22 Criticise the Spanish board (5) 23 Sovereign, one almost hemmed in by demonstration (7) 25 Waste water system for cultivating gardenia (8) 26 European country lacks one bridge across (4)

DOWN

1 Shade of colour that accompanies cry (3) 2 Excite irritable nun with a patriotic song (4,9)

4 Gloss over problems with Ulster (6) 5 Information about engineers being inexperienced (5) 6 Separate tablets to haul over the coals (4,3,1,5)

7 The others – at ease (4) 8 Article on inflation too (2,4) 11 Large bag for plunder (4) 13 Bank gives heartless response (4)

16 Royal seat is chucked, soundly (6)

17 Stone and barrel overturned to reveal spice (6) 19 Everyone at home very tired (3-2)

21 Beer drunk initially with tablet (4)

24 Bird in the nest (3)