CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Support the established order of things. It’s deeply ingrained (6,6)

9 Rumours about an old man are quite disgusting (7)

10 Hide some confidential matters, at the end (7)

11 In addition, left behind with a working instrument (4)

12 It’s quite clever to use a small trading centre (5)

13 A travelling minstrel was shut out, it’s said (4)

16 Did one help an accomplice to take a chance? (7)

17 Laconic characters had a box brownie. That’s not on (7)

18 Thinks something is about to happen, and looks forward to it (7)

21 Testified that one sets out to follow a roadrace (7)

23 Is it clever to reduce everything from the beginning? (4)

24 Did a common person, by the end, find a place to stay? (5)

25 Starting off right on top again on the roster (4) 28 Consolidated small place of learning where one dined out with one (7)

29 In France, there’s no surplus, so there is no more to be said (7)

30 Face the Opposition from the government benches (3,5,4)

DOWN

2 Short summary needed to record one large book (7)

3 It’s an honour to get old instrument (4) 4 Was a reader, about to embrace a maiden, a visionary? (7)

5 Takes in some sailors on circular orbits without it (7)

6 Some early uncouth characters are rather strange (4)

7 The Spanish, for example, had one of 27 down refined (7)

8 Need to change one’s behaviour to repair the local roads (4,4,4) 9 Something’s missing here (3,4,1,4) 14 Having to log a post is on the cards (5) 15 Players, at some stage, by the end, had found their place in society (5) 19 A country-loving Irishman had a great success (7) 20 Advance, in short, to change the text on paper (7)

21 Go slow with one of 27 down, at the end (7) 22 Odds on getting drunk would be corrupted (7)

26 Arrange a small body of soldiers in an orderly way (4)

27 Place some hard workers in pleasant surroundings (4)