Friday 21 August

Across

9 ‘Evil demon vanquished!’ makes sensational reading (4,5) 10 Sporty type beneath the surface, but one who’ll give in? (5) 11 Court award presented in alternative month (7) 12 Astronomer’s western partner, one with a sign (7) 13 Tongue-in-cheek, creep inside (4) 14 Composer of divertimento managed without it (10) 16 Treasure’s almost buried by explosive – touching (7) 17 Artist’s Power Unit and Evian Water (7) 19 Model person appearing in NME, Time Out (10) 22 Child has right to enter club (4) 24 Focused on getting money – shamefaced (7) 25 Deceiver, foreign nobleman, featured in Observer (7) 26 Minister without Portfolio’s capital offence (5) 27 Very hard as level of gratitude abroad reduced? (9)

Down

1 Not much of an experience for the Artemis II crew at the end (1,4,2,3,5) 2 Smiley book’s going up I learn? (8) 3 Insults marrow in seconds (5) 4 Company actor initially wearing plain attire (8) 5 Black, easily portable mould (6) 6 Incline to quash civil act by end of day (9) 7 Valour shown after detonation of part of a plant (6) 8 Tree expert’s concoction of citrus and oil-tar rub (15) 15 It refreshes dictionary’s backing – and work by Bellow (9) 17 Travel on board Chinook, say, seated on foam (8) 18 Buddy possibly needs energy to be put in goal and improved (8) 20 Elected, elevated and taken to party’s heart – then shut out (6) 21 Nice woman gets a daughter into musical? (6) 23 Sing and entertain (5)