Monday 19 October

Across

1 Finish brilliantly in two languages (6-6) 9 A national symbol came into being (5) 10 Model car, a true sport (9) 11 Country hotel, so fashionable (7) 12 Getting better, we’re told, in hooker’s job (7) 13 Damning evidence of bad habit: one’s shot (7,3) 15 An indistinct band? (4) 18 Large dog returning, holding this in mouth? (4) 19 Be given a red card? Show mercy (4,1,5) 22 Realist waving flag (7) 24 As written, I must be punishable by death (7) 25 Witty person alert for cheat (4,5) 26 Conscious of a solemn vigil (5) 27 Flashers risk lenient sentence at first (6,6)

Down

1 Pays for device to make leg-rest (9) 2 Blue blanket: current charge may follow this, very exciting (8) 3 Small role, but was offered Oscar (5) 4 Cooped up at home, a luxurious one (9) 5 Child finishing their time at school, no friend of EU (6) 6 Middle Easterner first to suffer actual unpleasantness dating Iraqi (5) 7 Anecdotes about British places to eat (6) 8 They say he can’t choose protein in pub (6) 14 The King’s home, elegance over acres (9) 16 Always set off, at any rate (9) 17 Party manager to bind up neck injury (8) 18 Fundamental principles I start to challenge in low voice (6) 20 Shoot ploughman (6) 21 Celebration: is it safe to dance? (6) 23 Grub, a scoop from popular vanilla (5) 24 Cold spring month, almost all in upmarket resort (5)