| Clues across |
| 1 | Member of royal bodyguard is cultured sort of chap with a smart restyling (9,2,4) |
| 9 | Agile doctor in middle of African river (6) |
| 10 | Putting off a Turkish ruler with broken cane (8) |
| 11 | Wrote poem again – went backwards! (8) |
| 12 | Give cry of pain when bright colour appears (6) |
| 13 | Most of coinage held by Officer Commanding Europe, initially – what a happening! (10) |
| 16 | Ward off a tie (4) |
| 17 | Novel taken from item Martha wrote (4) |
| 19 | Too many to count without anaesthetic? (10) |
| 22 | I? A snob? Looking back, one sees stunted growth (6) |
| 23 | Drives fast, providing evidence of overheating (8) |
| 26 | Fifty-one penguins (losing two leaders without tail), one making pasta! (8) |
| 27 | Fish swallows first of rainwater in ditch (6) |
| 28 | In adding “Write your name if I’m unable”, let your initials be without appreciable effect (15) |
|
| Clues down |
| 2 | Send abroad – to one-time French island? (5) |
| 3 | Dramatic situation occurs when gold is placed under board (7) |
| 4 | Strange odds (5) |
| 5 | Give up when a group’s at work (7) |
| 6 | Gas? Wipe eye clean with tissue, initially (9) |
| 7 | Answered the purpose, seeing lava die out (7) |
| 8 | These measure very low pressure when artist turns up covered in bacteria, losing energy (9) |
| 14 | Communist briefly sits on proposition, causing a riot (9) |
| 15 | Performance ends in riot, perhaps after omitting first of solos (9) |
| 18 | Fool, for instance, has super weapon (7) |
| 20 | Dog makes mother rigid (7) |
| 21 | Reading desk etc turning up in the French senior service (7) |
| 24 | Scotsman leaves eye specialist and is put to work behind bar (5) |
| 25 | Fifty submerged by river – which has already engulfed a hundred – do better (5) |
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