| Clues across |
| 1 | Mothers go around America (east) to see repositories of curiosities (7) |
| 5 | Hit back at fat duck (7) |
| 9 | Restraint, we hear, applied to period of monarch’s time in office (5) |
| 10 | On which one may write a musical score? (9) |
| 11 | Enormous distance covered in unimportant twelve months (5-4) |
| 12 | Tender to run backwards towards Kent (5) |
| 13 | Parent loses head – that’s different! (5) |
| 15 | Marks scale and gets degree (9) |
| 17 | Fellow leading steer to opening of gala is fond of wild flowers (9) |
| 18 | Ventured to change 23 (5) |
| 20 | Near beginning of total darkness (5) |
| 22 | Elements mixed in misted urn (9) |
| 25 | Can table hold one singing? (9) |
| 26 | King with bird makes guttural sound (5) |
| 27 | We hear you will keep a diary of events to be seen at Christmas (4,3) |
| 28 | Unsteady, keeping dry round unusual start to Easter (7) |
|
| Clues down |
| 1 | This variety of cherry is mellow, we’re told, with gold inside (7) |
| 2 | Suffer ultimate penalty for playing this music? (5) |
| 3 | U-turn? Alan? That’s abnormal! (9) |
| 4 | Error, for example, turns up causing scorch (5) |
| 5 | Vehicles (alternative vehicles) undergoing MOT (5,4) |
| 6 | Flower: some to pull up in autumn (5) |
| 7 | Like Long John Silver, mostly, or a sucker in the laboratory (9) |
| 8 | Vessel found in lair on first of September tends to go black (7) |
| 14 | Lax hag – one could be much more than two-faced! (9) |
| 15 | Going to hold early adventure-story writer, mostly in control, . . . (9) |
| 16 | . . . peacekeepers sit on mother (elderly) – not harmed (9) |
| 17 | Choosy if turning up to steal unknown quantity (7) |
| 19 | Show girl’s drama (7) |
| 21 | Walter, losing first of events, goes off to fish (5) |
| 23 | Fear to change 18 (5) |
| 24 | Loop – or two loops held by three bridge-players (5) |
|
