1-across – Spin on error at 17 or 20? I prepare tall story, if stitch fails badly : ITISALL

5-across – Ticked off time after time during retirement? : BERATED

9-across – Poor creature heard on the Melton Mowbray trail? : PIDOG

10-across – Royal Harry, eh? Abdicating for excessively good return from capital : PRINCIPAL

11-across – United teaming commander, sergeant and injured outside right : CONCORDANT

12-across – Dream up? : STAR

14-across – See 1 : PARTOFLIFES

18-across – Reassure cup contenders: no point going in for this treatment : ACUPRESSURE

21-across – Even characters in Centauri make the case : ETUI

22-across – Gulf’s found here in space, sailor having one solution : ARABIANSEA

25-across – Bad Samaritan losing right to name this devil : TASMANIAN

26-across – Heron flew from Robin Hill in dire need : IRENE

27-across – That old work’s conclusion: Queens is in New York! : YONKERS

28-across – So might the Chancellor open with a kiss : OVERTAX

1-down – Adman’s effect a smash hit? : IMPACT

2-down – Typing order to move from the sidelines : INDENT

3-down – Plant requiring some paring : ANGIOSPERM

4-down – The cheek! Psyche has stored fat! : LIPID

5-down – King of Ireland’s brother, a Scot born with our failing : BRIANBORU

6-down – See 1 across : RICH

7-down – Having inside information on the employees, one takes prisoners : TIPSTAFF

8-down – Three ducks! Lords playing so sadly : DOLOROSO

13-down – This is sick! Ali G’s performing among Europeans! Ban it! : ILLEGALISE

15-down – Tones down on music : RESTRAINS

16-down – See 1 across : TAPESTRY

17-down – 16 from here to the French Kiss, then forward! : AUBUSSON

19-down – Claim what the tipster offers verbally : ASSERT

20-down – B-Bardot’s eyes encompassing a 16 here : BAYEUX

23-down – Instrument to uphold the Simpson arrest : BANJO

24-down – See 12 : GAZE

8-across – : LETALONE

9-across – : ALIENA

10-across – : XRAY

11-across – : WASHINGTON

12-across – : TRUMAN

14-across – : FOURBALL

15-across – : KENNEDY

17-across – : CLINTON

20-across – : QUEENBEE

22-across – : JESTER

23-across – : EISENHOWER

24-across – : BUSH

25-across – : NORDIC

26-across – : YEOMANRY

1-down – : PEARTREE

2-down – : ZANY

3-down – : GODWIN

4-down – : VERSIFY

5-down – : HABITUAL

6-down – : RIDGEBONES

7-down – : INFOAL

13-down – : MONTEVERDI

16-down – : DABCHICK

18-down – : OPENSORE

19-down – : SEAWAYS

21-down – : UNISON

22-down – : JARGON

24-down – : BEAT

1-across – See 26 : OPENING

5-across – About to leave French city, one originally providing base : IGNOBLE

10-across – A talk at university? Smart chap cuts the second half : ALEC

11-across – Very hard worker in a pit given notice first : ADAMANTINE

12-across – See 6 : GREENE

13-across – Chemicals found in regions? Not initially, man admitted : REAGENTS

14-across – See 26 : ESSENTIAL

16-across – It’s like an American to give up – English will get stuck in! : QUIET

17-across – Tender chest though cold has been shifted : OFFER

19-across – See 26 : SENTENCES

23-across – One abstaining may find Cheers! inappropriate, we gathered : ESCHEWER

24-across – Declare 50 on in game with Nos 1 and 3 out : ALLEGE

26-across – See pained 12 halt – discontentedness possibly produced by this introduction? : THEDREADED

27-across – Climb is said to be painful : SOAR

28-across – Skill shown in front when given female backing : PROWESS

29-across – Philosopher completed article about sin : DERRIDA

2-down – Look up in city – see a star : POLARIS

3-down – Husband ensconced in pleasant nook : NICHE

4-down – Most mean to install an audio receiver in comfy home : NEAREST

6-down – Author in terrible rage about meat too raw to eat? : GRAHAM

7-down – Going off or about to come back? : ONTHETURN

8-down – Aperture that’s clear embedded in sealant : LUNETTE

9-down – Regret Arcadia being spoilt by wealthy patrons : CARRIAGETRADE

15-down – See how lady without line plastered cosmetic : EYESHADOW

18-down – Genevan chess player : FISCHER

20-down – Foolish talk from the Yorkshire and England player of yesteryear : TWADDLE

21-down – Author’s creator in the country : ENGLAND

22-down – Time to have mourning clothes, woollen garments : TWEEDS

25-down – The author’s one taking all unexpectedly : LOSER

1-across – Gave an impression of having got going : TOOKOFF

5-across – Inside, if I correctly recall, is like death to Roman emperors : DEIFIC

9-across – O for a ramification with American pipe? : BRONCHUS

10-across – Still to be paid on arrival by the Listener : ARREAR

12-across – Food of other years, not back : STREAKYBACON

15-across – Plunder seizing little and going on doing so : REPETITIVE

17-across – Where wit leads this little boy’s means : HAL

19-across – A little job to be a member? : SIT

20-across – Dog for girls – English chow? Not so : WELSHCORGI

22-across – Pipe for little girl while entertaining the street : PENNYWHISTLE

26-across – Smoker’s request: get off the bus! : ALIGHT

27-across – Blood circulating in pipe : CLARINET

28-across – I search the net with spirit in 67 1/2 : ENGINE

29-across – Setter and solver’s about to back party for chapel goer : METHODY

1-down – Coming up to be next to pipe : TUBA

2-down – Pipe gets award – there’s nothing in it : OBOE

3-down – Show lack of interest at reportedly Australian pictures : OSCITATE

4-down – Groovy pipe? : FLUTE

6-down – Dress carried up to a point : ENROBE

7-down – Pipe complementary to … : FRENCHHORN

8-down – … one that sounded: soft drink is around : CORANGLAIS

11-down – Heavens! Round number doesn’t work : SKIVES

13-down – Supporter’s part of chair back, the last place for a name : BRASSPLATE

14-down – Raised position on feet : UPSTANDING

16-down – Have problems at first with article at the start : TEETHE

18-down – Second to go faster – no ace, a villain : SCELERAT

21-down – Hypnotherapy partly exposed by crusher : PYTHON

23-down – Two little girls in bewitched town : SALEM

24-down – Ruin for The Sound of Music : UNDO

25-down – Don’t go for support : STAY

1-across – Deadlock from an unresolved sit-in? : STANDOFF

5-across – See 26 : DEVILS

9-across – He scored from penetrating for the Ukrainian side : PROKOFIEV

11-across – House call : BINGO

12-across – Gay Scot, a MacDonald, swearing in 21! : GORDONRAMSAY

15-across – Love giving one aching back : EROS

16-across – Wrong name on the rota: how many more? : NOTANOTHER

18-across – Coupling of Heloise and Abelard? : LOVERSKNOT

19-across – Drink for adult travelling with Noah : ARAK

21-across – New York slums where 5 on 25 are prepared? : HELLSKITCHEN

24-across – Max or daughter leaving scar : CLIFF

25-across – Switch bet on runner up here : HORSEBACK

26-across – Loved this! Led Astray by Kingsley Amis : THEOLD

27-across – One of 2 in 22, but only 1 in 3! : SYLLABLE

1-down – A month with the Camerons’ division : SEPT

2-down – Prophet with a reduced majority : AMOS

3-down – Works of Bramante and Brunelleschi, a twosome detailing some with elevation : DUOMOS

4-down – Cod alternative from conservationists’ fresh find; I’m OK battered! : FRIEDMONKFISH

6-down – Make much of dodgy last character with no blame attached : EMBLAZON

7-down – Deadly poison present! It’s all around us! : IONOSPHERE

8-down – Like an unpaid quarryman on the rocks? : STONYBROKE

10-down – Died in vain, sadly; can Edwina produce from 21? : VINDALOOCURRY

13-down – Dare to telephone the Queen? : BELLTHECAT

14-down – Tory against privileged lives could be fitting : CONVULSIVE

17-down – Believing there’s no vacancy among the Guardian’s owners, say : TRUSTFUL

20-down – Critic with pronounced opinions on author Anna : SEWELL

22-down – William Brown’s cloven foot : IAMB

23-down – Island state in the Garden of England : SKYE