1-across – Fish, carp skinned for old cavalryman : HUSSAR

4-across – A travesty, fishy fizzy drink? : CHARADE

9-across – Given a flyer, teal fled in a panic carrying first of eggs : LEAFLETED

10-across – Harpoon small fish : SPIKE

11-across – Ray gobbling river fish : BREAM

12-across – Embellish crypt with this series of art works : TRIPTYCHS

13-across – Fish’s gathered in, a little under a foot : TENINCH

15-across – Plastering material to see in face that’s been knocked about : GYPSUM

17-across – Communist sticks by workers, wiping brow : ENGELS

19-across – Score in second haul of fish about right : SCRATCH

22-across – Smothered in sauce, local appearing put out again : REPUBLISH

24-across – Obliged to leave, depart finally amid word of appreciation : GOTTA

26-across – Cat attack not kicking off : OUNCE

27-across – Emin’s back in seaside town, quiet retiring star! : PENTAGRAM

28-across – Sci-fi fan runs after vacuous Kirk into wood : TREKKER

29-across – Dumped unceremoniously in seat, by the sound of it? : THROWN

1-down – Fish — stop to catch one before unhooking heads : HALIBUT

2-down – Small fish, rock : SHAKE

3-down – Dance laden with male trips : ALLEMANDE

4-down – Pair of fish for an apple : CODLING

5-down – Equally prepared for benefit : ASSET

6-down – Battle where a trap may be tried? : AGINCOURT

7-down – Remarkably English, one side of literature? : EVERSO

8-down – One’s running — the pain from it? : STITCH

14-down – Old coin ending in circulation with European note in particular : NINEPENCE

16-down – A few lines, silver fish hooks and a perch to be gutted : PARAGRAPH

18-down – Fish, small fish : SKIPPER

19-down – Haitian leader buried in revolution, cross beneath it, monolithic statue : SPHINX

20-down – Male parent cracking and failing as a leader : HEADMAN

21-down – Sample fish, including last of blenny : TRYOUT

23-down – Cold fish : BLEAK

25-down – Supercharger cutting fish : TURBO

1-across – View from large castle — king’s away first : OUTLOOK

5-across – Messi runs by one, then many — it’s shocking! : SEISMIC

9-across – Yankee river for y’all up North? : YOUSE

10-across – Chaotic place with heroin injected by heathen meat eater : ZOOPHAGAN

11-across – Fielding position gets another 1006 balls? : EXTRACOVER

12-across – First Lady’s bit of 17? : EVE

14-across – I may work with insects a bit, not forgetting ant : BIOSCIENTIST

18-across – Records of English schooling or otherwise : CHRONOLOGIES

21-across – Mother undressed girl : ANN

22-across – Rising, minister’s answer: No start to synod? : REVOLUTION

25-across – Quantity of money left out to grip Trump’s soul : BUCKETFUL

26-across – A hobbit’s sword : BILBO

27-across – Horse’s tail pulled by bull in spring and autumn? : EQUINOX

28-across – Ruling family is extremely dirty and filthy : DYNASTY

1-down – O Little Town, sung to baby ox, ends in trouble : OXYGEN

2-down – Makes fun of square relatives : TAUNTS

3-down – Musical drama is not funny, it’s lots of action : OPERATIONS

4-down – Instrument carried by Jack : KAZOO

5-down – Ex-foreign secretary wears small girdle for washing : SHOWERING

6-down – Egyptian architect misses pet being around, in my humble opinion : IMHO

7-down – They produce deft, magic lines when flowing : MAGNETIC

8-down – Unions, caught in the past, get right with socialist leader : CONCERTS

13-down – Between cities and at home, queen wears head garment : INTERURBAN

15-down – Wild animal lives for uncertain times : SILVERFOX

16-down – Bends over books by lecturer on European game : SCRABBLE

17-down – Magnificent men on board said to make wine : GRANDCRU

19-down – See 7 : FIELDS

20-down – Cartoon dog, Spot, catches new balls : SNOOPY

23-down – Head of Ofsted lied about being drunk : OILED

24-down – Material girl : JEAN

1-across – Adulterous cavalier lax with two redheads at a time : EXTRAMARITAL

9-across – Since it needs milk, sort leaves for tea : ASSAM

10-across – Move towards Virginia holding that thing in jar : GRAVITATE

11-across – See 25 : RACKETS

12-across – See 18 down : CHECKER

13-across – Old focus of a student’s attention, daughter’s after filthy swine : BLACKBOARD

15-across – Ace in hearts, possibly, a king : FACE

18-across – See 15 : CARD

19-across – Hand in the air, it’s true! : STRAIGHTUP

22-across – Metal content of mug or cup, perhaps? : URANIUM

24-across – Wise guy, king with open access? : KNOWALL

25-across – They’re taken to court : BADMINTON

26-across – Author, possibly K or M — S is wrong : AMISS

27-across – Exuberant man jumped on plaything : BOUNCYCASTLE

1-down – Hollow story in every song that’s designed for relaxation : EASYCHAIR

2-down – Top features in magazine for British high-flyer : TIMPEAKE

3-down – A real giant for starters, the Guardian … : ARGUS

4-down – … Guardian giant, artist, utterly charming, initially breaking into a song : ARAUCARIA

5-down – One stands up as a Van Gogh painting : IRISES

6-down – A second taken by surprise : ABACK

7-down – Orb nicked from the famous Greek composer raised in European capital : ZAGREB

8-down – Last of twelve, always standing in order : DECREE

14-down – Essay under workbook for healthcare profession : OPTOMETRY

16-down – Engineer casual with tie loose : ACTUALISE

17-down – Knight abducted by prince, soldier unaware : IGNORANT

18-down – Old singer-songwriter caught private detective hired by wife? : CHUBBY

20-down – European resembling pond life, if a tad over the top? : POLISH

21-down – Is man one, perhaps? : SIMIAN

23-down – Sound car going over circuit : AUDIO

24-down – Sort of dark, in darkest passage : KINDA

1-across – Value trial — I try out computer-generated oxymoron? : VIRTUALREALITY

9-across – More resentful about journalist splitting screen : REREDOS

10-across – Support for fight not starting on time : TRESTLE

11-across – One expressing grief half-heartedly, judge-like? : SOBER

12-across – German island is transported by musical effects : GLISSANDI

13-across – Run, absorbing dreadful rot into female body : MATRONAGE

14-across – Gather for a service : AMASS

15-across – Brass secured by Hercules’ return : LUCRE

17-across – Tack on, holding woman back from arrest : APPREHEND

20-across – Unique device for returning culture to nameless country : TRADEMARK

22-across – Type of pop provided by band is corny : DISCO

23-across – Slowcoach, tedious and fat, overlapping : DULLARD

24-across – Classy courtesan — Aretha? Joining Eurythmics, initially? Unlikely! : HETAERA

25-across – Checking out cultural phenomenon involving swindle : RECONNAISSANCE

1-down – I largely restrict father, rolled up in crumpled duvet, to goal of 1 across : VERISIMILITUDE

2-down – Snack by river, a river rising : RAREBIT

3-down – Ruined libertine’s heart captivated by whisper : UNDERTONE

4-down – Turner including Indian spinach in Italian dish : LASAGNA

5-down – Bearing round double embrace : ENTWINE

6-down – City’s daughter amid dregs : LEEDS

7-down – Dream queen, or bird — articles about one : TITANIA

8-down – Change tack, accepting 500 vocals arranged by contrarian : DEVILSADVOCATE

14-down – Be soppy during operatic episode that’s given rise to funny stories : ANECDOTES

16-down – C is for clot : CHARLIE

17-down – A combo performing in ditch : ABANDON

18-down – 19 leaves okapi bounding around church : PAKCHOI

19-down – Spain’s behind Japan, say? : EASTERN

21-down – Initially, occupational therapists are bowled over by inspiring figure : ERATO

1-across – No fortune for 14 : PEANUTS

5-across – A god eating five or one helping : ADVISOR

9-across – Interpreter of music outlines case of leading composer : ELGAR

10-across – 14 to damage instrument that’s cracked? : MARMADUKE

11-across – Within limits of taste, he had to bite tongue in 14 : THEFARSIDE

12-across – Fruit, cool or hot? : HIP

14-across – If maybe so, not dizzy in a spin? : CARTOONSTRIP

18-across – Leave one spaced out about vote, as a mission of Nixon’s era : APOLLOELEVEN

21-across – Tailless fish turns back : FRO

22-across – Pandemonium a degree among Yorkshire city gents, perhaps? : HULLABALOO

25-across – Shout curtailed with cricketing trophy beyond English batters? : EYELASHES

26-across – Might a girl be put out? : ISSUE

27-across – Backing singer detailed with papers for 14 : DILBERT

28-across – 14 — are you free to erase one? : RUGRATS

1-down – Quite right, inessential clothes : PRETTY

2-down – Waiter sportingly poking spleen with base of utensil : ANGLER

3-down – Urbane lad turned page ultimately — it’s garbled : UNREADABLE

4-down – Wells has a problem with empty pages : SUMPS

5-down – Where planes seen investing energy in new road, where must that road end? : AERODROME

6-down – Reportedly yucky bottle : VIAL

7-down – Relative Arthur’s dad punches — that’s to the point? : SOUTHERN

8-down – Deeper ranges, good parts for the contrabassoon, perhaps? : REEDPIPE

13-down – Building a shambles when put up, gaudy stuff : ASSEMBLING

15-down – War machine, the brute out to catch leader in conflict : TREBUCHET

16-down – 14 raising newspaper above competitors : GARFIELD

17-down – Get lost in good play, with end uplifted? : GOTOHELL

19-down – A king mixed food up, almost entirely in a state : ALASKA

20-down – Lane in 14 passes round outskirts of village in 14 : LOVEIS

23-down – Failure stood leaderless between political wings : LOSER

24-down – Held up by queen, a jocular 14 : JANE