This puzzle demands a good knowledge of geography and a smattering of French. I haven’t got either of these things, but I got there in the end. A good puzzle, anyway. People who like this sort of thing will find that this is the sort of thing they like.
ACROSS
1. ALBANY Alb [vestment] + any [some]
4. STAMFORD Reversal of mats [rugs] + ford [crossing]: an error here, surely, as Stanford is the US university town, while Stamford is a town in Lincolnshire – am I missing something?
10. CHARLEROI Char [cleaner] + le roi [French for ‘the king’]
11. ACTON Act [play] + on [started]
12. LOME Salome [dancer] minus SA [Sex Appeal, ‘it’]
13. BASSETERRE Basset [hound] + erre(d) [wandered off]
15. NORWICH N or W [north or west, alternative directions] + ch [church]
16. ERICHT Anagram of thrice
19. OSSETT Reversal of esso [petrol company] + TT [motorcycle race]
21. SCHELDT C [caught] + held [caught] within St [stumped]
23. HUNTSVILLE Hunts [searches for] + ville(in) [serf]
25. PEEL Triple definition, alluding to former Prime Minister Robert Peel, the Isle of Man town Peel and the Peel Towers that can be found in Scotland and northern England
27. DHAKA Hak(e) [fish] within DA [district attorney, US prosecutor]
28. IONIAN SEA Anagram of one in Asia
29. SCHWERIN Anagram of news rich
30. GLAMIS G [musical note] + l [left] + amis [French for friends]
DOWN
1. AUCKLAND C(rab) within auk [seabird] + land [shore]
2. BEAUMARIS Beau [dandy] + maris [French for ‘husbands’]
3. NILE Nimble [agile] minus MB [doctor]
5. TRIESTE est [French for ‘art’, as is ‘thou art’] within trite [unoriginal]
6. MAASTRICHT Anagram of christma(s) at
7. OTTER OTT [Over The Top, excessive] + ER [Elizabeth Regina, royal]
8. DENVER Another triple definition, alluding to the singer John Denver and the ‘Denver boot’ or wheel-clamp
9. ARMAGH Anagram of Graham
14. RIVER SWALE Anagram of silverware
17. HILVERSUM Spoonerisation of silver hum [metallic low-frequency sound]
18. ST ALBANS A lb [a pound] within stan’s [young lad’s – not sure why the lad has to be young, though]
20. TBILISI Anagram of visibility minus the letters of ivy
21. SOLENT Sole [shipping area] + n’t [not]
22. RHODES Rho [Greek letter] + des(k)
24. NEATH Neat [old (and crosswordese) word for cattle] + h(eading)
26. GAUL Odd letters of GrAdUaL
4A I also took this as an error using “m” where “n” was required for US University
I’m one of those who like this sort of thing, so… I loved it.
Thanks Ringo and Gozo.
It’s true that Stanford California has a university, but so does Stamford Connecticut, which has to be the one Gozo had in mind.
Ringo, re 5D
The French for you are is (tu) es (est is third person)
Tri(es)te
You did preface your blog by saying that your French may not be a strong point.
Thanks for enlightening me about Salome as the dancer in 12A.
susan @ 3: If Gozo did indeed have Stamford, CT in mind, then I’d argue its not the best of clues. I doubt any of my fellow Yanks would think of Stamford, CT as a “university city.” Sure, it hosts branch campuses of 3 different universities (UConn, U of Bridgeport and Sacred Heart), but the main campuses of those universities are located elsewhere (Storrs, Bridgeport and Fairfield, respectively).
If, on the other hand, Gozo did intend “Stanford”, then I’d take issue with calling Stanford, CA a “city” (its population being around 13,000).
I think the STAMFORD clue may be OK and refer to the town in Lincolnshire as is suggested as a possibility in the blog. In very ancient history (several hundred years BC) the story is a university was set up there though this may be mythical as are many things from that far back.