Not a great deal to say about this one…
…except that it was a fun, inventive, straightforward and enjoyable puzzle. Thank-you, Orense.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ABSENT | Missing son kidnapped by a criminal (6) |
| S [son] within a bent [criminal] | ||
| 4 | BRUSH OFF | Dismiss sweeper out of form (5,3) |
| Brush [sweeper] off [out of form] | ||
| 10 | STICKY END | Unhappy destiny of men ultimately employed by new city desk (6,3) |
| (Me)n within anagram of city desk | ||
| 11 | NEEDS | Requirements for born leaders of drama schools (5) |
| Nee [born] d(rama) s(chools) | ||
| 12 | RUTH | Verity has got no time for this girl! (4) |
| Truth [verity] minus t [time] | ||
| 13 | INVETERATE | One event to be rescheduled before charge is confirmed (10) |
| Anagram of I [one] event rate [charge] | ||
| 15 | CHEROOT | The smoke for man worshipped in bed? (7) |
| Hero [man worshipped] within cot [bed] | ||
| 16 | DECENT | Sufficient depression covering European Community (6) |
| EC [European Community] within dent [depression] | ||
| 19 | ASLEEP | A second start: bound to be heard out (6) |
| A s(econd) leep [sounds like ‘leap’, bound] | ||
| 21 | HANDGUN | Piece of writing initially grabbing a Parisian (7) |
| Hand [writing] g(rabbing) un [French for ‘a’] | ||
| 23 | TOOTH FAIRY | What might cheer a child who’s down in the mouth? (5,5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 25 | STYE | It could make you a little misty-eyed (4) |
| Hidden in miSTY Eyed | ||
| 27 | EMBED | Put inside by journalist receiving award from Queen (5) |
| MBE [award from Queen] within ed [editor, journalist] | ||
| 28 | PROPAGATE | A way out after support is diffuse (9) |
| Prop [support] a gate [way out] | ||
| 29 | DOWNWIND | Direction given by personal victory separating two daughters (8) |
| Own [personal] win [victory] within d d [two daughters] | ||
| 30 | HONEST | Straight home after host loses way (6) |
| Host minus st [street, way] nest [home] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ABSTRACT | Start with ABC, possibly as a concept (8) |
| Anagram of ABC start | ||
| 2 | SHIFTLESS | Lacking a work pattern, gets lazy (9) |
| Double definition: a shift is a work pattern | ||
| 3 | NIKE | Victoria needs energy to support revolutionary family (4) |
| Reversal of kin [family] e [energy] – the allusion is to the goddess of victory | ||
| 5 | REDHEAD | Description of communist leader? (7) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 6 | SENTENCING | Condemning swordplay, losing head after broadcast (10) |
| Sent [broadcast] (f)encing [swordplay] | ||
| 7 | OPERA | A bit of hope – radio work in the theatre (5) |
| Hidden in hOPE RAdio | ||
| 8 | FASTEN | Quick points resulting in tie (6) |
| Fast [quick] EN [(compass) points] | ||
| 9 | PEANUT | Food for a crackpot after exercise? (6) |
| PE [(Physical) Exercise] a nut [crackpot] | ||
| 14 | FORESHADOW | Warn of a few hot-rods being driven around with no end of upset (10) |
| Anagram of a few hot rods minus (upse)t | ||
| 17 | NIGHTMARE | Almost time, and horse has a terrible experience (9) |
| Nigh [almost] t [time] mare [horse] | ||
| 18 | INHERENT | Unable to talk sensibly, missing company constitutional (8) |
| Incoherent [unable to talk sensibly] minus co [company] | ||
| 20 | PLAYPEN | Drama with writer in children’s area (7) |
| Play [drama] pen [writer] | ||
| 21 | HARROW | Plough – heaven’s first pointer (6) |
| H(eaven) arrow [pointer] | ||
| 22 | ATTEND | A race to finish – be there! (6) |
| A TT [race] end [finish] | ||
| 24 | OXBOW | Duck vote, banning only waders initially from bend in river (5) |
| O [duck, zero] x [vote] b(anning) o(nly) w(aders) | ||
| 26 | SAGO | Food giving you a turn after seconds? (4) |
| S [seconds] a go [turn] | ||
Thanks Ringo for the blog, bit of an easier ride than Alberich yesterday.