Still no sign of the recent puzzles online, and I’m far from the madding crowd today so unlikely to lay my hands on the paper itself. If you have been fortunate enough to solve then please feel free to post comments. Otherwise, I shall delete this placeholder later in the day.
Smiffy is on the road again today so I have produced this analysis on his behalf. Gaufrid
Across
1 TREASONABLE REASON (motive) in TABLE (board)
7 TAT [s]TAT[e] (high politics – limitless)
9 CIRCA *(ARC[t]IC)
10 RAISE CAIN *(IN CA[n]ARIES)
11 INDIGNANT DIG (taunt) in INN (bar) ANT (worker)
12 THEME TiE (bind) with HEM (border) replacing the ‘i’ (one)
13 ACCURSE R (run) in ACCUSE (charge)
15 EROS [h]EROS (leading character’s short of height)
18 SCOT SCO[u]T (spy out of uniform) – I think, though I cannot find any support for U=uniform
20 PRECEDE C (carbon) in *(DEEPER)
23 EVIAN NAIVE (unsophisticated) reversed
24 RATIONALE RATION (reduce the supply of) ALE (liquor)
26 DESPERATE E (drug) REPS) (agents) reversed in DATE (meet)
27 THEFT THE FT (this is)
28 ROE RO[d]E (travelled no little distance) – same comment as 18a regarding D=distance
29 ELECTIONEER L (left) in EEC (Common Market) ONE in TIER (row)
Down
1 TACTICAL T (tenor) ACT 1 (start of opera) CAL[m] (mostly quiet)
2 EURYDICE RUE (regret) reversed Y (unknown) DICE (risk)
3 SLANG N (note) in SLAG (criticise)
4 NARRATE RAN (raced) reversed RATE (speed)
5 BRITTLE *(LIBRETT[o])
6 ELECTRODE ELECT (waiting to serve) ROD (staff) [notic]E
7 TRADER RED ART (monochrome paintings) reversed
8 TANKER [go]T homophone of ‘anchor’ (moor)
14 RECONVENE *(ONCE NEVER)
16 LEGALESE EG (for example) ALES (drinks) in LE (the French)
17 DETECTOR C[rime] T[aking] O[ff] in DETER (prevent)
19 TARTARE TART (courtesan) ERA (a long time) reversed
20 PATIENT I (one) in PATENT (right)
21 TENDER dd
22 TISSUE T (time) ISSUE (get out)
25 OUTDO [b]OUT (contest ….. missing start) DO (as before)
Latest information from the crossword editor is that things are being put right (certainly not his fault that thinsg have gone wrong!). Suggest you hang on!
Surely the placeholder should be for 13,154?
Thanks Richard, error corrected.
Everything now up to date, as predicted
Multi-faceted thanks. To Gaufrid for blogging after the fact, and to Don for acting as the agent of updates!