Financial Times 13,445 / IO

John Henderson (IO) is getting married to Jane Teather (known in crossword circles as jetdoc) today. This puzzle is a tribute.

15A sets the theme of the puzzle and 12 other clues refer to various famous Janes. A couple of clues hint towards weddings, and 1A has Jane’s surname as the answer.

I have thoroughly enjoyed solving and blogging about this special puzzle. The clues are very well-crafted and even those not in the know about the theme would not be any less entertained. Thanks to IO and congratulations to him and Jane.

[I learnt via email from Big Dave that all the five leading daily crosswords – Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Indy and FT – carry tributes for the wedding today.]

Full annotations for 14A, 20A are pending, I look forward to your comments for explanation. //Updated, thanks to Big Dave.

Across

1 *TEATHER
5 *GOODALL GOOD (not bad) ALL (Tom, Dick and Harry)
9 *ASHER ‘was here’ – WE (partners at table, as in bridge)
10 TREATMENT EAT ME (the message on the cake which tempted Alice to eat it and grow tall) in TR[ucule]NT
11 UNSPOILT (PILOT)* following (SUN)*, with the definition cleverly standing for the airline on the surface.
12 *AUSTEN A (absent) US (members of FT setting team) TEN (10)
14 MARKETEER MARKER (exam he’ll assess) around ETE (‘summer’ in French)
15 *JANE hidden in ‘AzerbaiJAN Easily’
18 *EYRE R (Romeo) in EYE
20 *LAPOTAIRE (AT OP)< in LAIR E (den number 5)
24 *NORMAN NORM (standard) AN (article)
25 ARKANSAN ARK (collection of beasts), S[tatesman] in ANAN (famous panda). My last entry in the grid. I knew I’d need online help for the famous panda’s name but even Wikipedia’s list was unhelpful. I did find AnAn’s picture eventually.
27 ENDOPLASM (OLD MAN ESP)*
28 INTRO INTO (very keen) around R (right)
29 *RUSSELL hidden reversed in ‘VaudeviLLE’S SURe’
30 *SEYMOUR sounds like ‘see more’ (look again). Jane Seymour was the third wife of  Henry VIII of England.

Down

1 TEACUP A nice double cd – there maybe leaves at the bottom of a teacup, and there may be a “storm in a teacup”.
2 APHASIA A PH (public house i.e. pub) ASIA (continent). Our compilers, wizards at the use of language, would not have this feature. Symmetrically placed with 7D which is about solvers.
3 *HORROCKS HR (60 mins), around O (round) ROCKS (ice, slang for diamonds)
4 RATTLETRAP (LATTER PART)*
5 *GREY ‘Grey’ goes after ‘Earl’ in the name of the tea. Lady Jane Grey’s rule was ‘short-lived’ – less than two weeks, the shortest rule of England in its history.
6 OPT OUT OP (work) TOUT (solicitor)
7 AMENTIA AMEN (to conclude), I in TA (gratification). Some of my non-solver friends argue that obsession with crosswords is a sign of mental impairment but I’m happier to believe IO’s take on it.
8 LITANIES (LATINISE)*
13 VELODROMES (OVER MODELS)*
16 REINDEER REIN (check) DEER (sounds like ‘dear’ i.e. expensive). Santa’s reindeer pull the sleight carrying Christmas presents. One of my favourite clues today.
17 *CALAMITY A LAM (beat) in CITY (business center)
19 REREDOS REDO (perform again) in RES (understudies). Reredos is a screen or decoration behind the altar in a church. Here is a picture.
21 RISOTTO OTTO (German given name) SIR (master), all reversed
22 *MARPLE PR (priest) reversed in MALE (Gents)
23 ON TOUR ONTO (having got whiff of) UR (old city)
26 EARL [y]EARL[y] (annually, curtailed)