Highly recommended
Across
1 START-UP establishing new business STAR (celeb) PUT< (set about)
5 GRENADE weapon (DANGER)* E[xplode]
9 RACER fast car ACE (great performer) in RR (posh car)
10 LAUNDRIES &lit LA (the French) [smea]R in UNDIES (knickers etc)
11 POINTLESS absurd (no compass points in NEWS)
12 AISLE passage A ISLE (of Man eg)
13 WENT TO GROUND dd
18 19 STANDARD ROSE dd
22 RIDGE mountain feature G[rouse] in RIDE (journey)
24 QUADRILLE square dance QU (queen) (I’LL DARE)*
26 PERSEVERE keep going PER[son] (half human) SEVERE (demanding)
27 GENTS toilet AGENTS (spies) minus A
28 COAL-TIT bird ALT (altitude) I (one) in COT (bed)
29 TRYPSIN enzyme (PANTRY IS)* minus A
Down
1 STRIPS bands TRIP (journey) in SS (ship)
2 ARCHITECT designer (HECTIC)* in ART (drawings)
3 TAROT card A (ace) in TROT (run)
4 PALAESTRA old gymnasium (A REAL SPAT)*
5 GAUSS Karl Friedrich U (university) in G (grand) ASS (fool)
6 ENDEAVOUR try – sounds like AND EVER
7 AMISS malfunctioning A MISS (young lady)
8 EASTER feast S (seconds) in EATER (apple)
14 TENDEREST most sore TENDE[d] (inclined mostly) REST (lay up)
16 GODPARENT sponsor (PET DRAGON)*
17 NESTLINGS young birds (SLINGS TEN)*
20 TROPIC beyond no overhead sun I PORT< (I left up) C (cold)
21 LESSON church reading LES (the French) SON (boy)
23 DURGA Hindu goddess of victory (GUARD)*
24 QUEST search QUE (what in French) ST (street)
25 RUGBY game RUG (on floor) BY (next to)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
Thanks, Bradman, very congenial. A lovely way to spend Friday teatime.
Fun crossword but 1 ac is shown as 7 letters which threw me until l finally got 4d. Surely 5-2?
Thx to the Don & Jed.