A very gentle stroll today requiring, according to my notes, only a single pass through the clues. Not enough of a challenge for my liking but eminently suitable for tyros (provided they like anagrams, of which there are plenty).
It took far longer to write this blog than it did to solve the puzzle!
Across
1 Gibe by our CO at waxed garment (7,4)
BARBOUR COAT – BARB (gibe) OUR CO AT
7 Philip, a star (3)
PIP – double def.
9 Listen to trombone at first, then organ (5)
HEART – HEAR (listen) T[rombone] (trombone at first)
10 One who lured Greek character right across Dieppe, slyly (4,5)
PIED PIPER – PI (Greek character) R (right) around (across) anagram (slyly) of DIEPPE
11 Reprobate tortured miner’s cat (9)
MISCREANT – anagram (tortured) of MINER’S CAT
12 A flipping 28 may help one to get a prize (5)
AWARD – A DRAW (28 {tie}) reversed (flipping)
13 Musical instruction given in article by eminent Florentine (7)
ANDANTE – AN (article) DANTE (eminent Florentine)
18 Bench in favour of mercy, initially (4)
FORM – FOR (in favour of) M[ercy] (mercy, initially)
20 Sound check (7)
STAUNCH – double def.
23 Composer from Hanover died (5)
VERDI – hidden in ‘hanoVER DIed’
24 Slipping up, likewise, going after diamonds in act of boldness (7-2)
DERRING-DO – D (diamonds) ERRING (slipping up) DO (likewise)
26 Short talk about a church tea dance (3-3-3)
CHA-CHA-CHA – CHA[t] (short talk) around (about) A CH (a church) CHA (tea)
27, 15 Clarinettist awaits her arrangement (5,4)
ARTIE SHAW – anagram (arrangement) of AWAITS HER
28 Note about one’s obligation (3)
TIE – TE (note) around (about) I (one)
29 Unexpectedly, Eliot came round in the morning for a drink (8,3)
CAMOMILE TEA – anagram (unexpectedly) of ELIOT CAME around (round) AM (in the morning)
Down
1, 2 Unconventional spa/hydro abroad – 16, 17 includes it (8,8)
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – BOHEMIAN (unconventional) anagram (abroad) of SPA/HYDRO
3 Ring from abroad about coming over (5)
OUTER – OUT (abroad) RE (about) reversed (coming over) – a reference to archery
4 Put back on site (7)
REPLACE – RE (on) PLACE (site)
5 In forest, Estonian, he killed his mother and her lover (7)
ORESTES – hidden in ‘fOREST EStonian’
6 Finest fruit for figurehead? (3,6)
TOP BANANA – TOP (finest) BANANA (fruit)
7 Well-liked, but not posh, district of London (6)
POPLAR – POP[u]LAR (well-liked, but not posh)
8 A padre organised procession (6)
PARADE – anagram (organised) of A PADRE
14 Moving into Chile, about when stone weapons prevailed (9)
NEOLITHIC – anagram (moving) of INTO CHILE
16, 17 Film giant, Hope, that era tranformed (1,5,2,3,5)
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA – anagram (transformed) of GIANT HOPE THAT ERA
19 A small amount of some poetry penned by mother (7)
MODICUM – ODIC (of some poetry) in (penned by) MUM (mother)
20 Awful massacre mostly brings contempt (7)
SARCASM – anagram (awful) of MASSACR[e] (massacre mostly)
21 Bird – adult one disappearing from view over top of trees (6)
AVOCET – A (adult) VO[i]CE (one disappearing from view) T[rees] (top of trees)
22 Greek leisure film (6)
GREASE – GR (Greek) EASE (leisure)
25 Completely at home with everyone (2,3)
IN ALL – IN (at home) ALL (everyone)
I agree with Gaufrid: a very gentle stroll, but nonetheless a pleasant way to pass breakfast. I wouldn’t like one every day: but as an occasional tonic it’s much to be recommended.
I agree too – a gentle write them all in as you go along, but ideal for the newcomers to the cryptic world, and a rest for us old hands.
Thanks to Gaufrid and Falcon.
Very true Gaufrid, have to say that I quite liked 7a as a Philip myself.
After some this week an easier run was a welcome relief.