Across: 1. Serious chap swaps his outer layers (6) 4. Most skilled one gets lucky (6) 9. First Lady’s right all the time! (4) 10. Men with no hope are stirred by new wonder! (10) 11. They provide travel to a French island Sultanate (6) 12. Impediment for ex-scholars having to deal with losing weekend (8) 13. Shed light upon old mathematician running and spilling tea! (9) 15. Milk product has drug inside? For what purpose? (4) 16. 15-faced person starts to drink (4) 17. Small fellow follows mate after second setback for investigator (9) 21. Business district of Newtownards, maybe (8) 22. One gets batty woman to start to knit garment (6) 24. Province distributed coins to go round Virginia first (4 6) 25. Individual savings account? Yes, by Jove! (1 3) 26. Ordering a strong portion of food (6) 27. Seed spread in right area of waterway (3 3) Down: 1. Some cut off nearly everything! (7) 2. Fool returns standard disc inside (5) 3. Responded when traveller was economical with the truth (7) 5. Scan second arguments at end of June (6) 6. Cilia sees Hayle anew (9) 7. Time to move back the old cart (7) 8. Can’t mediate on being wrong to sterilize (13) :14. Settlers: incoming aliens lacking strong leaders (9) 16. Continue 70s music’s captivation of half of London (7) 18. Not informed of French and English articles and goods (7) 19. Desert partly found at a Camargue beauty spot (7) 20. Agree to trick scoundrel (6) 23. Circle parts of last words (5) Solution: =SOMBRE=ABLEST= =E=O=E=D=R=Y=R= EVER=PHENOMENON =E=O=L=C=W=L=L= BRUNEI=OBSTACLE =A===E=N=E=S=E= ELUCIDATE=WHEY= ===O===A===E=== =PALE=OMBUDSMAN =R=O=C=I=N===T= DOWNTOWN=ANORAK =L=I=N=A=W=B=C= NOVASCOTIA=ISAY =N=L=U=E=R=T=M= =GASTRO=REDSEA= Name: Puzzle 479 Author: by Steve Townsend Annos-Across: 1. [(H(i)/S]OMBRE 4. A (= one) BLEST (= lucky) 9. EVE (= First Lady) R(ight) 10. PHENOMENO (anag men no hope)(anagrind = are stirred) N(ew) 11. B(ritish) R(ail) (= They provide travel) UNE (= a French) I(sland) 12. OBS (= ex-scholars) TAC [(wee)-K] LE (= deal with losing weekend) 13. ELUCID (anag EUCLID)(anagrind = running) ATE (anag tea)(anagrind = spilling) 15. WH [E (= drug)] Y (= For what purpose) 16. P(erson) ALE (= drink) 15 = 15 across 17. OM (= second reversed) BUD (= mate) S(mall) MAN (= fellow) 21. Double Def 22. A (= One) NORA (Batty) K(nit) 24. NO [VA (= Virginia)] SCOTI (anag coins to)(anagrind = distributed) A (= first) 25. I(ndividual) S(avings) A(ccount) Y(es) 26. Hidden in wordplay 27. R(ight) ED SE (anag Seed)(anagrind = spread) A(rea) Annos-Down: 1. SEVER (= cut off) AL (= nearly everything) 2. M [O(= disc)] RON (= norm reversed) 3. REP (= traveller) LIED (was economical with the truth) 5. B (= second) ROWS (= arguments) (Jun)E 6. EYELASHES (anag sees Hayle)(anagrind = anew) 7. T(ime) ROLL (= move) EY (= the old reversed) 8. DECONTAMINATE (anag Can't mediate on)(anagrind = being wrong) :14. COLON (= :) I(ncoming) A(liens) L(acking) S(trong) 16. PRO [LON(don)] G (= 70s music) 18. UN A (= French and English articles) WARE (= goods) 19. Hidden in wordplay 20. CON (= trick) CUR (= scoundrel) 23. O (= Cricle) BITS (= parts) Defs-Across: 1. Serious 4. Most skilled 9. all the time 10. wonder 11. Sultanate 12. Impediment 13. Shed light upon 15. Milk product 16. 15-faced 17. investigator 21. Business district 21. Newtownards 22. garment 24. Province 25. by Jove 26. of food 27. waterway Defs-Down: 1. Some 2. Fool 3. Responded 5. Scan 6. Cilia 7. cart 8. sterilize :14. Settlers 16. Continue 18. Not informed 19. Desert 20. Agree 23. last words