Across: 1. Scholar goes to dryer church (8) 5. Skips searches (6) 9. Sheer scale of more tiny characters going crazy! (8) 10. Grey-brown tree found in old Durham (6) 12. Now bring in good fuel (4) 13. Beginning to rein in anger towards Middle East is pointless (10) 15. Minute kind dog runs around island nation (6 7) 19. Quarrelsome artist returns to stick four in half-open gallery (13) 23. Mention secretary is held after European guy is free (10) 25. Swot starts to build on new examples (4) 28. Before end of June refurb is too 13 (6) 29. Time to bring people together outside and reflect (8) 30. Include Greeks holding qualification (6) 31. Thinks about female donkeys? (8) Down: 1. Scorer gets around – about to make breakthrough (6) 2. Dress male in footwear... (5) 3. ...Weak material (4) 4. Wild erotic English group! (7) 6. Blusher’s strange urge to acquire ring (5) 7. Run away from mix up after desk is smashed! (9) 8. Second-year mothers work out internal signs (8) 11. Tip up part of tank replica (4) 14. Bob may return in France or another old country (4) 15. Making better gun grip and empty barrels (9) 16. Mark takes adroit regular characters... (3) 17. ...Childlike first character provided backing for new starter (4) 18. When going on holiday switch halves of burden (8) 20. Turn back for drinks (4) 21. Sadly Socrates lost ball to player (7) 22. Do they join up drains? (6) 24. Group’s lawsuit takes time (5) 26. Jewels for band’s comeback hit (5) 27. Sharp taste of basil in toasted egg starters (4) Solution: BASILICA=FRISKS R=M=A=O===O=K=Y ENORMITY=DUNELM A=C=E=E=P=G=D=P COKE=IRRELEVANT H===S=I=R===D=O ==UNITEDKINGDOM C=P=A==O==A=L=S ARGUMENTATIVE== S=R===I=C=F===S EMANCIPATE=BONE L=D=A=S=R=B=P=W OTIOSE=MEDITATE A=N=T===S=T=L=R DEGREE=ASSESSES Name: Puzzle 480 Author: by Steve Townsend Annos-Across: 1. BA (= Scholar) SILICA (= dryer) 5. Double Def 9. ENORMITY (anag more tiny)(anagrind = characters going crazy) 10. DUN (= Grey-brown) ELM (= tree) 12. C [OK (= good)] E (= Now) 13. I [R(ein)] RE (= anger) LEVANT (= Middle East) 15. UNITED KINGDOM (anag Minute kind dog)(anagrind = runs around) 19. AR (= artist reversed) GUM (= stick) (op)EN TAT [IV (= four)] E (= gallery) 23. E(uropean) MAN (= guy) CI [PA (= secretary)] TE (= Mention) 25. B(uild) O(n) N(ew) E(xamples) 28. OTIOS (anag is too)(anagrind = refurb) (Jun)E 13 = 13 across 29. MEDI [T(ime)] ATE (= to bring people together) 30. Hidden in wordplay 31. Double Def Annos-Down: 1. B [RE (= about)] ACH (= Scorer) 2. S [M(ale)] OCK (= footwear) 3. Double Def 4. COTERI (anag erotic)(anagrind = Wild) E(nglish) 6. R [O(= ring)] UGE (anag urge)(anagrind = strange) 7. SKED (anag desk)(anagrind = is smashed) ADDLE (= mix up) 8. S(econd) Y(ear) M [PT (= work out)] OMS (= mothers) 11. Hidden in wordplay - reversed 14. S(hilling)(= Bob) IAM (= May in France reversed) 15. UPGRADING [(anag gun grip a(n)d](anagrind = barrels) 16. (a)D(r)O(i)T 17. N(ew) A (= first character) IF (= provided) 18. CASELOAD (When going on holiday switch halves = LOAD CASE) 20. NIPS (= spin reversed) 21. ACTRESS [anag S(o)crates](anagrind= Sadly) 22. Double Def 24. CAS [T(ime)] E (= lawsuit) 26. O (= band) PALS (= slap reversed) 27. B(asil) I(n) T(oasted) E(gg) Defs-Across: 1. church 5. Skips 5. searches 9. Sheer scale 10. old Durham 12. fuel 13. pointless 15. island nation 19. Quarrelsome 23. free 25. Swot 28. 13 29. reflect 30. qualification 31. Thinks about 31. female donkeys? Defs-Down: 1. make breakthrough 2. Dress 3. Weak 3. material 4. group 6. Blusher 7. Run away 8. signs 11. Tip 14. another old country 15. Making better 16. Mark 17. Childlike 18. burden 20. drinks 21. player 22. Do they join up 22. drains 24. Group 26. Jewels 27. Sharp taste