Across:
1. Beast comes in to scalp a Canadian! (6)
4. Get large unfinished house (6)
9. Combine first bit of melon with the Spanish date (4)
10. Fellow with dog gets in one leading person to sort out nails (10)
11. Kiss one desperate man returning to universal paradise (6)
12. Lone flyer returns with fruit (8)
13. Press and TV can begin genuinely negotiating (9)
15. Cry at sea is always about heaving ocean initially (4)
16. Starts to house untrained temporary staff in sheds (4)
17. He writes start of story about flower found around Tyneside (9)
21. Fresh pear I fit into drink (8)
22. Hate unstructured NY time! (6)
24. In my opinion hot tones be wicked! (2 2 6)
25. Before weekend see brownish duck (4)
26. Scholars’ supporters follow you in Paris (6)
27. Shy cop gets changed for film (6)
Down:
1. Film of best gallery (7)
2. Home one gets behind university in Italian city (5)
3. Search you and me before tree starts to burn (7)
5. Little-known artist comes back and is able to begin exhibiting (6)
6. Oh, he’s sore about getting equine footwear (9)
7. Firm Greek characters initially may be against year in old Russia (7)
8. First drink of the day? It affects none badly (7 6)
14. Stop useless, terrible English rural council leaders going inside (9)
16. Move awful photo before sex (3 2 2)
18. I teased out plans (7)
19. Reduce one colour in engraving of first letters (3 4)
20. Patsy gets out rings inside (6)
23. Simple identification of medical practitioner’s wine (5)
Solution:
=ALPACA=FATHOM=
=C=A=O=I=R=O=U=
MELD=MANICURIST
=T=U=B=S=A=S=C=
XANADU=TANGELOS
=T===S=A=E=S=V=
MEDIATING=AHOY=
===N===T===O===
=HUTS=SCRIVENER
=O=E=S=O=D===A=
APERITIF=ENMITY
=T=C=O=F=A=E=I=
TOBEHONEST=DUNK
=I=P=G=E=E=O=T=
=TUTEES=PSYCHO=
Name: Puzzle 490
Author: by Steve Townsend

Annos-Across:
1. Hidden in wordplay
4. FAT (= large) HOM(e)
9. M(elon) EL (= the Spanish) D(ate)
10. MAN (= Fellow) I (= one) CUR (= dog) IST (= first = leading)
11. X (= Kiss) A (= one) NAD (= DAN reversed) U(niversal)
12. TANGELOS (= SOLE GNAT reversed)
13. MEDIA (= Press and TV) TIN (= can) G(enuinely)
15. A [H(eaving) O(cean)] Y (= always)
16. H(ouse) U(ntrained) T(emporary) S(taff)
17. S(tory) C (= about) RIVE [NE (= Tyneside)] R (= flower)
21. APERITIF (anag pear I fit)(anagrind = Fresh)
22. ENMITY (anag NY time)(anagrind = unstructured)
24. TO BE HONEST (anag hot tones be)(anag = wicked)
25. DUN (= brownish) (wee)K
26. TU (= you in Paris) TEES (= supporters)
27. PSYCHO (anag Shy cop)(anagrind = gets changed)
Annos-Down:
1. ACE (= best) TATE (gallery)
2. PAD (= Home) U(niversity) A (= one)
3. COMB (= Search) US (= you and me) T(ree)
5. AR (= RA reversed) CAN (= is able to) E(xhibiting)
6. HORSESHOE (anag Oh hes sore)(anagrind = about)
7. MUS (= Greek characters) CO (= Firm) V (= may be against) Y(ear)
8. INSTANT COFFEE (anag it affects none)(anagrind = badly)
14. IN [T(errible) E(nglish) R(ural) C(ouncil)] EPT (= useless)
16. HOP TO (anag photo)(anagrind = awful) IT (= sex)
18. IDEATES (anag I teased)(anagrind = out)
19. E(ngraving) A (= one) TINT (= colour) O(f)
20. ST [OO (= rings)] GE (anag gets)(anagrind = out)
23. Double Def
Defs-Across:
1. Beast
4. Get
9. Combine
10. person to sort out nails
11. paradise
12. fruit
13. negotiating
15. Cry at sea
16. sheds
17. He writes
21. drink
22. Hate
24. In my opinion
25. duck
26. Scholars
27. film
Defs-Down:
1. Film
2. Italian city
3. burn
5. Little-known
6. equine footwear
7. old Russia
8. First drink of the day?
14. Stop
16. Move
18. plans
19. Reduce
20. Patsy
23. Simple identification of medical practitioner
23. wine