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Well that will teach me!  Out on the town with the Sloggers and Betters and I end up in hospital.  So today’s blog is brought to you from Calderdale Hospital’s quarantine ward.  Unfortunately, the gentleman admitted alongside me decided to spend the night regurgitating and as a result, I am quarantined for 4 days before my treatment can start.

Anyway, after pleading with a nice nurse, who got me a newspaper, it was nice to solve a safe sound puzzle.

ACROSS   (*) = ANAGRAM  (CD) = CRYPTIC DEF  (R) = REVERSAL

1  FASTER     AFTERS (*)

4  MAQUETTE    Homophonic pun  A small raincoat might be called this!  Nice clue.

9  EFFORT     Hidden answer

10  STUDIOUS  another nice clue.  The Head of Universal (U) in his working place film STUDIOS

12  PACK     Double def.

14  BUFFER-ZONE  BUFFER (Fellow) ‘S OWN (Private-sounding)

18  FARTHINGALES   THIN GAL inside FARES (People in 24 -  TAXI) 

21  LEAD THE WAY   (Article) THE “on” LEAD  + WAY (Fashion)

22  GOYA   Y in GOA

24  CLEMATIS  M inside CASTILE*  Parts as an anagam indicator? Hmmm…

25  MARINA   (Former tennis champ)  MARTINA less T

26  SILENTLY  ENT (hospital dept) inside SILLY (dope)

27  JIGGLE   JIG +  LEG*

 DOWN

1   FREEPORT   F (Loud) +  REPORT with E inside

2   SOFT CELL   SOFT (Piano)  +  CELL(O)

3   EURO     Nice def  “Ready (cash) for a Frenchman”  Homophone  “You Row”.

5  ARTS FESTIVAL  FIVE STALWARTS less W *

6 UNDERLINGS   LUG DINNERS*

7  TOO TOO  (I think!)  Homophone for TWO TWO

8  EASTER  First letters

11  RUN OF THE MILL  Two defs

14  STEAM TRAIN    TEAM inside STRAIN

16  ALLOWING   Two defs

17  ESCAPADE   PA inside CEASED*

19  BLOCKS      B  + LOCKS

20  CAVELL  VE(T) inside CALL