Inventive stuff as per usual from Punk. A nice mix of clues - some easy, some harder, some cheeky and some just downright inspired. I struggled with the NW corner and there are few answers I can’t quite piece together, but a very enjoyable puzzle nonetheless.

From FT Monday 26 May 2008
Common abbreviations used
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
* = anagram

By the rules of the Monday FT Prize Crossword Competition, valid entries must carry a postmark dated Monday or earlier. So henceforth I shall release the Monday puzzle blog on Tuesday week.
+++++
This puzzle is simple but fair and Ximenean. It is quite ideal for any newbie to cut his/her teeth on.

Across
1 ADVENT Cha of AD (notice) VENT (split)
4 CARAFE Ins of A RAF (Royal Air Force or service) in CE (church)
8 FURNISH Ins of URN (container) in FISH (food)
9 BANANAS dd
11 STAGNATION *(not against)
12 MOOD Rev of MOOD
13 SPRIG Cha of SP (starting price) RIG (swindle)
14 ELSINORE Ins of NOR (no alternative) in ELSIE (girl)
16 PRODUCER Ins of ROD (staff) in PUCE (purple) R (for rex or regina - royalty)
18 NOTED Rev of ETON (college) D (deputy)
20 IMPS Cha of I (one) MPS (member’s)
21 JUST THE JOB cd
23 PLAUDIT Ins of LAUD (praise) in PIT (stalls)
24 CRASHES Cha of CR (little credit) ASHES (remains)
25 DISHED Cha of DI (girl) SHED (cast off)
26 CANNON Ins of ANN (girl) in CON (study)

Down
1 ADULT Cha of AD (notice) ULT (last month)
Some moderators would frown on a device being used more than once in a single puzzle. 1 Across also used notice for AD
2 VINEGAR *(in grave)
3 NOSTALGIC *(at closing)
5 AGAIN Cha of a GAIN (profitable deal)
6 ABANDON dd
7 ENAMOURED *(dismeanour)
10 WINEPRESS Ins of IN in WE -> WINE PRESS (papers)
13 SCRAMBLED dd
15 SANATORIA Cha of SA (South African) NATO (military organisation) RIA (reversal of AIR, publicise)
17 DISCUS Ins of S (second) in DISCUS (field event)
19 TREASON Cha of T (time) REASON (motive)
21 JUICE dd
22 OCEAN *(canoe)

Across

9 ISHERWOOD - isher (anag. of ‘hires’) + wood
10 AMONG - hidden in ‘jAM ON, Going’ :: The clue suggests a crush in a pressing crowd
11 RUNAWAY - two def.
12 (Not solved)
14 GREENMANTLE - green, man + tle (anag. of ‘let’) :: Is this anno correct? I read Buchan’s more famous book “The Thirty-Nine Steps” when in school.
17 DOGGO - two def? :: I solved this from the crossings - the first def is ‘quiet and hidden’ (see Chambers.) I am not sure about the rest of the clue.
18 SEE - SE, E (Spanish, from Espanol)
19 ORIEL - two def
21 PLEISTOCENE - anag. of ‘telescope in’ :: geological period
27 SCOURGE - ‘co’ (company, firm) in ’surge’
28 ATTIC - two def
29 ESPERANTO - anag. of ‘n’ (noun) and ‘operates’ :: Zamenhof devised this international language

Down

1 PIERCE - R (Rex) in ‘piece’
2, 25ac, 24dn THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX - Cryptic def
3 BROWN GOODS - brown, good,s (cf. ‘white goods’)
4 GORY - go, ry (railway, line) :: Pray, what is a ‘try-line’?
5 ADAM AND EVE - two def
6 (Not solved)
7 (Not solved)
8 EGGSHELL - eggs, hell
15 EAST OF EDEN - anag. of ‘defeats one’ - Novel by John Steinbeck (whose book “The Red Pony” was another favourite of mine in school). The clue seems to suggest that one goes to bed with a Steinbeck book but its reading is so compelling that one stays up most of the night. No dispute about the premise. But I am not very enthusiastic about the clue and would not justify the exclamation mark at the end. What do others think?
16 ABOVE-BOARD - above, board
17 DIPLOMAT - anag. of ‘PA, I’m told’
20 IGNORANT - anag. of ‘Ringo” + ant (worker)
22 ESTATE - cryptic def - ‘estate’ is all of one’s assets which one may pass on to someone else
26 INCH - (-f)inch - Nice clue in the use of ‘head’ and ‘foot’
27 SEPT - se(p)t - Sept is a division of a tribe; a clan.

I like Orlando’s clean and precise cluing style — in this case, several instances of cheeky definitions probably deserving of a questionable indicator and more than one of working the answer out from the definition while still struggling with the wordplay.

Across

Down