This puzzle appeared only on the paper’s website - the previous day’s Virgilius was reprinted in the paper.

I found it very hard, but got there in the end - solving time 70 mins.   There’s quite a bit that I do not fully understand - if anyone can help I’d much appreciate it - it’s the first time I’ve done a puzzle from the site and I found a  little difficult when it can’t be printed out.

So I’m writing this with only my answers in front of me, so forgive absence of clue numbers and some other usual features, but I hope it’s clear enough.

* = anagram < = reversal

ACROSS

MONTANA   It’s a state but I do not understand the rest

OVERHIT    V in anagram

THIRTYSOMETHING   Again, I understand the definition, but not the rest

CLEAR   Double definition

CORNFIELD   Guess Constable must have painted one, but did not check (rifle)* con d make it up if a little loosely.

NO (THIN) G    This was very good

TANK TOP   cf tonk tap

SA LAD BOW L

ERUP T  pure<

VAUGH AN WILLIAMS   See the anagram for the last ten letters but do not understand the rest

RAISINS   Not understood, apart from definition

EX (C) ITED

DOWN

EMOTI (C) ON

INCIDENTAL MUSIC   Cryptic definition

MASTERMIND C HAIR   Theme of the puzzle linked with 6 down   Hair is the musical, not too sure of the rest

PARSE C

TOM (MY) ROT    Wordplay not fully understood

SEAT OF INTELLECT   I eventually worked this out from the anagram, when I’d sufficient crossing letters.  I Googled it then to see what it referred to but nothing much came up so I do not understand the reference in the clue

THAI RESTAURANTS   Got this straightaway - anagram

ST AGED   Liked this

GOODNESS   Double definition I got early on

PUT ASIDE   anagram of a dispute

S (EVER) N   Sn = tin - this was clever, I thought

L (O) ITER   How Americans spell litre

Great puzzle from this consistently entertaining and challenging setter. Still don’t understand 28, 1, and 16 and not sure about the definition at 6.

Common abbreviations used
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
* = anagram

Across
1 AVIEMORE Cha of A VIE (struggle) MORE (again) A holiday resort in Scotland
5 IMPART Cha of IMP (young offender) ART (skill)
10 TEPID Ins of P (prince) in TEID (rev DIET, Japanese parliament)
11 MOUSTACHE *(eats much o)
12 RETALIATE *(retail tea)
13 ROAST dd
14 PEDANT P (quiet) ED (journalist) ANT (worker)
15 SEA BASS Ins of EAB (English Able-Bodied or sailor) in SAS (military outfit) S (special)
18 RETREAT
20 ROMANY Rev of OR (gold) MANY (a lot)
22 TRAMP tram P (park)
24 PIPE DREAM *(prime pad e)
25 CASSEROLE Ins of S in CASE (box) + ROLE (part)
26 EXACT ex (executive) act (pretence)
27 LAMBDA LAMB (writer) DA (rev of AD, poster)
28 WEASELLY Ins of EASEL (support) L (lecturer) in WY (Wyoming

Down
1 ATTIRE Homophone of a tyre
2 IMPATIENT Ins of MP (politician) A TIE (a connection) in INT (interest)
3 MIDDLE AGE SPREAD Quite an amusing cd
4 REMNANT Ins of MNA *(man) in RENT (payment)
6 MOTORWAY MADNESS MOT (Ministry of Transport, annual British test for roadworthiness of vehicles after a certain age) *(was modern say)
7 ACCRA Ins of CR (credit) in A CA (an accountant)
8 TREATISE TREAT (doctor) IS E (beginning to Enjoy)
9 RUBENS Ins of N in RUBES … a country bumpkin; an uncouth, unsophisticated person.
16 ANNIE HALL *(Neil Alan H for hospital)
17 PROTOCOL Cha of PRO (for) & ins of C (college) in TO-OL (file, perhaps) Thanks to Rishikesh
19 TOP DOG Rev of GOD (much admired character) POT (prize)
20 REPLETE Ins of E PL (English place) in RETE, a network, eg of blood vessels or nerves.
21 SMUTTY Ins of MUTT (dog) in SY (outskirts of SalisburY)
23 ASSAM (l) ASS AM (morning)

Common abbreviations used
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
* = anagram

What a lovely day this has been. Yesterday’s offering by Virgilius was such a delight and then Pasquale gave us one of his best efforts; especially his very creative definitions.

Across
1 DOVER CASTLE Ins of OVERCAST (dull as in weather) in D-LE *(led)
9 MINGLED Punny clue alluding to Sir Walter Menzies Campbell, commonly known as Ming Campbell, who was a former leader of the Liberal Democrats
10 TRADE ON Homophone of tray don- Chambers: to count on or take advantage of, esp unscrupulously.

11 OVERTRAIN Cha of OVERT (public) RAIN (wet weather)

12 KEYED What a devious definition Pasquale came up with… fastened with a piece of metal.I had to look up a new word ked, a wingless fly that infests sheep to get insertion of YE in KED
13 HOBO H(ob)O
14 STRONGROOM Ins of Ron (man) in ST (street) & GROOM (put in order)
16 FER-DE-LANCE A new word for me *(freed) + ins of C in LANE
19 BAAL Definitely not a banal clue
21 CANID Deletion of D (daughter) from CANDID (frank)
22 OPODELDOC Another new word being cha of OP (bit of surgery) ODEL *(olde) DOC (medico)
24 DROPOUT dd Chambers: a drop kick taken following the defender’s touchdown; a person who has withdrawn from an academic course
25 EYESHOT If we can hear within earshot, we should be able to see within eyeshot
26 MOLESTATION Another superb punny and funny clue parading mole (spy) station (HQ)

Down
1 DANIEL BARENBOIM My favourite clue of the day. A &lit anagram clue of *(admirable one in b). I was rolling on the floor when I saw a symphony orchestra conductor being described as “in front of band, waving about”
2 VALET Vale + T (psychiatrisT ultimately)
3 RADIANT Ins of AD in RIANT (laughing)
4 ANTONIO Cha of ANT (worker) ONIO(n) He really got himself in trouble with Shylock
5 TRACKAGE Cha of T (time) RACK (joint) AGE (AD)
6 EVERY NOW AND THEN *(the navy renowned) What a smooth surface and probably true, too.
7 SMOOCH S (sun) MOOCH (to hang around)
8 ANADEM (m)AN ADEM *(made)
15 DEED POLL Another superb cryptic definition with handle (name) being so cleverly disguised
16 FACADE Ins of AC (current) in FADE
17 AGOUTIS A gout is - small S American rodents related to the guinea-pig
18 CHOLERA School minus so = CHOL + ERA (period)
20 LUCITE Homophone for loo site Lucite (registered trade mark) is a kind of solid, transparent plastic, often used instead of glass.
23 ELEMI *(melamine minus man)