The first word in this crossword grid gives a hint of what is to come, a veritable cornucopia of reverses, backing, turning, upward motion and the like almost persuading me it would be advantageous to do the thing upside down and back to front. I don’t think I’m mistaken in seeing rather more of the technique than we usually see.
Otherwise, not a terribly tricky offering with some kind if rather verbose cluing, especially in the across clues. I’m hard pushed to spot the word or words that anyone will complain about, though Morcombe is known better in the UK than elsewhere. But hey, you’ve seen it before in this parish.
I ticked over in 18.20, and especially appreciated the marital drama at 24.
My results are presented below, with clues, definitions and SOLUTIONS
Across
1 Character‘s upset about what’s in magazine, taking it the wrong way (8,5)
INVERTED COMMA Upset is INVERTED, the about gives just the C this time (Circa) and AMMO is what’s in a magazine (not the paper sort). AMMO is reversed (the rather verbose “taking it the wrong way”).
8 Epicure avoids stuffing, surrounded by paper plates (4)
FEET The definition is CRS, plates of meat. Epicure has all its stuffing removed, leaving just the two Es, and the paper Is the F(inancial) T(imes).
9 Dealer’s opening boat business — we’re told it could occupy a lot of space (4,6)
DARK MATTER Thought to account for most of the mass of the universe, but no-one to know what it is. Difficult to observe directly (it’s dark) it hasn’t been yet, but it must be there to account for the way the rest of the universe works. I’m willing to bet it’ll turn out to be a boojum. Here it’s Dealer’s opening D, plus ARK for boat, plus business giving MATTER. Chambers gives business: a matter requiring attention.
10 Loaded from forklift initially, pipe secured by worker (8)
AFFLUENT So the worker is an ANT, enclosing the front of Forklift (initially) and FLUE for pipe.
11 Concerned with ousting bad smell from fish tank component (6)
TURRET Start with TURBOT for fish, replace the BO (bad smell) with RE for concerned with.
13 One sudden movement leads to accidental cloudiness in decidedly pungent chemical (6,4)
ACETIC ACID One gives ACE and sudden movement TIC. Then add the leads (first letters) of Accidental Cloudiness In Decidedly. You know it as vinegar.
16 Cockney tramp overheard, one found among the reeds? (4)
OBOE Sounds like (overheard) the Cockney version of HOBO, for tramp. Would a Cockney ever use the term hobo, with or without the H?
17 Street which has inspired poet before an audience? (4)
MEWS My last in, a soundalike (before an audience) for MUSE, a poet’s inspiration.
18 US workers visiting old railway workshop (10)
LABORATORY With the US perfectly sensible habit of spelling -our words without the U, LABOR for workers, who are visiting, therefor AT and O(ld) R(ailwa)Y
20 Close jam factory in the end (6)
STUFFY You need to read close as in a cul-de-sac. Then STUFF for jam and the last letter (in the end) of factory gives your answer.
22 One gets depressed when entering capital (5,3)
SHIFT KEY Even as I write! An acceptable cryptic definition.
24 Consequence of Denise and Eric’s break-up? (6,4)
DECREE NISI I like this, as it’s pretty much an &lit. An anagram (break-up) of DENISE and ERIC, a critical point in divorce proceedings
26 First-class journalist backed assistant (4)
AIDE A1 for first class plus a backwards ED for journalist.
27 Cash allowance to be decided by beginning of week, ok to go back outside (8,5)
SPENDING MONEY Is there another kind? To be decided is PENDING, the beginning of week -um – W, the two bits enclosed in a reversed YES for ok.
Down
1 Fifteen new changes involving old chemical company that’s wasteful (11)
INEFFICIENT Those of us of a certain age will always think ICI for chemical company, and today it’s enclosed (involving) in an anagram (changes) of FIFTEEN N(ew)
2 Securing it, John turned key (5)
VITAL Yet another reversal (turned) this time of LAV, one of the many words for bog or loo of which John is an example. Secure IT (in plain sight) within.
3 Communist writer is correct (3-6)
RED PENCIL Not in my Chambers as such (others have it), but easily remembered from Skule Dayz, the usually illegible teacher’s marks on your lovingly prepared script pointing out your deficiencies. RED for Communist and PENCIL for writer.
4 Uneven grass in Morecambe (7)
ERRATIC ERIC Morecambe, beloved British comedy partner of Ernie Wise, arrives here presumably fresh from his divorce in 24. Grass is not reedy stuff but betraying RAT. Insert.
5 County constabulary tailed streaker (5)
COMET The MET are the Metropolitan Police, following a standard CO abbreviation for County.
6 Books, or book dropped into surrounding water — from this? (9)
MOTORBOAT You’re meant to envisage a library dumping scenario. Books are/is O(ld) T(estament), OR in plain sight, another B(ook) all inserted into MOAT for surrounding water.
7 Car part, left out for scrap (3)
AXE Scrap in its verbal form. The car part is an AXLE with L(eft) left out.
12 Green cornfield after ploughing you turned up to take in (3-8)
ECO-FRIENDLY I left this for final sorting until now, since everything was more or less there. It’s an anagram (after ploughing) of CORNFIELD contained in a reversed(!) turned up YE for you.
14 Military group occupying battlement ask for ceasefire (4,5)
TASK FORCE Likewise this one, only to realise it’s a simple hidden (occupying) in battlemenT ASK FOR CEasefire.
15 Daughter is in warm pants — that’s the theory (9)
DARWINISM Pants is the anagram indicator, D(aughter) IS IN WARM the fodder. Rather more observable that dark matter, methinks.
19 Good French wine is kept in stronghold (7)
BASTION Lift and separate carefully, or you end up trying to fit VIN rather than ASTI in for wine. It’s set in French for good, BON.
21 Regularly leaving by five, glad to make return (5)
YIELD Regular letters in bY fIvE gLaD leave.
23 Creativity in Belfast, potentially on the rise in school (5)
TRAIN N(othern) I(reland) ART might well be produced in Belfast. Here its on the rise , yes, really, reversed.
25 Birds initially ignored nuts (3)
ENS Nuts in printing are blocks of type creating space called ENS. The birds are HENS from which the initial is ignored.
I even gave ODOT a try at 16ac! But ‘Cockney Sparrers’ don’t drop their Gs, do they Guv’?
At the masquerades of Versailles, Venice and New Orleans, masks were compulsory! How fashions change. COD DARWINISM Time 15:54 mins
My jam was a stick not a stuff
This made 14 down rather tough
I finally got mews
Before blowing a fuse
By that point I had had enough
Rather inconsistent solve on my part but dealing with reversed words and letters isn’t one of my fortes I’m afraid.
FOI 8 ac “feet” recognising the CRS, then found it hard going until revisiting LOI and COD 1 ac “Inverted Comma”, where I had been totally misled earlier, looking for a sort of comic as in magazine.
Thanks to Z for an entertaining blog and to setter.