Mephisto 2958 – Paul McKenna – Albert and Harold visit Walmington-on-Sea

Across

1   British and in Bordeaux, she’s a beaut (5)
    BELLE; B-ELLE

5   Right to needle soldier’s pal being drier (7)
   WRINGER; W(R)INGER; soldier’s pal=WINGER

10 Cook’s tool put inside readily reduced something top-notch (9)
    SMASHEROO; S(MASHER)OO(n);

11 Wee bit of pencil, eg, is small, however, returned (4)
  STUB; S-BUT reversed

12 Bright Bishop, soft for some (6)
   BRAINY; B-RAINY; dialect for soft=RAINY

13 It wound up inclined (6)
   TENDED; ‘T-ENDED

16 Fire in Hubbard, Oregon (5)
   ARDOR; hidden (hub)ARD-OR(egon); US version of “ardour”

17 Bit of fun going round bronze left in hock (7)
   GAMBREL; GAM(BR)E-L; bronze=BR

18 Oddball or hippy clutching gold fowl (9)
   PORPHYRIO; (or hippy)* surrounds OR=gold; the swamp hen

21 With almighty indulgence I tried wrestling with Aga (9, two words)
   DEI,GRATIA; (I tried Aga)*;

24 Tub almost necessary once with a dessert (7)
    BACLAVA; BAC(k)-LAV-A; tub=back; necessary=old word for toilet;

26 Explain about constant aid to immunity (5)
    T-CELL; T(C)ELL;

28 Noted one harnessed by Spenser (6)
    ITEMED; I-TEMED;

29 Letter used by Tsipras ahead of recess rejecting eastern city (6)
    MUNICH; MU-NICH(e);

30 Sturgeon’s joke about universal obstruction (4)
    BAUR; BA(U)R;

31 Saying standard nonsense before prayer (9)
   PARROTCRY ; PAR-ROT-CRY;

32 In a kind way knowing about wife and return of what curlers aim for (7)
    SWEETLY; SLY surrounds W and TEE reversed; what curlers aim for=TEE

33 An old word for consider is bear (5)
    STEEM; ‘S-TEEM; is=’S; bear=TEEM

Down

1 Bird of abnormal size, socially acceptable for one acting (7)
   BUSTARD; of abnormal size=bastard then change “a=acting” to “u”;

2 Somehow endure tape wanting God of lyric poems (9)
   EUTERPEAN; (endure tape – d=deus)*;

3   Praises surrounding Newham’s first grassy areas (6)
   LAUNDS; LAU(N)DS;

4   City set up around a chap such as Charlemagne (7)
   EMPEROR; ROME reversed surrounds PER=a;

5   Welsh Alderman, sedate forest-ranger (9)
   WALDGRAVE; W-ALD-GRAVE

6   Attention-seeking call lifted crowd in a holy state (5)
   IHRAM; HI reversed – RAM;

7   Close to settler getting into marshal (6, two words)
   NEAR,BY; NE(ARB)Y; settler=arbitrator=ARB;

8   Network expecting to lose its central pair (4)
   GRID; GR(av)ID

9   Stag would be faithful under a different leader
  ROYAL; faithful=loyal;

14 Eg, Mainwaring’s leadership destroyed any pact I see getting in (9)
   CAPTAINCY; (any pact I)* surrounds C=see; reference Dad’s Army TV show;

15 I shall slip into something plunging and resort to night-light (9)
   VEILLEUSE; VE(I’LL)E-USE;

19 Boxers, say, not drinking in here in German section (7)
   HITTERS; HI(TT)ER-S; section=S;

20 Steptoe’s lane is over the hill one admitted — strange (7, two words)
    OIL,DRUM; O(I)LD-RUM; reference Steptoe and Son TV show;

22 Majesty in France heading to Grenoble on river there (6)
    GLOIRE; G-LOIRE;

23 Parent left in charge of one similar? (6)
    FEMALE; FE(MA-L)E;

24 Annual treat, maybe, is behind empty promises (5)
    BUMPS; BUM-P(romise)S;

25 Advanced skills teacher adopting company tie (5)
    ASCOT; AS(CO)T; advanced skills teacher=AST;

27 Term for pain in uncapped passion is concerning in Pope’s language (4, two    words)
    IN,RE; (f)IRE surrounds (pai)N;