Still no complaints overall about an excellent crossword that tested me to my utmost as a MCS jolly well should. Many thanks and shaken fists to the setter!
ACROSS:
1 Champion’s cover lapsed(8)
BACKSLID – BACK’S LID [champion’s | cover]
6 Conversation turned away from church coffee morning? (6)
KLATCH – TALK turned away from CH [conversation; church]
9 Warm boot? Dirt, by chance, about to be removed from both (6)
MUKLUK – MU{c}K, by LU{c}K, C to be removed from both [dirt; chance; about]
10 Bronze not going to every person, cheers restrained (8)
PERMATAN – PER MAN [to every person], TA [cheers] restrained
11 Indian primate’s minor part in Catholicization (4)
ZATI – hidden in {catholi}ZATI{on}
12 Hasty composition from wife in pain (10)
WHIPSTITCH – W HIP STITCH [wife | in | pain]
14 Put out, I ponder about series of barbs (8)
VEXILLUM – VEX I + MULL about [put out; I; ponder]
16 On return, informal greeting having Greek in frenzy(4)
ORGY – on return, YO having GR in [informal greeting; Greek]
18 A case of couples inside wetsuit not touching (4)
ETUI – hidden piecemeal in {w}ET{s}UI{t}
19 The Spanish cabinet’s uncertain refusal to embrace Amaiur’s right wing (8)
VARGUENO – VAGUE NO [uncertain | refusal] to embrace {Amaiu}R
21 Major confrontation’s beginning: monk abused lapsed sect member (4,6)
JACK MORMON – (MAJOR C{onfrontation} MONK*) [“abused”]
22 Odd bits of a set of sports clothing exchanged for coloured fabric (4)
IKAT – odd bits of A KIT [a set of sports clothing] exchanged, i.e. the first and third letters need to swap places
24 Nice that fellow Geordie, perhaps, should head new plant(8)
HENEQUEN – QUE [Nice = French word for “that”] (which) HE NE [fellow | northeastern = Geordie, perhaps] + N [new]
26 Answer periodical claims over musical drama (6)
AZIONE – A ZINE claims O [answer; periodical; over]
27 Scrub floor originally fouled by son (6)
FYNBOS – F{loor} + (BY SON*) [“fouled”]
28 Eggs, oily and packed with energy, not a good way to do them (4,4)
OVER EASY – OV{a g}REASY [eggs | oily], packed with E [energy], not A G [a | good]
DOWN
2 Group with bugle stir anti-aircraft shelters (5)
AJUGA – JUG [stir] (which) AA [anti-aircraft] shelters
3 While away, one thrill is carrying home tobacco substitute (11)
KILLIKINICK – KILL I KICK [while away | one | thrill] is carrying IN [home]
4 Scot’s watch that is fancy to be stolen (8)
LIKEWALK – LIKE [fancy] + WALK [to be stolen]
5 VIP motioned old, old MP to shift double quick! (6,9)
DOPPIO MOVIMENTO – (VIP MOTIONED O O MP*) [“to shift”]
6 Hides garment in bottom of trunk, horizontally, concealing cape (6)
KAROSS – {trun}K + A{c}ROSS [horizontally, “concealing” C for cape]
7 Mobile you’ll find there, made in a certain style (1,2)
A LA – differently punctuated, ALA. = Alabama = the state in which you’ll find Mobile
8 O perhaps for one of one hundred healthy, convincing, missing conclusions (9)
CHALCOGEN – C [one hundred] + HAL{e}, COGEN{t} [healthy, convincing, both “missing conclusions”]. O = oxygen, the first chalcogen in the periodic table.
13 Solution for skin problem I had “neat” — then I had to have water passed round (11)
IDOXURIDINE – I’D OX, then I’D to have URINE passed round [I had; neat; I had; urine]
15 Wit of the day recalled, seldom missing a stroke (9)
EUTRAPELY – TUE [= Tuesday = day] recalled + RARELY “missing a stroke” from the second R and becoming RAPELY
17 French dish ordered includes S African bread (8)
BRANDADE – BADE includes RAND [ordered; S African bread (ie money)]
20 Books to enter first part of the summer’s big race (6)
JOTUNS – OT to enter JUN’S [Old Testament = books; first part of the summer’s]. JUN, JUL, and AUG are the three parts of the summer, abbreviated.
23 Tanner that’s lost rather quietly turning up in trees(5)
ALNUS – SUNLA{mp} [tanner, as in something that tans, that’s lost its MP = mezzo-piano = rather quietly], turning up
What h-honeycomb maker briefly turns to? Not to wax (3)
EBB – B-BE{e} reversed
1 and a half hours, but with aids.