Times 28,211: Forster, Forester, Fortissimo

I *did* get slowed down at the end in the SW corner: 13dn was a pretty big leap from the definition of “Fauntleroy” (!) and my LOI, 26ac, needed quite an alphabet trawl before the penny dropped.

An awful lot of the clues seemed above averagely good and fun. I liked St Anders a lot, “what’ll silence buzzer” and “works both ways”, as well as the un-PC hepcat. Much enjoyed, setter, thanks very much!

Definitions underlined in italics, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.

Across
1 In Yorkshire town, large fruit’s guarantee of freshness? (4-2,4)
SELL-BY DATE – In SELBY, L(arge) + DATE [fruit]
6 Composer’s “very loud” alternative? (4)
ORFF – OR FF [fortissimo]
9 Christopher to give up ringing his first relatives (4,3,3)
KITH AND KIN – KIT [Christopher] + HAND IN [to give up] “ringing” K{it}
10 Tight component in maladjusted gyroscope (4)
EDGY – hidden in {maladjust}ED GY{roscope}
12 Film of aviator, one whom we sent flying (1,4,4,1,4)
A ROOM WITH A VIEW – (AVIATOR I WHOM WE*)
14 Favour one make (6)
OBLIGE – double def
15 Raise profit as symbol of oppression (8)
JACKBOOT – JACK [raise] + BOOT [profit]
17 Not slow as Liberal Left to put in a sympathetic word (3,5)
ALL THERE – L(iberal) L(eft) put into A THERE [as in “there, there”]
19 Sailor’s secure? He might get the sack (6)
POSTIE – P.O.’s TIE
22 Number dash to secure E European espionage facility (4-6,4)
DEAD-LETTER DROP – DEADER [numb-er] + DROP [dash, as in “of whiskey”] “securing” LETT
24 They’re strung up and kept, equally securely, at the front (4)
UKES – U{p} + K{ept} E{qually} S{ecurely}
25 Fool’s new pay cut works both ways (10)
NINCOMPOOP – N(ew) INCOM{e} + reversed OP + OP
26 Aloud, runs down old preacher (4)
KNOX – homophone of KNOCKS
27 Witnesses what’s written beneath title of saintly Swede’s book? (10)
BYSTANDERS – BY ST. ANDERS
Down
1 Believer taking risks regularly in order to bring peace? (4)
SIKH – {r}I{s}K{s} in SH! [an order to be quiet]
2 Volume of Poe’s — maybe a line shows misprint (7)
LITERAL – LITER [volume, to an American] + A L(ine)
3 Repositioning hollow hidden log, lay back comfortably (2,1,4,5)
BY A LONG CHALK – (H{idde}N LOG LAY BACK*)
4 Scorn drink after party (2,4)
DO DOWN – DOWN after DO
5 Chap runs, first to board public transport (8)
TRISTRAM – R 1ST “boarding” TRAM
7 Pole with fiddle meeting old composer (7)
RODRIGO – ROD with RIG meeting O
8 What’ll silence buzzer going off initially when tyre’s flat (10)
FLYSWATTER – (W{hen} TYRE’S FLAT*)
11 Get behind trees overlooking motorway briefly and peer, mostly unseen (12)
BACKWOODSMAN – BACK WOODS M AN{d} – “a male member of the House of Lords who rarely attends it and who typically lives in a rural area far from London”
13 Assume nothing about a Lord Fauntleroy? (6,4)
DONALD DUCK – DON [assume] DUCK [nothing], about A LD. Fauntleroy is Donald Duck’s middle name
16 Good uniform one found tossed in vermin-infested tip (8)
GRATUITY – G + U I in RATTY
18 Drop holiday travel (5,2)
LEAVE GO – LEAVE [holiday] + GO [travel]
20 Couple beginning to talk without notes (7)
TWOSOME – T{alk} W/O + SO and ME [two musical notes]
21 I’m cool? The opposite, if not PC! (6)
HEPCAT – which becomes HEAT [opposite of cool] if PC is subtracted
23 At college, a small tree (4)
UPAS – UP A S