1 Not the kind of religion for Mr Mo Simon? (9)
6 Music in Jamaica is like Return of the King – gripping (3)
9 Massive contracts to eastern city Paul addressed in a letter (8)
10 One of the three ‘R’s, one in French, and an example of German’s writing (4)
11 Saint did wrong withholding name in hindsight (5)
12 4 drunk going about a pub makes it official for Josiah (7)
14 Persian queen, the first to vanquish and scatter Hittite installations (6)
16 West African capital may, for instance, be redeployed to East – from North originally (6)
18 Weaver, English composer penning for a church (7)
20 Operation Papa has German go-ahead to besiege a biblical port (5)
23Drooled when dissecting crosswords (4)
24 One of Herod’s daughter’s dull airs for dancing (8)
25 Lamech’s grandson, a stage hog? (3)
26 Concerning, poetry after Ulster retrospective is not moving forward (2,7)
Cryptic down
2 It’s zero-zero-zero-nine outside, an atmosphere most bracing! (5)
3 Space, when coming back down, is hard, sterile (7)
4 Living in Swindon – a shoemaker – he worked a lot in Bath (4)
5 Girls blow their horns for the pharaoh (8)
7 Headless fish, also, king put before the queen (7)
8 Produce this when turning French meat (4)
13 Daniel’s ordeal being Millwall’s home? (5,3)
15 King, one that’s good at holding on, they say (7)
17 Morning love routine of a Canaanite (7)
19 Shelter’s close to rose bed higher up (4)
21 Target some unhappy losers in Navarino before the battle (5)
22 Obscure literary character, one hailed in song? (4)
Quick across
1 In Norway, the closest point to either Pole accessible by continuous road (5,4)
6 Suitable[:] location found in Provence! (3)
9 Geological period so named after many examples of its rock are to be found in Wales (8)
10 Indian city, home to the Taj Mahal (4)
11 Declaim; announce (5)
12 ——- and Trachonitis, region ruled by Herod Philip in John the Baptist’s time (7)
14 Roman province in the NT governed from Corinth (either spelling) (6)
16 Birthmark (6)
18 Catholic council and Vatican basilica (7)
20 Place for unbaptized but innocent or righteous souls: (between) two extremes (5)
23 Wife of Raguel and mother of Sarah who married Tobias (4)
24 OT book of just three chapters named after a Judaean prophet (8)
25 Herb: horse with reddish-brown colouring (3)
26 Dweller in, or a frequenter of, a Hindu retreat (9)
Quick down
2 Style of abstractionism popular in the 1960s with visual effects difficult for the eye to resolve (2,3)
3 Woman of Joppa Peter raised from the dead (7)
4 Baby’s bed: copy (4)
5 One offering remorse for sins committed under the direction of a confessor (8)
7 Johnny-come-lately; upstart (7)
8 Coal-rich German region (4)
13 High Priest before whom Jesus was taken (8)
15 One mentioned in a greeting to Timothy from Paul in Rome (7)
17 Name of King Jehoiakim before it was changed by Pharaoh Necho (7)
19 Biblical country east of Babylonia, capital Susa (4)
21 British conductor (1889-1983) who gave the first performance of Holst’s The Planets (5)
22 Ancestor of Hebrews, son of Shem, father of Joktan (4)
Crossword answers
Cryptic answers to No 0542: Across: 7 Excommunicate, 8 Thy, 9 Irish elk, 11 Anthony, 12 Scott, 14 Felix, 15 Bacenor, 17 Jim Bowie, 18/20 Get away from it all. Down: 1 Exchange views, 2 Cob, 3 Ambient, 4 Ennis, 5 Ice hockey, 6 Stiletto heels, 10 Choirboys, 13 Palermo, 16 Dwarf, 19 Ate.
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