No 9531, Wednesday, 13 May 09, Nita Jaggi

Hopefully this is the last from Ms NJ for a while.

ACROSS
1 - A follower is busy around holding the hard hand back of the primate (8) - {B}{US{HB}{A}BY*} Not satisfied with the annotation I have shown. HB indicates Hard Black in pencils but where did the A come from? (Revised annotation - BUS{HB}{A}{B}Y A follower indicating A B)
5 - Turn on to talk about the river (4) - {U}GAB
9 - Hefty aid is given to the Post Office that is returned in a second (8) - {ADI*}{PO}{SI<-}{S}
10 - Dropped off and killed in a battle (6) - FALLEN [DD]
12 - Appliance found in an alcove niche (4) - OVEN [T]
13 - Valuing a ship at ease at a point where men start from the top (10) - A{SS}ES{S}{MEN}{T}
15 - Put a barrier for one on to sit in the form of a protestor (14) - {OBSTRUCT}{I}{ON}{IST*}
17 - Where a car goes for a regular check-up? (7,7) - SERVICE STATION [CD]
21 - Cancel his mark to show him little scope of success (4,6) - SLI{M} CHANCE*
22 - Peacekeepers in the large city of the moon (4) - L{UN}A
25 - Cook the odd bird as it steams (6) - {B}{R}{A}{I}{S}{E}
26 - Applier of the last coat of paint (8) - FINISHER [CD]
27 - Home Counties are after each with comfort (4) - {EA}{SE}
28 - Governor traces the different area units (8) - {HE}CTARES*
DOWN
1 - Philosopher holds a low grade signal of light (6) - B{E}ACON
2 - Pointed projection on the second tree (5) - {S}{PINE}
3 - Start up the machine with a hard kick (4) - BOOT [DD]
4 - Sikh hub developed by the monk (7) - BHIKSHU
6 - Common people have tea, a different sort around a circle (10) - GRAS{SR{O}OT}S Grass and Tea?
7 - Graduate has a couple of learners for the girl to love the dancer (9) - {BA}{LL}{ERIN}O
8 - Thousand on an alien painter (5) - {M}{ON}{ET}
11 - Head boy to let loose the strip of cloth (4) - {B}{ELT*}
14 - Is one actress in trouble taking the set of steps? (10) - ST{A}IRCASES*
16 - Wall put up, is constructed for a bird race (9) - BARRICADE*
18 - Say, turn up an Asian bird taken from the nest (4) - {E}YAS
19 - First to take the performance on an isle leaving us in a touching manner (7) - {T}{ACT}{ILE}
20 - Looks after around the deserted members (6) - CA{D}RES
21 - Shoe in large boats (5) - SABOT*
23 - Doorkeeper from America has a woman (5) - {US}{HER}
24 - Container has the shade (4) - {TIN}{T}