No 10359, Thursday 12 Jan 12, Sankalak

ACROSS

1   - German car, black, large, with a note loud enough to be heard (7) - AUDIBLE {AUDI}{B}{L}{E}

5   - Stick-in-the-mud who would have a tough end? (7) - DIEHARD {DIE}{HARD}

9   - Can a leonine Cuban moo, however? Very rarely (4,2,1,4,4) - ONCE IN A BLUE MOON*

10 - Way to travel with a long step (6) - STRIDE {ST}{RIDE}

11 - Little bird meets stranger, a disciplinarian (8) - MARTINET {MARTIN}{ET}

13 - Conversation expected to cover one with a record (8) - DIALOGUE {D{I}{A}{LOG}UE}

15 - A good, bright colour containing a drop of eosin? Just so (6) - AGREED {A}{G}{RE{E}D}

18 - Such weather as may portend rain (6) - CLOUDY [CD]

19 - Sailor dispatched with doubled energy to find the one missing (8) - ABSENTEE {AB}{SENT}{EE}

22 - Edible seed for a little bird, one in a pod (8) - CHICKPEA {CHICK}{PEA}

24 - A type with appeal followed by a liberal in charge (6) - ITALIC {IT}{A}{L}{IC}

27 - Clinic deserving to be rebuilt gets motoring permits (7,8) - DRIVING LICENCES*

28 - What a correspondent often claims to be at the end of a missive (7) - SINCERE [CD]

29 - Got going again, finding money in grass (7) - RESUMED {RE{SUM}ED}

DOWN

1   - Excited artist upset, beginning to object, gets exploited (7) - AROUSED {AR<-}{O}{USED}

2   - Scenery seen last month, golden in colour (5) - DECOR {DEC}{OR}

3   - Visually challenged group provides cover for the observer (9) - BLINDFOLD {BLIND}{FOLD}

4   - Antelope, docked, shows energetic style (4) - ELAN ELANd

5   - Everyone taken in by prosecutors in old TV show (6) - DALLAS {D{ALL}A'S}

6   - Turn out for a tennis great (5) - EVERT [DD]

7   - Decoration for British navy people in a spot (9) - ADORNMENT {A}{DO{RN}{MEN}T}

8   - Old actor Robert, with ecstasy and dawn of divinity, made a gift (7) - DONATED {DONAT}{E}{D}

12 - The stick to prod the actor (3) - CUE [DD]

14 - Formal end to an oblation, I suspect (9) - ABOLITION {OBLATION+I}*

16 - Eminence that is thrust upon some, as the Bard said (9) - GREATNESS [GK]

17 - Old President who took a bit out of Elizabeth (3) - ABE [T]

18 - Carbon and acid-mix as produced by these insects (7) - CICADAS {C}{ACID*}{AS}

20 - Forgiven former Conservative gets employed (7) - EXCUSED {EX}{C}{USED}

21 - Distance once conquered by upper-class eagle (6) - LEAGUE {EAGLE+U}*

23 - Weapon that an English informer brought up (5) - KNIFE {KNIF}{E}<-

25 - Uncle most upset, sent out by stand-in (5) - LOCUM {UnCLe+MOst}*

26 - Row made in union close to disaster (4) - TIER {TIE}{R}

GRID