The Sunday Crossword No 2981, Sunday 04 Feb 2018

GREETINGS ON THE NINTH ANNIVERSARY OF THCC

ACROSS
1   Excess force in confident appeal (7) SURFEIT {SUR{F}E}{IT}
5   Answer following reasonable concern (6) AFFAIR {A}{F}{FAIR}
10 Be uncomfortably hot while in bunk (5) ROAST {RO{AS}T}
11 Royal attendants echo doubts about king (9) EQUERRIES {E}{QUER{R}IES} E/Echo?
12 Narrow-minded snub, ignoring conclusion by revolutionary artist (7) INSULAR {INSULt}{RA<=}
13 Barrier formed by river, not well (7) RAILING {R}{AILING}
14 Engine dad had designed for secret purpose (6,6) HIDDEN AGENDA*
18 Carefully controlled step by chap getting on (5-7) STAGE-MANAGED {STAGE}-{MAN}{AGED}
21 No longer working in December, time filled with merriment (7) DEFUNCT {DE{FUN}C}{T}
22 Fancy duck followed by seconds in endless meal (7) SUPPOSE {SUPP{O}{S}Er}
24 Free article, almost useless, with large fit (9) AVAILABLE {A}{VAIn}{L}{ABLE}
25 Tree without decoration by the sound of it (5) PLANE (~plain)
26 Dates, not normally variable,fixed   (6) STEADY {DATES*}{Y}
27 Cloud level about right (7) STRATUS {ST{R}ATUS}

DOWN
1   Spectacle involving skill coming up directly (8) STRAIGHT {S{ART<=}IGHT}
2   Spy hoard, stirred to make expression of ecstasy (8) RHAPSODY*
3   Praise text, old-fashioned to some extent (5) EXTOL [T]
4   Novel gag, hasty, better after revision (3,5,6) THE GREAT GATSBY*
6   In favour of effort, study taboo (9) FORBIDDEN {FOR}{BID}{DEN}
7   Sour account about police department on island (6) ACIDIC {A{CID}{I}C}
8   Extend contract or quit (6) RESIGN [DD]
9   Supply officers in region on planet disrupted by alien's rising (14) QUARTERMASTERS {QUARTER}{MA{ETS<=}RS}
15 Involved in goal, securing team's first corner (9) ENTANGLED {EN{Team}{ANGLE}D}
16 Upset about soldier with angry speech lacking knowledge (8) IGNORANT {ON}{GI}<={RANT}
17 Unravelling lies, ends inactivity (8) IDLENESS*
19 Principles one compromises? (6) IDEALS {1}{DEALS}
20 Erase error initially supported by very loud expert (6) EFFACE {Er..r}{FF}{ACE}
23 Assistant for each essay (5) PAPER {PA}{PER}

GRID