No 13600, Tuesday 05 Jul 2022, Arden

Solution to 1D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   Spindle diameter provided, allowing fast rotation (7) DISTAFF {D}{I{FAST*}F}

5   Food stuff for bringing happiness, force to go on top (7) GELATIN (+g)GELATIN(-g)

9   Searches for information, don't go for looks (5) OGLES goOGLES

10 Mugwort's 'rocking times' presented in song (9) ARTEMISIA {AR{TIMES*}IA}

11 After midnight some stay outside, it's not for you girls! (4,5) STAG PARTY {STA{niGht}{PART}Y}

12 Note in plain envelope, it may be lighter (5) BARGE {BAR{G}E}

13 Singing star eager to return (4) DIVA<=

15 Girl and boy share a place in France (8) NORMANDY {NORM(A)NDY} or {NORM(A}{A)NDY}

18 Broke after grabbing victory — cheeky! (8) INSOLENT INSOLvENT

19 Call back while in remand (4) NAME [T<=]

22 Angry buccaneers exposed (5) IRATE pIRATEs

24 Coach daily, Bill will stop in the middle (9) CHARABANC {CHAR}{A{BAN}C}

26 Maximum time, manoeuvre as to admit them first (2,3,4) AT THE MOST {AS+TO}* over {THEM} {Correction - {T}<=>{AS+TO}* over {THEM} - See comments)

27 Bird can see rat's tail in mud (5) STILT {S{raT}ILT}

28 Sea creature — one to checkmate in the middle of sea (7) MANATEE {M{AN}ATE}{sEa}

29 Venerable old lady cooked, yearning to get inside (7) DOYENNE {DO{YEN}NE}

DOWN

1   Complaint of a bribe (6) D?O?S? (Addendum - DROPSY [DD] - See comments)

2   Not universal address, it’s a sudden evolutionary change (9) SALTATION SALuTATION

3   He spun a yarn which made one sit up (5) AESOP {A}{POSE<=}

4   Newspaper in European country — L'Arome? (9) FRAGRANCE {FRA{RAG}ANCE}

5   Getting way up, fellow's very brave (5) GUTSY {GU{ST<=}Y}

6   Stupid to unfairly blame the wet weather (9) LAMEBRAIN {BLAME*}{RAIN}

7   Get a serve in — that was a stunner! (5) TASER [T]

8   Spruce up cattle in the middle of tent (6) NEATEN {NEAT}{tENt}

14 Tom joins 8 to make reparation (9) ATONEMENT {TOM+NEATEN}*

16 Pulled back from grass covered land (9) RETRACTED {RE{TRACT}ED}

17 Motherland's curse (9) DAMNATION {DAM}{NATION}

20 Entrance for working maids right inside (6) DISARM {DISA{R}M*}

21 Extremely systematic, they go from bottom to top with the mower (6) SCYTHE {Sy...iC}{(+y)YTHE(-y)}

23 Do as instructed in a London suburb (3,2) ACT ON ACTON

24 Replicate 151 in other words... (5) CLONE {C}{L}{ONE}

25 ...like, for example, value (5) ASSAY {AS}{SAY}

Reference List

Diameter = D, Force G, Note = G, Victory = V, Daily = CHAR, Time = T,  Bill = AC, Universal = U, Newspaper = RAG, Cattle = NEAT, Mother = DAM, Right = R, 100 =C, 50 = L