No 12728, Thursday 12 Sep 2019, Gridman

ACROSS
1   Father's straight test to first cattle farmer (11) PASTORALIST {PA}{ST}{ORAL}{1ST}
9   Sense some of the small amount is lost (7) INKLING Anno pending (Addendum - sprINKLING - See comments)
10 Writer and worker holding diamond ornament (7) PENDANT {PEN}{D}{ANT}
11 Central tray has the thing – a dish from India (5) RAITA {tRAy}{IT}{A}
12 Check learner dropping copy (9) IMITATION lIMITATION
13 Large mammal's joint by river (5) HIPPO {HIP}{PO}
15 The man's tales merge into accounts of the past (9) HISTORIES {HI(S)TORIES}
18 Compel boss to get fastener (5,4) PRESS STUD {PRESS}{STUD}
21 Delete article in Gaelic (5) ERASE {ER{A}SE}
22 Knock down hospital in open fight (9) OVERTHROW {OVERT}{H}{ROW}
24 Investigators with journalist are in place (5) SITED {SIT}{ED}
26 One Goth moving and moving constantly (2,3,2) ON THE GO*
27 Pig and mare portrayed in a pithy statement (7) EPIGRAM*
28 Lighters of mine? (6,5) SAFETY LAMPS [CD]

DOWN
1   Irish prop provided for church post (9) PRIORSHIP*
2   Sanely all kids took it initially as woman manifestation (5) SAKTI Acrostic
3   Egg-bearing Di dropped out of avoirdupois programme (9) OVIPAROUS AVOIRdUPOiS*
4   A faulty gun – his – causes woe (7) ANGUISH {A}{GUN+HIS}*
5   Suggests one member utters falsehood (7) IMPLIES {1}{MP}{LIES}
6   Some squat on gangway for vehicle (5) TONGA [T]
7   Church leaves one central vicary (8) BASILICA {BASIL}{1}{viCAry}
8   Surprise greatly by heads-up (4) STUN <=
14 Dispatched beforehand some select gifts (8) PRESENTS {PRE SENT}{Se...t}
16 People outside city have extra parts exchanged (9) OVERSPILL {SPILL}<=>{OVER}
17 PET massed around old relatives (9) STEPDAMES*
19 Disgust of gentleman over run-out (4-3) TURN-OFF {T{RUN*}OFF}
20 Wide stretches on eastern street are maximally damp (7) DEWIEST {WIDE*}{E}{ST}
22 Bob and Joe lose their heads as it is played (4) OBOE {bOB}{jOE}
23 Hardy girl clasps tip of rugged lock (5) TRESS {T{Ru...d}ESS}
25 Monotonous sound that runs me down by half (5) THRUM {THat}{RUns}{Me}

Reference List
Diamond = D, Learner = L, Article = A, Hospital = H, Journalist = ED, Member = MP, Eastern = E, Street = ST

GRID

No 12727, Wednesday 11 Sep 2019, Gridman

ACROSS
1   I too roar vehemently for musical work (8) ORATORIO*
5   Scratches daughter discarded are aplenty (6) OODLES dOODLES
9   Bond provided female agent (7) BAILIFF {BAIL}{IF}{F}
10 Diva upset with almost bitter counsellor (7) ADVISOR {DIVA}*{SORe}
11 Giant's bad sign of acts of searches (9) TROLLINGS {TROLL}{SIGN*}
12 Amma's first hint of things to come: home (5) ABODE {Amma}{BODE}
13 Indian film director's beams (4) RAYS [DD]
14 Military-style decoration Oriental man and I stripped (9) EPAULETTE {E}{PAUL}{lETTEr}

17 Manage a fight with small cars (9) RUNABOUTS {RUN}{A}{BOUT}{S}
19 God of riches drops many odd rounds (4) AMMO mAMMOn
23 Harebrained woman goes for model that is cheap (5) TACKY (-w+t)TACKY
24 Cosies up, holding odd lead figure (9) ISOSCELES {COSIES}* over LES Seems to be an error 
25 Praise good sizzling oil fry (7) GLORIFY {G}{OIL+FRY}*
26 Told about dead repeatedly (7) RELATED {RE}{LATE}{D}
27 Swear about entertaining new solution (6) ANSWER {A{N}SWER*}
28 Raise hospital section at the back (8) REARWARD {REAR}{WARD}

DOWN
1   They go around with other hungry, ferocious dogs (8) ORBITERS {OtheR}{BITERS}
2   Cost of leaving – leaving luxury car in a US city (7) ALIMONY {LIMO} in {A}{NY}
3   God in different role as flier (6) ORIOLE {OR{IO}LE*}

4   One who needn't have to grow up to be intelligent (6,7) INFANT PRODIGY [CD]
6   Prevented old boy, oddly vain, with a boy (8) OBVIATED {OB}{VaIn}{A}{TED}
7   Hal's yell? (4,3) LASH OUT {HALS}* [RA]
8   Show or block? (6) SCREEN [DD]
10 Went over a sailor, ill-mannered, in soldiers' training area (7,6) ASSAULT COURSE (~ a salt coarse)
15 Admire song about daughter first – it's elegantly feminine (8) LADYLIKE {LA{D}Y}<=>{LIKE}
16 Inclined to let worried desi to plod around confusedly (8) LOPSIDED {PLOD}* over {DESI}*
18 If you do, do you right a wrong sign? (7) UNCROSS [CD]
20 A limit I set for soldiers' group (7) MILITIA*
21 Magistrate, lacking tear-off, is devious – disgrace! (6) STIGMA MAGISTrate*
22 Given to jesting, Jack's out of one's eye (6) OCULAR jOCULAR

Reference List
Daughter = D, Female = F, Oriental = E, I = Letter, Small = S, Woman = W, Model = T, Good = G, About = RE, Dead = D, New = N, Old Boy = OB, Jack = J

GRID

No 12726, Tuesday 10 Sep 2019, Avtaar

Solved on the train enroute from Montreal to Aldershot, Toronto

ACROSS
1   Little one starts to marinade Indian chutney dressing (7) MICROBE {Ma...e}{In...n}{Ch...y}{ROBE}
5   "Mark's 1% Soft Feni" and gin cocktail without ice, to start with (7) PFENNIG {P}{FENI+GiN}* 1% = P See comments

9   Quiet crossword setter invites Avtaar with son, mom, stepmom etc (7) MUMMIES {MUM}{M{I}E}{S}
10 Hold back burden (7) REFRAIN [DD]
11 Make standard design of mails after adding one major tip at the end (9) NORMALISE {MAILS+ONE}* over {m..oR} and {thE} (Addendum - {MAILS+ONE+m..oR}* - See comments)
12 Guru was playing with ex-IPL champions initially (5) SWAMI {WAS*}{MI}
13 Well, love's unconditional! (5) OASIS {0}{AS IS}
15 Third degree murder, ultimately covered by cadet...too gruesome (9) DOCTORATE {m...eR+CADET+TOO}*
17 Servant, wielding rifle, frustrated burglary (9) PILFERAGE {P{RIFLE*}AGE}
19 Joined hands with revolutionary followers of the Iraqi forces and got killed in the end (5) SIDED SIDE{k...eD}  Anno for SIDE not clear {Addendum - {thE+I..qI+f...eS+anD}*{k...eD} - See comments}
22 Uncontrollable lament over own goal (5) ROGUE {R{O}{G}UE}
23 Pan-fried flounder with a pinch of wasabi is awesome (9) WONDERFUL {FLOUNDER+Wa...i}*
25 Cave in the central part of Simla with dope is afire (7) IMPLODE {sIMLa+DOPE}*
26 Loyal European working with Universal Studios is fired (7) DUTEOUS {E+U+STUDiOs}*
27 Remake of Ant Man is touching (7) TANGENT {ANT*}{GENT}
28 Nobel Peace laureate crossed country for headgear (7) PERUKES {PER{UK}ES}

DOWN
1   Guys trapped in women's movement, ignoring final reminder (7) MEMENTO {MEN} in {ME TOo}
2   In these devices, Americans are shot (7) CAMERAS AMERiCAnS* [CA] Semi&lit
3   Tongue of rat is yellowish amber on top (5) ORIYA Acrostic
4   Raj started with this company (4,5) EAST INDIA [CD/GK]
5   By its very nature, badger's not endearing (3,2) PER SE PERSEcute
6   Emissions going up in cities, no? I suffer! (9)  EFFUSIONS [T<=]
7   Flipping a second time, rodent almost falls (7) NIAGARA {AGAIN<=}{RAt} I am going there on the 12th

8   Guy pursued by jailers chucking vessels is not a Jew (7) GENTILE {GENT}{jaILErs}
14 Girl, slightly drunk, enters shop to unload goods (9) STEVEDORE {ST{EVE}{Dr..k}ORE}
16 Uncle packed hollowed nuts and made a good amount of money (7,2) CLEANED UP {UNCLE+PAckED}*
17 Tough priests don't give up (7) PERSIST*
18 Member's password is "Turner" (3,4) LEG SPIN {LEGS}{PIN}
20 Suspend one of vicar's followers breaking into port (7) DEFROCK {D{E}{FR}OCK} 'E' from? (Addendum - {onE}{oF}{v..aR} in {DOCK} - See comments)
21 Gambian capital manufactured ultimate in brewed masala lassi (7) DALASIS {b...eD}{m...lA}{LASSI*}
23 Forcefully take wife on holiday (5) WREST {W}{REST}
24 Alien terrorists seize access (5) ENTER [T]

Reference List

Soft = P, Son = S, Love = 0, Own = O, Goal = G, European = E, Universal = U, Wife = W

GRID