No 11894, Tuesday 03 Jan 2017, Arden

I personally found it tough going today.

ACROSS
1   Money collected — a pound for the hood (6) CALASH {C{A}{L}ASH}

4   Choose to admit the boy, is he the one who is upbeat? (8) OPTIMIST {OP{TIM}{IS}T} 'He the' is misleading
10 Use a net around it to make a solid solution of Carbon in Iron (9) AUSTENITE {USE+A+NET}* around {IT}
11 Weak but runs without fail (5) FRAIL {F{R}AIL}
12 Boast about light form of anagram (7) GARBLED {BRAG<=}{LED}
13 Making noise about a large mammal (3,4) SEA LION {NOISE}* about {A}{L}

14 A doctor embracing another in dance (5) MAMBO {M{A}{MB}O}
15 Limited food, it doesn't amount to much (8) FARTHING {FARe}{THING}

18 High current — restricts current for rear light (4,4) TAIL LAMP {TA{I}L L}{AMP}

20 Block one with desire, it's said (5) ANVIL {AN}{VIL}(~will)
23 Sarah is making a paste of chilli, garlic and spices (7) HARISSA* Thanks to Google

25 Before returning money, cultivate this strip of land (7) ISTHMUS {THIS}*{SUM<=}
26 You're said to owe money in the beginning (5) DEBUT (~ ?? you) (Addendum - {BEB(U)T) - See comments)
27 Come between breaks — no respite... (9) INTERPOSE*
28 ...and Andrew lost one and backed out (8) WITHDREW {WITH}{anDREW}
29 Cruel of her to return on board the ship (6) OGRESS {ERGO<=}{SS} Something wrong in the wordplay. 'Of' is returning and not 'of her' (Addendum - {GO<=}{RE}{SS} - See comments)

DOWN
1   About to strike, match could be a gamble (4,4) CRAP GAME {C}{RAP} {GAME}
2   Long for a drink every five years (7) LUSTRUM {LUST}{RUM}
3   Brace down, it's abrasive (5,4) STEEL WOOL {STEEL} {WOOL}
5   Pen, perhaps for vulnerable locations (8,6) PRESSURE POINTS [DD] First half of definition not clear (Addendum - {P}{EN} - See comments)
6   In 50% of the country, it's found below (5) INFRA {IN}{FRAnce}
7   Sex with a pin up for a foreign national (7) ITALIAN {IT}{A}{NAIL<=}
8   Wine bottles — a litre as a gift (6) TALENT {T{A}{L}ENT}
9   Ear drop is bad if used for a flyer (4,2,8) BIRD OF PARADISE*

16 Squeeze out soil under river, place it before the fireplace (9) HEARTHRUG {H{EARTH}{R}UG}
17 Happiness over a short period forms bubbles (8) BLISTERS {BLIS{TERm}S}
19 One's after a thief breaking the law, and he tumbles (7) ACROBAT {AC{ROB}{A}T} Thief/Rob? See comments
21 Go low inside vessel (7) VAMOOSE {VA{MOO}SE}
22 Pig has had a double (6) SHADOW {S{HAD}OW}
24 Said to take time off — is contented (5) SATED StATED

GRID

No 11893, Monday 02 Jan 2017, Arden

ACROSS
9   Excitement returns as model wears something extra (7) EROTISM {M{SIT}ORE}<=
10 Bread and cash, as rejected by God (7) CHALLAH {CasH}{ALLAH}

11 Allowing characters without hesitation (7) LETTING LETTerING
12 Bird fights (7) SPARROW {SPAR}{ROW}
13 Policy's same, if not altered (9) MANIFESTO*
15 Home suitable to invest (5) INDUE {IN}{DUE}
16 Wrong if sales figures are exaggerated (7) FALSIES*
19 Child gets within range of test track (7) SKIDPAN {S{KID}PAN}
20 Go before one could start something mysterious (5) RUNIC {RUN}{1}{Could}
21 Nitrogen gas – without opening can't go up there (2-3,4) NO-FLY ZONE {N}{O-{FLY}ZONE}
25 Pick Harry to get into bed in the plane (7) COCKPIT {CO{PICK*}T}
26 Looking stupid – wife and family in silence (7) GAWKING {W}{KIN} in {GAG}
28 Traitor's present, maybe (7) SERPENT*
29 Starts only two days before everything, it's weird (7) ODDBALL {Only}{Day}{Day}{Before}{ALL}

DOWN
1   No power for light, there is chaos (6) BEDLAM BEDLAMp
2   Refusal to take on an item of food (6)  WONTAN {WON'T}{AN}
3   Way to lock in the car (4) MINI {IN} in {M1}
4   Pictures get in as one fancies (6) IMAGES IMAGinES
5   Criss-cross design – credit should go to the cutter (8) SCISSORS {crISS-CROSS}*
6   Power – Charlie makes way for brother-in-law to show competence (10) CAPABILITY CAPA(-c+bil)BILITY
7   Got angry, disgusted hiding most of the fat (6,2) FLARED UP {F{LARd}ED UP}
8   Can child bearing Indian women prepare this food? (4,4) CHOW MEIN {CH}{I+WOMEN}*
14 Loud music – police allow, say the final drafts (4,6) FAIR COPIES {F}{AIR} {COP{IE}S}
16 Divine force makes a way (8) FORECAST {FORCE}*{A}{ST}
17 Caroline ordered a plant (8) LONICERA* Thanks to Google

18 Holiness – can it stay without a new order? (8) SANCTITY {CaN+IT+STAY}*
22 Girls love butter covered meat ball (6) FAGGOT {FA{G}{G}{O}T}

23 Expressing surprise, over the moon is one in Columbus (6) OHIOAN {OH}{IO}{AN}
24 Swamp nice and green at the top, covered in rising smoke (6) ENGULF {N}{Green} in {FLUE}<=
27 West Indies have Bill in the gully (4) WADI {W{AD}I}

GRID