The Mendip Mindbender

ACROSS

1 The point at which the Moon is furthest from Earth (6)

5 The hard upper shell of a tortoise (8)

9 Meat preserved in brine and sold in tins (6,4)

10 River that flows through Rugby, Warwick and Evesham (4)

11 Log craft movement to carry wood and iron (4,4)

12 Go by (6)

13 A competition to find the fastest (4)

15 A portable computer smaller than a laptop (8)

18 A residential institution where old people are cared for (4,4)

19 Sodium carbonate (4)

21 A pet animal that is supposed to bring good luck (6)

23 Mademoiselle sat next to you ,but you still didn't quite make it (4,4)

25 Laszlo Jozsef ...., –inventor of the ballpoint (4)

26 Fatigue, extreme tiredness (10)

27 A unit of length equal to one hundred millionth of a centimetre (8)

DOWN

2 Snap (5)

3 Bend a knee to the ground as a sign of respect (9)

4 Cause to be loved (6)

5 Village near Bath that has recently adopted 20 mph speed through the village (7,8)

6 Throws back light or sound without absorbing it (8)

7 United States shopping area (5)

8 This traffic system near Axbridge lent its name to a nearby village (9)

14 Having one American and one Asian parent (9)

16 A common element that is not considered precious (9)

17 Pump, trainer slingback or sabot (8)

20 Make a higher offer for a property than already agreed and so gain possession (6)

22 Name of the village referred to in 8 down (5)

24 Southern cereal shown with contempt (5)

By greendandelion

Clues in italics are cryptic

Submitted for I.T. for the Terrified by Lynne Duckett. Although we have stopped our one-to-one tuition, we will continue with this column to keep the name alive. This article is for guidance only, and the opinion of the writer. I.T. for the Terrified - it4ttcvh@gmail.com

28 Weston-super-Mare are to have nearly a hundred of these, manmade, ninety year old structures removed from their countryside (6)

This month’s solution can be found on page 86