Across
1
Wild excitations and thrills (11)
9
Slice of Kashmiri cottage cheese (7)
10
After November, say, one's eaten more crackers (7)
11
Nick wanting direction, disheartened, embracing Conservatives' leader (5)
12
Make music, sad and quiet (4,4)
14
Record me in retreat: 'One denies responsibility' (10)
15
It's a flipping sparkling wine (4)
17
Compulsion to cleanse failing to start (4)
19
In advance, rustling up salad of rock pigeon (10)
21
Poignant, timeless article describing female relative (8)
23
King and queen on a Swedish coin (5)
25
Opera's musicians including Dutch thinker (7)
26
Boiling fruit for exciting social engagement (3,4)
27
Fiancé and messy bo'sun bathed (7-2-2)
Down
1
Prompts marksmen to find targets here, did you say? (7)
2
Vietnamese festival that starts year offspring mostly accepted in irritable fashion (8)
3
Medical procedure that follows whiskey? (1-3)
4
Secret kind of trick (10)
5
Sound of disapproval twice at the outset, Everyman's one to be taught a lesson (5)
6
Old rakes initially wearing smart clothes: they're after wives (7)
7
Female relative, imperious, departs; merriment stifled at first (13)
8
Source of refreshment befuddled king and writer (8,5)
13
In a Nissan, the writer's on island somewhere in S Pacific (10)
16
Time for quiet: pet dog becomes talking animal (8)
18
Grand old university buffet offering Hungarian stew (7)
20
Pick out one very good behind (7)
24
Country. Habitable ...? African desert, primarily! (4)