Across 1 Very keen supporter with a half ticket (7) 5 What's that the mermaid's stroking? (7) 9 Craft to prepare mother and family in need of 1,000 pounds (5-6) 15 In transit ? That's not important (7,4,3,5) 16 Appreciate a medal given to a long- retired character (7) 17 Worried host tries to sort out speculators (9) 18 Woman from North Africa - or Western part (7) 19 Soldiers at the front taking severe punishment from this? (9) 20 Ron and father went to new film (2,3,10) 21 In extremely scary country, policeman in stress taken off the beat (11) 22 Its contents may be set on fire (4-4) 24 Upsetting mentally - physically, too, perhaps? (10) 27 With which to give a punishing glance? (7) 30 Prey on wicked bosses (6) 32 Size of error's irrelevant - female's no worse than male I replaced (1,4,2,2,4,2,1,4) 37 Barely how a tonsured person cannot be pulled (2,1,4) 38 Round trip a Scot looks back on in Belgium (7) 40 The sorcerer from Rome can reckon on it not being OK (11) 41 Their sister could be a long- haired type (5,6) 42 Excursion or a tour visits New Zealand lake city (7) 43 Yield to temptation to cut up cucumbers without hesitation (7) 45 One who's gone in for politics? (8,2,10) 47 Note shirt designed for new arrivals (6) 49 Zealous purposes reported (7) 51 Undesirable result of taking drugs (4-6) 54 Final African republic survived longer than the others (4,2,2) 57 Sportingly conducted court action (6,5) 60 Nothing amiss in request for dessert? (2,5-3,5) 62 Little likelihood of getting a substantial fortune (3,6) 63 Woman in Indian postal service gets one loose-fitting garment (7)

64 Large number of changes to high church feature (5,4) 65 Slight lack of sulphur in orange- yellow pigment's base (7) 66 Chap not so jolly ignorant, after learning Rime of Ancient Mariner? (1,6,3,1,5,3) 67 One pulls game - double crossing? (5,6) 68 Herb to restore the sick: first, an acanthus (7) 69 Shakespearian character very funny as a lion (7) Down 1 A shock could prove too much for it (4,5,4) 2 Pieces of meat I prepared in minutes (9) 3 The old cry of the "mountin' men"? (2,5) 4 Dishonest dealers (4-6) 5 They seek mate on board (8) 6 Set wrong more than once, but proves a working project as they say (One might make you sleepy, which is bad!) (6,5) 7 Problems decreased in the laundry? (6,3) 8 One would no doubt want to be eliminated out of this! (3,4) 9 Roman judgement days satisfied constituents (4,5) 10 Oriental agents take one new mixture of enzymes (7) 11 Harboured design to stage grand entertainment? (6,5,5) 12 Part of a heavenly tea? (5-4) 13 One form of Islam that's what I'll follow (7) 14 No great shakes with the organ for it to do this (5,2,3,3) 23 Tree shaking as I chop it (9) 25 True-to-life articles I reviewed (9) 26 Sufficient opportunity to make a genuine fortune (4,6) 28 Victory won against tribunal? (9) 29 Simulated takeoffs? (10) 31 Last out - popular German is a hardliner (9) 33 You don't know when you are left in it (9) 34 The man who is one presumably won't be back (5) 35 Who may have wanted to destroy tsarina outside church? (9) 36 Affliction that coloured Othello's perception (5-4,7) 39 They're foremost in urging good relations in conflicts of Magyar peoples (5) 41 Actually con a pontiff? It's criminal (2,5,2,4) 44 Singer, right out of money, has nothing for nest egg, nothing (5,8) 46 Refocus on EC tax pile - it's not the rule (11) 48 Graduate with royal vessels procures aid for cook (6,4) 50 This may be next door to beginning to sound hoarse (9) 52 They dread having to work and lose water (9) 53 With leaf spread over more than a yard, it's stunning in forest (5-4) 55 Even work might not suit this handyman (3-3,3) 56 Vessel taking stick capsized, captured by pair of vessels shortly (4,4) 58 Many a feat now out of order (3,1,3) 59 Lawyers and ex-coppers read Shakespeare (3,4) 60 Won't he be found out? (7) 61 Mechanic's instruction where there was a strike? (7)