I believe this to be El Presidente's 13th consecutive crossword in the current run of such. Whether this will be unlucky - or lucky - for some I cannot say. I have no problem with completing them correctly - but only because he provides me with the answers!
1 Compound turning litmus blue. (6) 5 Produced a clear image. (8) 9 A big person helping to ring the Liverpool tenor? (8) 10 No planned method - like a lot of continental ringing! (6) 11 The Norman tower par excellence! (10) 12 Without ecclesiastic status. (4) 13 For ringers a real plum of a cage. (8) 16 See 23 dn. (6) 17 Spend time socially with important people. (6) 19 Representing numbers. (8) 21 Sloppy statement of agreement. (4) 22 Eg, Racing Post and Le Figaro. (10) 25 Woodrow, Harold or Charles. (6) 26 Pathetic gin to tim - leaving it out. (8) 27 They used to be conspicuous signs of a sunny Summer. (8) 28 Nepalese soldier. (6)
2 Slim and supple. (5) 3 A footballer taken by surprise? (5) 4 Laying the paint on thickly. (7) 5 Providence. (7) 6 Continue. To amuse on film? (5,2) 7 It obviously grows under the Eye of Heaven (9) 8 It modern terms tear-jerking. (9) 14 Cease riot reform arcane secrets. (9) 15 This amalgam sounds like a paper on misdeeds. (9) 18 Sudden windfall. (9) 19 Where would you find Trinity Parish Church, Wall Street? (3,4) 20 Producing an accurate guide. (7) 23 & 16 ac..Vice-President who gave the Shield. (5) 23 Livestock station. (5)
Readers will recall I made a significant omission in publishing this mind-bender originally, for which I apologised in the January Newsletter. I did promise the solution, and here it is, as given by the Mathematical Maestro himself:-
Let x be the man's final age:
Then x = x + x + x + 5 + x + 4 >>> x = 14x + 7x + 12x + 5 + 42x + 4 >>> 84x = 75x + 420 + 336
- - - - -- -- -- --
6 12 7 2 84 84 84 84
84x = 75x + 756 >>> 9x = 756 >>> x (man's final age) = 84 (Simples!!)