Time 17:24, so not headscratchingly tough, but not entirely straightforward either: in particular I noticed that whenever I was stuck for an answer, the checking letters were invariably unhelpful 'R's, or 'E's or 'S's, so not many places where answers leapt off the page.

Down
1	EXEMPLAR - EX + (T)EMPLAR; nice lift and separate of "former model", where only the last word is the definition.
5	USHANT - U + SHAN'T! - the island itself is small, if strategically significant, so getting it may depend on your knowledge of sea shanties, or naval history, or whether you're familiar with the adventures of Mr. Hornblower.
10	BREACH OF PROMISE - (FORMER BASIC HOPE)*.
11	NEWBOLT - NEW + BOLT; Robert BOLT wrote A Man For All Seasons, while NEWBOLT is almost entirely remembered for Vitai Lampada, a.k.a. "There's a breathless hush in the Close tonight".
12	REGULAR - double def (regular as the opposite of "territorial").
13	SIT TIGHT - I think these days only Boris Johnson would refer to someone who'd had a few drinks as being a bit tight, what?
15	DIVES - plural of DIVE, and Latin for Rich Man, most notably in the Biblical parable of Dives and Lazarus.
18	CASCA - opening letters of Cassius' Allies Supporting Caesar's Assassination, &lit.
20	EMAILING - (ME)* + AILING; at least one person I know will insist this should be (1,7) but the unhyphenated variant appears to be quite acceptable from a dictionary point of view.
23	DE FACTO - ACT in DEFO(e).
25	SOUTANE - OUT ("disallowed") clothed by SANE; I found James Joyce springing to mind, which suggests, unsurprisingly, that he mentions this item of clerical clothing frequently in his work .
26	MICHAELMAS DAISY - MA'S in MICHAEL + DAISY; as always, I owe a lot more to wordplay than botanic instinct; they appear to look like this.
27	CHEOPS - H(ebrew) E(xodus) inside COPS; Cheops wasn't the (nameless) Pharaoh who had dealings with Moses, of course, but it's a nice surface all the same.
28	AGGRIEVE - ="A GREAVE".
Across
1	EBBING - (BE)rev + BING (Crosby).
2	EDELWEISS - (SWEDESLIE)* and now I'm going to be earwormed by The Sound of Music for the rest of the day...
3	PICK OUT - I'm assuming the musical meaning of "play tentatively". I did ask myself if a pick is really a tool which "hacks"? It suggests something with a blade to me, but it seems that the nounal form "hack" is a direct equivalent of "pick", so that's just me, then.
4	AFOOT - A + (metrical) FOOT.
6	SLOGGED - S(ong) + LOGGED.
7	ARIEL - the sign is ARIES, replace the S(outhern) with L(eft) and you get Shakepeare's spirit.
8	THEORISE - OR I(n)S(afe) in THEE.
9	OPERETTA - (TOREPEAT)*.
14	GRENOBLE - G(uillotine) RE: NOBLE.
16	VANDALISE - (DAN)* in VALISE; purists might argue with "desperate" as the anagrind, but this amused me.
17	ACADEMIC - double def.
19	ARC LAMP - (ye)AR + CLAMP.
21	LAUNDER - L.A. + UNDER, another nice lift and separate: I was convinced it had to be something meaning "more dirty", i.e. less than clean, until I broke the clue down properly.
22	RETYPE - hidden in "sureTY PErhaps".
24	FICHE - FIE around C(apitol) H(ill); in the old days before we had computers and internets and what have you, I remember looking at library catalogues on microfiche. It was a simpler time, and perhaps a happier one...(cont'd p.94)
25	SLANG - N(ame) in SLAG - necessary to spot that it's refuse (the noun), not refuse (the verb).

Solving time: 32mins

A curious solving experience, with many clues apparently intractable at first glance eventually proving to be just extremely well and divertingly constructed when a few checking letters finally became available. I was surprised by my time, which is on the fast side for me, particularly in light of some recent dismal performances. It felt more difficult than that, but maybe blogger's adrenalin kicked in and saved my bacon au gratin. A thoroughly enjoyable experience all round.

Across
1	PAL[I + SAD]E, a fence usually associated with fortifications. On first reading I thought the definition would be "one blue" and couldn't think of a word meaning melancholic.
5	SCAR + AB for a scarab beetle. First thought was beetle = scarab, but then I thought that was too obvious and went down the beetle = brow path inside AB for a rocky outcrop. There's a lesson in that, but I can't think what.
9	OUT [B for bachelor] RAVE = OUTBRAVE or be bolder than. Blooming = out in the sense of daffodils, another masterly piece of misdirection.
10	GRATIN + shopS = GRATIS. I'm not sure if the definition is "for free" or just "free" with for = equals; either way it works. Gratin is defined as a "cheesy crust" in at least the American Heritage Dictionary, au'd in the French.
12	PENNY'D + READ + For + University + Lecture = PENNY DREADFUL, a nineteenth century equivalent of pulp fiction. Thanks to linxit for pointing out there is an f in dreadful.
15	A simple inclusion. Ask for more details.
16	DELI inside (BERLIN - R for resistance)* = INDELIBLE or permanent. Here's a tip: always check your felt tip pen is of the water soluble (delible?) variety before writing on the glass of an overhead projector whose write-on plastic roll has been inexplicably removed.
17	U.N. + CONCERN = UNCONCERN or lack of interest.
19	"wield" = WEALD or wooded country. This word was on the tip of my tongue, since I had only recently learnt the Dumfrieshire village of Mouswald was actually MOSS + WEALD or wood on the moss, and nothing to do with mice at all. It's pronounced MOOSLD by the inhabitants, so I don't know where that leaves the homophone.
20	LUG[INFRANTIC*]E = LUNATIC FRINGE, one of those terms which can be applied to anybody who doesn't think like you.
22	TRIFLE, a double definition with link word "making"
23	MA[SCHISM - S for son]O = MACHISMO
25	"in jest" = INGEST, the definition involving courses à la carte.
26	(POTS)< + PAGE = STOPPAGE or strike. The instruction "with" is a useful one for setters because it doesn't prescribe which order the parts come in.

Down
1	(SHOP + SHOP)* containing R.U. for Rugby Union = PHOSPHORUS, a substance used in the preparation of matches, which may be the intended interpretation of "it lights". Alternatively, I direct the readers attention to the following extract from The Boy's Book of Conjuring: To one part of phosphorus add six parts of olive oil and dissolve in a moderate heat. Then rub the preparation on the face (taking care to avoid the eyes). All lights in the room should then be put out and the face will present a terrible and supernatural appearance, appearing to be covered with blue flame. There is no risk of danger in this trick. I'll leave the explanation of "The Fire Bowl" (the trick which brings many an evening's drawing-room entertainment to a close) for another time,
2	LOT, being a double definition. The French department is this one.
3	Save + PRAYER = SPRAYER. The collect is a brief prayer before the epistle, apparently.
4	VER<->DI + (MOTET IN)* = DIVERTIMENTO, another musical work in addition to the motet. An ingenious clue.
6	CAR[E for European]FUL = CAREFUL. You have to like "everyone in estate" = carful.
7	RATTLE + BRA + IN = RATTLE-BRAIN. The only contentious issue here would be the hyphen, wouldn't it?
8	A double definition. Ask for further details.
11	On edit: L[AND]ING + CRAFT = LANDING-CRAFT. Thanks to jerrywh (see comment below) for the correct explanation. My original double definition explanation was rubbish, supported though it was by several learned articles. There's a lesson there, as well. In the fishing sense, landing craft are beached in environs where there are no harbours. True, but irrelevant. When solving I took landing craft to be the skill involved in getting the fish into the boat.
13	NAME + CALLING = NAME-CALLING. I'm still chortling.
14	"medal" + SOME = MEDDLESOME
18	PL for place in (SUN + ON)< = NONPLUS or puzzle as verb.
19	(ROW)< + SHIP = WORSHIP
21	T.U. for Trade Union inside (I.E. for id est)< = ETUI, that well known "small, often decorative case for needles, toilet articles or the like". I was going to say "Who takes needles into toilets?", but stopped mid sentence.
24	SPAIN for a water related spring.

Solving time: 10 mins

A very good puzzle, I thought - the surface readings (i.e. how the clues read if you pretend they aren't cryptic crossword clues) were excellent throughout and the clues were accurate and well-written. For the second week in a row I got horribly stuck on a 9-letter word, this time WASHSTAND at 7dn (along with FATWAS at 5ac) which probably accounted for half of my time.

* = anagram, "X" = sounds like 'X'.

Across
1	LADYBIRD - a ladybird would be 'spotted' (ho ho) in the garden, and the former US president's wife is Claudia 'Lady Bird' Johnson, wife of Lyndon B Johnson.
5	FATWAS; WAS after FAT (= 'big')
10	SEA ONIONS; (SOON ANISE)* - 'soon get confused with anise?' requires you to accept that 'soon' is plural, presumably by considering the word as a group of individual letters (i.e. 'S,O,O and N get confused [anagrammed] with A,N,I,S and E').
11,12	COSTA BRAVA; CO (= company = 'Firm') + STAB (= ' attempt') + R[ight] + AVA (= 'girl') - very good surface reading.
13	ANTIPASTI; A + N[ew] + TIP (='hint') + ASTI
14	THEREAFTER; (TREE FATHER)*
17	GASH (2 defs) - 'gash' meaning 'spare' or 'rubbish' is still military slang but I don't know if it's any more widespread than that.
19	OR (= other ranks = 'men') + FF (= fortissimo = 'very loud') - Carl Orff wrote Carmina Burana.
20	TARMACADAM; rev. of (MAD + A + CAMRA + T[roll]) - a kind of 'reverse charade'. CAMRA is the Campaign for Real Ale. I had to stop myself writing in 'tarmacking' here.
22	LARCENIST; (IN CARTELS)*
24	C.A.B. + AL - the CAB is the Citizens' Advice Bureau, i.e. 'Group advising'; Al is the gangster Al Capone. This word is not an acronym, as often thought; full explanation here.
26	AZTEC; A,Z (= 'Extreme characters') + TEC (= detective = 'Dick')
27	GINGER NUT; (TIN + GRUNGE)* - a most underrated biscuit, especially for dunking.
28	TURIN + G - I'm not sure I like 'Italian city with university' as a definition of 'Turin'. In a way it's a clever misdirection, leading the solver to assume 'university' will indicate 'U'. On the other hand it could be considered unfair, since although Turin does have a good university it's not one of the first things you'd associate with it, nor (as far as I can tell) is it considered to be among Italy's very top universities. I suppose this would be akin to 'English city with university' indicating, say, York or Bristol - not inaccurate but an odd description. The mathematician is World War II cryptanalyst Alan Turing.
29	TROMBONE; (ROM + B[aron]) in TONE - I kicked myself over this one, firstly for trying to justify 'trompette' which is neither a word nor of 8 letters, secondly for failing to see 'trombone' more quickly and thirdly for thinking 'gypsy baron' gave ROM.

Down
1	LAST BUT NOT LEAST (cryptic definition)
2	DRAM + A
3	BAND AGED (charade) - 'turned into old rockers' = 'became old' = AGED; it's a charade rather than a 2-part wordplay because the 'old rockers' refers to the 'band'.
4	RIO + JA[r]
6	ACCEPT; ACT (= 'function') around CEP (= 'mushroom')
7	WASHSTAND; (ASH + ST[one]) in WAND - gaah. I saw the ASH and the ST[one] and still couldn't get this, nor could I think of a word meaning 'staff' to fit '?AND'. I even went through the alphabet on the first letter to no avail. This breakdown is particularly clever because 'wash' doesn't sound like 'bash' and 'wand' doesn't sound like 'band' which certainly added to the difficulty for me.
8	SPANISH OMELETTE; (POTENTIAL MESS EH)*
9	I + SOT + HERM - 'sot' = a drunk = '[a] soak'; Herm is one of the Channel Islands.
15	E. M. FORSTER; (FRETS MORE)* - unusual to see initials as part of an answer word, but it seems fair enough when this is how the writer was known.
16	FLAMING + O - a somewhat risqué surface.
18	ICE CREAM; C.E. in (CRIMEA)*
21	DEACON; DEN around A + CO - the second use of 'firm' for CO[mpany] in this crossword (cf 11ac), which is slightly unfortunate.
23	TENOR (hidden) - nice clue.
25	BINGO; BIN (= 'Can') + GO (= 'progress') - I'm not sure I concur about the 'little ability' required. Last time I played bingo I tied myself in knots looking for the numbers and was mightily impressed by the performances of the blue-haired grannies around me.

I'm standing in for Peter, who is on holiday.

This is yet another in a growing line of easier puzzles. There is really very little to say about it except I was grateful that the AZED monthly competition puzzle appeared on the same day.

Across
1	OXHEAD - (hoaxed)*; an easy start;
6	CARABID - CAR(d)-A-BID; eccentric almost=CAR(d); A=accepted; the ground beetle;
11	LEADERENE - (lead)*-ER(EN)E; before=ERE; measure=EN; term invented by Norman Stevas MP in 1981 to describe Margaret Thatcher which hinted at madness and finished his hopes of political advancement. It was many years later before a diagnosis of megalomania became common currency;
12	THOR - THOR(p); a thorp is a village or hamlet;
13	CANTILENA - CANT-I-LENA; bright=LENA=Helen (see names section of C); a ballad as heard in the summer festival on Islay;
14	WADER - WA(n)DER; easy;
17	OVERFAR - O(V-ERF)AR; row=OAR; fifth=V; plot of ground=ERF (in SA rather than Neasden);
18	INTACT - (h)INT-ACT; easy;
19	MIDDLE,ENGLISH - me in another (upper) case=ME=Middle English; very easy key light;
21	ALGREN - AL-GR(e)EN; Alabama=AL; party member (politics)=green; reference to author Nelson Algren 1909-81;
23	PEEP-TOE - PE(EP)T-(h)O(l)E; favourite=PET; old record=EP; a green party shoe, perhaps;
26	SHAWL - SHAW-L; shaw=copse;
28	IMAGINEER - (migraine + e=ecstasy)*; easy anagram;
29	SECO - hidden (cour)SE CO(vered);
30	RECAPTION - REC-(a point)*; take=receive=REC;
31	HYPNONE - (halfpenny - alf + o=old)*; a hypnotic drug phenyl-methyl-acetone;
32	FOOTLE - F(tool)*E; iron=FE (chemistry);
Down
1	OLDWOMANISH - (mood + in + shawl)*; back to the leaderene;
2	XEMA - AMEX reversed; Leach's arbitrary gulls;
3	HARD,EDGE - H(ARD)EDGE; guard=HEDGE; antique plough=ARD; weird paintings;
4	EDGER - (l)EDGER; easy;
5	DRACAENA - A CARD reversed contains (AE(o)N); a caution=a funny person=A CARD; age=aeon; the dragon's blood tree, which is long lived;
6	CENTREPIECE - CE-N(PERT reversed)IECE; brisk=PERT;
7	REIF - (fire)*; what Robert the Bruce did to Inverness Castle, amongst others;
8	ATLATL - AT LA(s)T-L; S=section; L=lecturer; a throwing stick;
9	IONIC - (b)IONIC; Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers no doubt;
10	DRAW,THE,LINE - DRAW(THE(atre))L-IN-E; E=Espana=Spain; John Major's response to scandal when combined with a back to basics agenda with Edwina;
15	VINELEAF - (even fail)*; easy;
16	WAIT-A-BIT - bait-a-wit and switch the "b" and the "w"; WAIT-A-BIT is a thorny plant that catches on clothes;
20	DRAGON - D(RAG)ON; this DRAGON is a paper kite;
22	LIMEY - LIME-Y; Y=Yankee (phonetic alphabet); reference Harry Lime (Orson Welles) in The Third Man;
24	PHOTO - PHO-TO; expression of contempt=PHO;
25	GIRO - (RIG reversed)-O; slang for benefit cheque; easy;
27	WOOL - WOO-L(ying); easy;

Solving time 10:11 over a pint while the missus was getting her face threaded. There were a couple I put in on faith though - 9D and 20A had to be checked in the dictionary when I got home. Some great definitions made it an enjoyable solve - I especially liked "Crash site" and "Vanishing cream lover", but there were others too.

Edit: On seeing the first couple of comments, I'll have to add "one mistake". Damn!

Across
1	GRAFFITO - (gift of)* around R.A., &lit although not a very good one. Perhaps "Unwanted gift..." might have been better.
5	WEBCAM - WEB (trap) + CAM (the River Cam, which runs through Cambridge, on which the male students attempt to impress their girlfriends with their amazing sense of balance).
10	OUR MUTUAL FRIEND - the wordplay's a bit out of order, but it's all there. MUTUAL (building society) next to OUR (by us used) + END (to close) after FRI (day). Definition is just "work" (the 1865 Dickens novel).
11	POOH-POOHED - HOOP HOOP rev. + ED
13	CHAV - CHA (refreshing cup (of tea)) + V
15	RIPOSTE - (1, POST) inside RE
17	LEOFRIC - as I live in Coventry, "Earl whose wife rode barely" gave it away immediately and I put in LEOFRIC (husband of Lady Godiva) straight away without looking at the wordplay, just briefly wondering what Richmond was doing there. Of course, it's just a hidden word clue - "within miLE OF RIChmond."
18	PARVENU - PAR + VENU(s), &lit.
19	REJECTS - RE-ERECTS, with ER replaced by J
21	ROUÉ - ROU(g)E
22	ALL-NIGHTER - ALTER clothes (contains) L + NIGH
25	SHILLY-SHALLYING - SHILLING around (SHALL inside two Ys)
27	LAYERS - (musica)L + AYERS (Ayers Rock in Australia).
28	PLAY BALL - P + LAY + BALL

Down
1	GROUPER - double definition.
2	AIR - triple definition? Resort to/make public/broadcast. I can't think what else resort could be doing there, but neither can I quite marry up any of the definitions of resort and air satisfactorily.
2	AYR - sounds like "air". Thanks to kororareka for putting me right. It never occurrred to me that Ayr was a resort. My Scottish geography is pretty hopeless.
3	FOUR-POSTER - (to use for PR)*. Brilliant definition, as aforementioned.
4	TRURO - odd letter of "ToRn Up RoOt". Definition is "See", as it has a cathedral.
6	EZRA - Z in ERA. Ezra Pound, American poet.
7	CHESHIRE CAT - (1 catches her)*. Another great definition.
8	MEDEVAC - E(uropean) VAC by MED.
9	ALVEOLAR - (overall a)*. I knew this was an anagram straight away, but couldn't make sense of it until I had all the crossing letters, and even then only out it in as no other combinations made a word. It's a consonant formed by putting the tongue against the roots of the upper teeth, like a T or a D for example.
12	OPPORTUNITY - OP + PORT + UNIT + (happ)Y
14	CONJUGALLY - CON + JUG ALLY
16	EQUALISE - 23 with a point docked becoming 1-ALL. Good clue.
18	PARASOL - 0 + L after PARAS (regiment dropped).
20	STRIGIL - RIG inside STIL(l). Got this from the wordplay, last one to go in. I think the definition's a bit off though - it's defined as a skin-scraper rather than a rubber in Chambers.
23	NIALL - (za)NI(er) + ALL. No doubt an easy one for our blogger Mr. MacSweeney (nmsindy).
24	BLUR - BLUR(b)
26	IDA - A DI reversed. Makes a change from the usual definition "operatic princess", but the G&S opera was based on the poem The Princess by Tennyson.

Solving time: 1hr 30mins (1 mistake)

Welcome to my first blog. If you’re partial to a snack, this should be right up your street. We've got Satay Pot Noodles, hot-dogs, tapas and marshmallows.

This was the first time I'd actually sat down and attempted to solve the Jumbo in a single sitting, against the clock. So, I was a little nervous that I would be able to post a time that wasn't too embarrassing. Especially after sghanson's debut a couple of weeks ago and his rather daunting 'less than thirty minutes' with which he was 'pleased'. I'm over the moon if I can finish a daily puzzle in this sort of time, let alone a jumbo! But then, he is a regular in the national finals, so I guess he's entitled to make such comments.

Anyway, exactly an hour and a half later I had it completed, and I too was pleased. I had made one mistake at 44, however, which I noticed while putting the blog together, but I put that down to the pressure of the clock.

There was nothing too taxing. A handful of unknown and unfamiliar words that could all be deduced from the wordplay - CATENARY, FEVERFEW, HOLY SONNETS, GREENGAGE SUMMER and the infinitely dubious ARIDEST. Also, inculcating was unfamiliar, but it turned out to be a simple insertion indicator.

I've broken down about half the clues here, but if there's anything else that needs further explanation, let me know.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (--)*, and removals like this

Across
9	ONWARDS - SO about DRAWN all rev
15	GREEN(GAG)E - Greengage Summer is a novel by Rumer Godden, but the film starring Kenneth More and Susannah York is better known. I hadn't heard of it, so it was my last in but one. The novelist is, of course, Graham Greene.
16	SAN + CHOP + ANZA(c) - That's two Jumbos on the trot for this portly Spaniard!
21	A(GOUT)I - A rabbit-like rodent from Latin America
26	PADDINGTON + BEAR - The character from the Michael Bond books, named after the station at which he was found.
35	HI(A)TUS - Arrive in America being 'HIT US'
36	TRISTRAM SHANDY - ARTS rev in TRIMS + HANDY. A novel by Laurence Sterne. This was new to me last time it appeared back in April, but I remembered it this time.
40	F + EVER FEW - A medicinal plant. New to me, but easily deduced.
43	CONTRARY - The second reference to Mary, Mary in as many days.
44	AUTHOR(ity) - I messed up here. In my hurry to complete, I entered LUTHER thinking it was a reference to Martin Luther, the protestant reformer and translator of the Bible. I'm not sure what I thought the expert was supposed to be.
47	HOLY SONNETS - SON in (HONESTLY)* - A collection of 19 poems by John Donne
50	CINQUE PORTS - (INSPECTOR)* about QU - Although Rye was not technically one of the Cinque Ports, it was one of the two ancient towns that supported them, and as such formed part of the confederation.
52	CURTAIN UP - CURT + A + I + PUN rev
53	A (RIDES) T - Is this seriously a word?! Are we sure the compiler hasn't just invented a superlative here?
54	It's INN + IT, innit?
56	TIE-IN - IE (that's) in TIN (canned)
57	TURN NASTY - TASTY about URN + N(oodle) - Full marks for the wonderful surface reading! Is it coincidence that this crosses with SATAY, one of their flavours?
Down
3	MARS + H(M)ALLOW
4	T(R)OUPE(e)
5	CA(T(h)E)NARY - the mathematical shape formed by a hanging chain or cable.
7	PRO-P(A + G)ANDA
8	SIGMA - A MIS(s) rev about G(ood) - My last one in. I was thrown off by the unfamiliar word 'inculcating' and the well-disguised definition.
9	OVER-D(R)AFT
11	(enc)ROACH - although 'out of enclosure' meaning 'remove the ENC from' doesn't quite work for me.
18	SACRAMENT + O - A state capital (of California) - sneaky!
20	DENDRITE - (I'D RENTED)* - Part of a neuron that conducts impulses towards cells.
23	BUTTON - BUT + (NOT)* - A Closer being something that closes, of course.
27	FOR + EN + SIC - The opponents are a bridge reference, East & North
32	MISDIRECTION - DIRECT replaces the second S (the heart) of MISSION
34	HOT-DOG STAND - A reference to Noel Coward's 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' + STAND = resist
39	A + PEN + NINES (as in 'dressed up to the nines')
45	CH + A + CHA - More commonly known as the Cha-cha-cha to those of us who watch Strictly Come Dancing (or Dancing with the Stars for those across the pond)
51	SAT + AY

Time taken to solve - 30 minutes which would have been 10 minutes less but for a delay at the end trying to work out 1ac, 1dn and 15ac. Friday's puzzle is often difficult so this one came as a welcome relief but there's very little to say about it really.

Across
1	K(OP)ECK(s) - Kecks are breeches, originally in N.E. England apparently
4	H,AMPERE,D(epartment)
10	CATER,P(I'LL)AR
12	(s)TICKING
14	VEGETAL - G(r)E(a)T inside VEAL
15	RECALCITRANTLY - (Cleric at)* + L inside Tyrant*
17	WARS OF THE ROSES -   SOFT + Horse* inside WARES
21	RIDE OUT - Sounds like "Wry doubt"
22	S(PEN)DER - PEN inside Reds (rev). The poet is Sir Stephen Spender.
24	RHETORICIAN - R + (Hate ironic)*
26	D(aughter),OLOROSO - A musical direction meaning Sadly
27	CHEESE - See + H(usband) reversed inside C (of)  E. Lancashire is a type of cheese.
Down
1	KICK TURN - In skiing a kick turn is performed by swivelling each ski separately through 180 degrees
3	COR,DIAL - COR from My!
5	ALL OVER THE SHOP
6	P,ARAGON - The Spanish kingdom from which Henry VIII's first wife took her title
7	REVITALISED - ITAL(ians) inside REVISED. Interesting that none of the usual dictionaries nor the SOED gives "cram" directly meaning "revise" yet it's in the pocket Collins Thesaurus.
8	DO,ABL,E(xpenses) - ABL from Lab*
9	PILGRIM FATHERS -  L + GRIM inside (Ship after)*
13	COCK AND BULL
16	ESTRANGE - Hidden
18	S(CO)URER
19	RHENISH - (Her shin)*. The German runner is the Rhine and the apostrophe indicates what's required here. Many will know the word from the name of the wine.
20	FR,1,END

Solving time : 11 minutes - after disasters on Monday and Tuesday from not knowing obscure references, this was much more along my wavelength.

I made a few bungling guesses originally (particularly putting FISHING at 26 across), but the checking letters confirmed the correct answers. I had a few head starts here, I knew the city at 21 down (which I think appeared recently, so although it's not the biggest place in the world, it could be still fresh in the mind). Not much to quibble about on the wordplay, so I expect there will be some pretty quick times. There's even a little science and Latin in here! On with the show...

Across
1	METACARPAL: A CARP in METAL - one of the bones in the hand
6	SHAH: HASH with the S moved to the front
9	CH,A,GRIN: not sure why I didn't get this the on the first look through, it was one of my last in
10	PAINTER: A in Harold PINTER who sadly recently became eligible for inclusion in the Times Crossword
12	FIGUREHEAD: my last in - not sure if it's meant to be a double definition or the first half is a charade for FIGURE,HEAD
15	PAGODA: A, GOD in PA
16	POST,(s)URER: liked this charade
18	CAMELEER: ME(=this writer),LEE in CAR
20	BREWED: R in BE WED (have family) Edit: I think I was trying to write my own clue here, of course it's W in BREED
23	CUT: got this from the definition, it's TUC (Trade Union Congress) reversed
24	CHAPLAINCY: only saw partial wordplay while I was working the crossword - it's CHAP, then IN in LACY, coming from "with broderie francaise" (oops - as pointed out in the comments, it is "broderie anglaise" - je me regrette)
27	G,RATIFY: the G coming from (signin)G
28	(s)TONE
29	ADULT,E,RATE: E from the start to E(xpect)
Down
1	M,ACE: M on top (on it)
2	TEA,RING: I was looking for a word that meant "becomes violent" at first, but the "becomes" is just a link word
3	CORPUS DELICTI: (CRUDE POLITICS)*
4	RAN,K,ER
5	APPLE,TON: easy enough from the wordplay, the name was vaguely familiar
8	HORSE TRADE: sounds like WHORE STRAYED. Not a phrase I've heard of, but gettable from the wordplay - hard bargaining, according to Chambers
11	INDETERMINATE: (EAT,DINNER,TIME)*
17	DERANGED: RANG in DEED, indeed
19	MUTAGEN: (ME,GAUNT)*
21	W,I,CHIT(=note),A: lengthy charade. A CHIT is a bill, and WICHITA is the largest city contained totally in Kansas (Kansas City is a larger city, but is mostly in Missouri)

dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
ha = hidden answer
*(fodder) = anagram

In this, the third and last of my locum duty for Peter B, I sped through most of the answers within 15 minutes and then struggled through the last few clues; some of whose wordplay eluded me.
Quite fun to solve but extremely challenging

ACROSS
1 PEGASUS Cha of PEG (nickname for Margaret) AS (like) US
5 BIPED Ins of PE (exercise) in BID (attempt)
9 ALOFT A L (candidate or learner of driving) OFT (often or frequent) and Pegasus has wings and is usually high and aloft
10 REPROBATE Ins of PRO (for) in REBATE (discount)
11 CHASSIS Ins of H (husband) in CASSIS (liquer or a syrupy blackcurrant drink or flavouring.)
12 REDRAFT Ins of RA (Royal Academy or artist) in RED (coloured) FT (Financial Times or paper)
13 RECREATION dd - the well-known US term "R&R" for rest and recreation
15 BEAD sounds like BEDE of Jarrow
18 TOWN London Town is simple enough but the workplay escapes me
20 SALAMANDER Reversal of RED (Communist) NAM (Vietnam, country) ALAS (I'm sorry to say)
23 ANXIOUS Ins of XI (eleven or a team) in A NOUS (sense)
24 MOMBASA Ins of BAS (central office or base minus e) in MOMA (Museum of Modern Art)
25 SPOONFEED Another answer whose workplay escapes me
26 SCENE Ins of C (carbon) in SENE (some of the compass points)
27 PUKKA PUKK (sounds like Puck, Robin Goodfellow, the mischievous spirit) + A (article)
28 TOLSTOY Ins of *(lots) in TOY (play)

DOWN
1 PROSAIC *(apricots minus t)
2 GO TO SEED Ins of To see (where one goes as bishop; see = the office of bishop of a particular diocese) in GOD (divine)
3 Simple rha deliberately omitted
4 SUPERNOVA What a superb almost &lit *(prove a sun)
5 BLONDE Ins of L (last letter of goal) in BONDED (united) minus D
6 PLACATE Ins of AC (account or bill) in PLATE (silver)
7 DWELT Another answer I could not parse
8 BACCARAT BACCA (sounds like backer, supporter) RAT (desert)
14 TRANSIENT *(at inn rest)
16 DARK AGES This is the answer that held me up for so long and still I cannot make out the wordplay
17 MARMOSET Ins of *(some) in MART (market)
19 WAXWORK Cha of WAX (grow as in wax and wane) WORK (effort)
21 DRAPERY Ins of PER (each) in DRAY (cart)
22 GOANNA Ins of A NN (couple of names) in GOA (part of India) Australian corruption of iguana
23 AESOP The teller of fables from A ESOP (rev of POSE or model, answer to 24)
24 MODEL Ins of ODE (poem) in M & L (thousand and fifty in Roman numerals)

Solving time : 30 minutes

A puzzle for the literati and lovers of obscure herbs. The grid is almost two separate puzzles, left and right sides, and I had the RHS filled in very quickly. The LHS took rather longer. Luckily for bar crossword solvers like me Edmund=Spenser is an immediate reaction because I might otherwise have struggled with Child's Ballads and Sir Patrick Spens whilst for Jack, there is a well known jazz instrument. I don't think there are any really great clues here but, obscurities apart, the overall standard is high.

Across
1	deliberately omitted - ask if puzzled;
9	LEVERAGE - LEVE(RAG)E; formal reception=LEVEE (archaic usage); newspaper=RAG;
10	BENNET - reference the obscure herb bennet (wood avens) and sounds like (Arnold) Bennett (author);
11	ANTARCTICA - (cat in a cart)*; vaguely daft anagram;
12	CROC - C-ROC; small reptile=CROC(odile); the ROC was a large bird of legend;
13	GRAMMARIAN - GRAMMAR-IAN; type of school=GRAMMAR; boy=IAN; a language specialist;
16	MARIMBA - MARI(MB)IA; doctor=MB; Olivia's servant in Twelfth Night is MARIA; and a MARIMBA is a jazz xylophone;
17	PLUMAGE - PLUM-AGE; something prized=PLUM; (to) mature=(to) AGE;
20	SPENSERIAN - SPENS-(are in)*; Sir Patrick SPENS is from number 58 of Child's Ballads; reference Edmund Spenser 1552-1599 poet much quoted in Chambers;
22	ROAN - two meanings 1=leather, a potential book binding material; 2=a bay horse;
23	EBULLIENCE - E-BULL-(niece)*; speculator=BULL (stock exchange jargon); E=energy;
25	deliberately omitted - ask if puzzled;
26	SENATORS - S-(are not)*-S; SS=Steam Ship hence "on board (ship)";
27	MORALITY - MORA(LIT)Y; kindled=LIT; MORAY=picturesque Scots county between Inverness and Aberdeen and home to Elgin - not sure what the "old" indicates;
Down
2	PRETORIA - PRE-(AIR-OT reversed); before=PRE; broadcast=AIR; books=OT (old Testament);
3	NON-FICTION - N-ON-F(r)ICTION; knight=N (chess); dealing with=ON; right=r; "like life" is definition;
4	INTANGIBLE - IN-TANG(IB)LE; Iberian leaders=IB;
5	deliberately omitted - ask if puzzled;
6	OVER - (d)-OVER;
7	TAHITI - TA-HIT-I; TA=Territorial Army;
8	DETAINEE - DE-(p)ETAIN-E; reference Marshal Petain 1856-1951;
14	MALINGERER - MALI-(green)*-R(evolution);
15	REMORSEFUL - (rule from)* surrounds SE=South East=Home Counties;
16	MASSEUSE - MASS-(tyr)E-USE; "rubber" (UK usage) is the definition;
18	GRADIENT - (reading)*-T;
19	PIANISM - P(IAN-IS)M; Scot=Ian (second appearance); Lord Melbourne 1779-1848 was twice PM in the 1830s;
21	EQUINE - (s)EQUINE(d);
24	deliberately omitted - ask if puzzled;