CROSSWORD CHALLENGE 7999

ACROSS
1 Unhappy about a chap not getting a hot meal (5) 6 Many a well-ventilated shop (5) 9 Ragtime jazz from a fictional character (7) 10 In the home, the French make an appeal (5) 11 Briefly, for instance, a sop? (5) 12 Tough material to work in (5) 13 The parson, good fellow, failed to follow suit (7) 15 What a parliamentarian becomes when he goes out East? (3) 17 Work two ways, to be honest (4) 18 Dignified way to get an appointment (6) 19 Being dishonest, they're obviously not on the level (5) 20 Stagger around like old Steptoe? (6) 22 Hurt more than a little (4) 24 Spring in Spain (3) 25 Can they cast with geometric precision? (7) 26 Like strong meat? (5) 27 He's good enough to organise a fair for mid March (5) 28 Musical lines from "14 Down" (5) 29 Eradicate sponging? (4,3) 30 Separate ideas, possibly (5) ASIDE* 31 Are its players often on the green side? (5)
DOWN
2 Unaware that there's a new sale for an old record (6) 3 Female with a very big mouth (6) 4 Parent getting up to a certain duplicity (3) 5 Looked a bit odd about a broken leg (5) 6 Gadgets one frees of faults? (7) 7 Little article on a cat (4) 8 The din at tennis? (6) 12 Exclude from trade barriers (5) 13 Searches under ground? (5) 14 In boxing matches, one may include her! (5) 15 Her mount is out of line (5) 16 Dogs discovered wild by Speke? (5) 18 Look out for a measure that's thorny (5) 19 Dream always in part of a series (7) 21 A prose product of dramatic nature (6) OPERAS* 22 To bolt wildly, being sozzled (6) 23 Go, devious varlet! (6)TRAVEL* 25 In search of singular desserts (5) 26 Mistress Overdone, for instance, is wicked out West! (4) 28 Bus coming up from down under (3)