Cryptic crossword No 698

Thanks Starhorse, top stuff. Favourite 22a but superb high quality throughout, too many to list! Spoilers in reply ...

Great puzzle, Starhorse - thanks. A masterclass in concise and accurate clueing. Hard to pick favourites amongst such a high quality field but I will nominate 13A, 22A, 25A, 28A, 2D, 7D and 8D.

Apologies for being so very tardy, Starhorse. I've had a lot on my plate over the last few days but have finally gotten around to it. Worth the wait, from my perspective. Some nice clueing - and the clues felt shorter than on previous occasions? Favourites include: 12a, 19a, 23a, 25a, 27a, 3d, 7d, 10d, 15d, 17d, Spoilers in Reply. Thanks. PM.

Thanks for the puzzle Starhorse, the first of yours I've done and a very enjoyable challenge. Particular favourites were 9a, 12a, 13a, 19a, 20a, 22a, 3d, 5d and 10d.