5  Language occasionally excused as friend loses papers to companion (6)

10 See 30

11 Watch poet without resistance (5)

12 Jack and Queen begin eating at gracious club with small actor (6,5)

14 See 23

15 Self-satisfied, getting rid of second victim (3)

16 Wartime owner of cafe in prefecture near to Isigny (4,6)

18/6 In the beginning, Eleanor divided Barsetshire about series featuring 12 (10,9)

21 Freezing stuff I can't explain initially (3)

23/14       One charged with returning slogan of campaign against BBC diction (6)

24 Officers sent aunt potty after deception (11)

26 Female was victorious over male ace (5)

27 I toured Northern Ireland haphazardly, getting a lot of knowledge (9)

29 Non-existent clause, according to Marx, can go back in, for example (6)

30/10       U-turn to change quiet bits to loud in well-timed film which earned 12 an Oscar (8,2,7)

 1  Carry out alternative to preserve black sidepiece (8)

 2/28        Engineer attacks and updates equipment (6)

 3  Discussion of rising spirit (5)

 4  Get-together on French island (7)

 6  See 18 Across

 7  Charge after 6 things somehow used to see in the dark (5,6)

 8  Lecturer working in endless hunt for chemicals (6)

 9  Clergyman gets uppity about a gentlemen's residence (6)

13 Film director understood there's no room in the toilet (5,6)

16 Amazingly, nerd leapt to Mars (3,6)

17 Aquatic mammal bearing one child, but only in the summer? (8)

19 Special jug for one being sick (6)

20 To make a fan, electrical engineer hunts around inside (7)

22 Begins reproduction of man on board ship (6)

25 Sound of Northern French river (5)

28 See 2