2696: It’s better up north!

The unclued lights are of a kind.

Across

12    Sun ruined helter-skelter without cover (9)

13    Lizard found in Wagamama! (5)

15    Screen role I transformed into (9)

16    Rabbit’s discovered in delay at terminus (6)

20    Quietly thatched house and made watertight (7)

21    Oddly, his leg is pulled by Cupid! (6)

22    Location of small storm (6)

26    In with ugly bruiser (4)

27    Recalled child’s little digits (3)

28    Are offstage? (3)

29    Attitude of disheartened gang (4)

32    Melon is a messy thing to eat (8)

34    Woman from New Zealand overwhelmed by wah-wah in England (6)

35    Weavers weaving without a weave (6)

37    Shed in dodgy street changing hands (7)

39    Hound sometimes follows this blanket (6)

42    Weird dilemma leaves damage limitation in turmoil (9)

43    Girl in expensive car locates position (5)

44    We hear badly off and messy artist painted mugs? (9)

45    1000 Danes organised massages (6)

46    Losing tip of plimsoll, gets wet feet and goes off (6)

Down

2 On and on about entertaining baby food documentary (2,5)

3 Bits of fabric landed over pole (4)

4 Bony old Sue’s so flexible (7)

5 Cross and curt about endless party (8)

6 Oystered offshore, discovered another mollusc (6)

8 Perjurer beset by inner turmoil in retreat (4)

9 Islanders’ first class gratin dish fills empty hampers (8)

10    Surrounded by leaders of angry mutiny, our Nancy grimaced (5)

17    Abstain from drugs and meditate (6)

18    Henry’s holding skirt and scarf for spiky sorts (9)

19    Origins of Sir Keir Starmer’s esoteric way of showing emphasis (6,4)

23    Rewrite of Spies receives Oscar and flowers (6)

31    Slow movement beginning to annoy Northern poet (7)

33    It came up in midday thought (6)

38    Poet banned on radio (4)

40    Ice bucket gets hot when pressure dropped (4)

41    Head in four directions (4)

Download a printable version here.

A first prize of a £30 John Lewis voucher and two runners-up prizes of £20 vouchers for the first correct solutions opened on  14 April.