Times 25,396

14:32 on the club timer; I banged in 1 across and 6 across straight away, which always settles the blogger's nerves, and after that it all went smoothly and enjoyably, apart from a brief hold up at the end while I successfully parsed the green flyer (but failed to parse another which was obviously right but which defied my best efforts).

Across
1	SADDLE SORE - cryptic def.
6	OPAL - twO PALms.
10	PARTAKE - Trader in PARAKEet. It took me some time to work out that there was no reversal involved, and "E" was not a quarter this time; rather the clue indicates the removal of 2 of the 8 letters (making a "one quarter rebate") of the colourful bird.
11	CARROTY - (TO)rev. in CARRY.
12	RICHELIEU - [1 CHE, LIE] in R.U. I suspect I'm not the only solver whose knowledge of Cardinal Richelieu comes more from his appearances alongside the Three Musketeers than serious history.
13	STOKE - SmallTOKE (as in "have a toke on this number, man").
14	CLOVE - Constant LOVE.
15	GREATNESS - (SENT)rev. in GREASe. Grease is the word.
17	ROYAL MINT - double def. I had to check my history to decide where the division between the two halves falls, and as it seems to have been Henry (VIII) who made the Royal Mint the sole producer of currency, it must be "suitable relish for King Edward's" = something you might have on the potatoes which accompany your roast lamb, and "money-making venture".
20	EATEN - rEpAsTbEaNs.
21	PAPAL - PA, PAL. Presumably an accident of topicality.
23	MURDERESS - cryptic def.
25	CROONER - CROw + ONE,Runs.
26	OUTCOME - dUTCh in dOOMEd.
27	SIGH - HG IS(rev.).
28	SELF DECEIT - (FEDLIESETC)* &lit.
Down
1	SUPPER - SUPPER, i.e. "meal with any repeated letters struck out".
2	DIRECTORY - DIRE,Conservative,TORY.
3	LEAVE WELL ALONE - double def, one cryptic.
4	SEEMING - SEE, MING (the Merciless, arch-enemy of Flash Gordon).
5	RECLUSE - (CURSELIFE)*.
7	PHOTO - HOT(=stolen="suitable for fencing") in PO. Failed to see the wood for the trees, until enlightened by Jerry, as below.
8	LAYPERSON - Palaeontologist in LAYERS, ON.
9	GRASP THE NETTLE - (GReekPENTATHLETES).
14	CARAPACES - CAR(=motor) + [PACE in AS].
16	ENTRECOTE - COT in ENTRÉE.
18	IMMERSE - SWIMMER loses SW and adds SE, which involves changing course by ninety degrees. Clever.
19	TURN OFF - URN in TOFF.
22	PRONG - PROviNG minus a Roman six.
24	SMELT - double def.