Clues
Across
- 1 Pierce small prickly fruit (5)
- 5 Bear also hugged by father (5)
- 6 Ancient remains of derelict fragment (5)
- 7 Just the facts - at core, Putin badly hurt (5)
Down
- 1 Pence gets into kind of contest (5)
- 2 Advertising dept pens copy for print media (5)
- 3 Allow entry to make a confession (5)
- 4 Managed church and farmhouse (5)
Setter’s notes
I think these clues are pretty straightforward, so this might be a good one to start with if you’re new to cryptics — though I know my style can take a little getting used to.
Across
- 1 “Small” = S + “prickly fruit” = PEAR — SPEAR, “pierce”.
- 5 “Also” = AND, hugged by “father” = PA — PANDA, a bear.
- 6 Hidden (“fragment”) in “deRELICt” — RELIC, ancient remains.
- 7 The core of “puTin” = T + an anagram (“badly”) of HURT — TRUTH, just the facts.
Down
- 1 “Pence” = P, inside “kind” = SORT — SPORT, a kind of contest.
- 2 “Copy” = APE, penned inside “advertising dept” = PR — PAPER, print media.
- 3 Double definition: allow entry, and make a confession — ADMIT.
- 4 “Managed” = RAN + “church” = CH — RANCH, a farmhouse.