Clues

8-across – An ancient monument – Bunthorne? Strike a light! : MEGALITH

9-across – Model going around off the ceiling : SOFFIT

10-across – Stern king concealed in a tree : BREECH

11-across – Turning revolutionary Unionist into a sheep stealer : MARAUDER

12-across – Where our responsibility lies : ONUS

13-across – Terrier worrying a minimalist going south : MILITIAMAN

15-across – Daisy and her young visiters : ASHFORD

16-across – and don’t have ______ yourself : ANYKIDS

18-across – I’d revert to piece-work pay? Tear it up! : DILACERATE

19-across – Gary Cooper’s refusal to work in Tyneside : NOPE

20-across – Plate holder making last run for it! : STAYBOLT

22-across – Kelly, the painter of family groups : GENERA

23-across – Strain of my recouping the job-seekers’ allowance : MELODY

24-across – Beware of cliques and their idées fixes! : MINDSETS

1-down – Want an easy time of it? I’d settle with bankers somehow : BEERANDSKITTLES

2-down – By which Hebraic tears joined Nebuchadnezzar’s irrigation system? : WATERSOFBABYLON

3-down – China clay fired with outright reverence : LITHOMARGE

4-down – Charity delivered to one’s doorstep? : THEMILK

5-down – Drug addict presumes to climb out of it : USER

6-down – See 4 : OFHUMANKINDNESS

7-down – Drinking partners witness’d in pairs, perhaps : WINESANDSPIRITS

14-down – No tender behind for Thomas! : TANKENGINE

17-down – Issues a quiet rebuttal as a diversion : PASTIME

21-down – Stone nothing cuts by the sound of it : ONYX

1-across – Bottomless wine cask for old musician : SACKBUT

5-across – Born with a skin disease, being without energy, I take calls : BLEEPER

9-across – Go away with sounds of fairy rings stealing around – damage just where one didn’t want it : SHOOT

10-across – See 9 : INTHEFOOT

11-across – ITV needs master, maybe, and we are it : ADVERTISEMENTS

13-across – Commendation for being decapitated? : LAUD

14-across – Flower eaten by flea, unusual jumper : FAIRISLE

17-across – Serb terrorist reportedly observed behind Clinton? : ARKANSAS

18-across – Colette’s soldiers : GIGI

21-across – Unwanted result of inaccurate attempt to 9 10? : AHOLEINTHEHEAD

23-across – Time to die without punishment – abolish totally : ERADICATE

24-across – Hindu deity opposed to being among Muslims : SHIVA

25-across – Support for fire with club : ANDIRON

26-across – See 9 : ONESELF

1-down – Moderate appeal for love : SOSO

2-down – The noisy bird in the tribe died and went to … heaven? : CLOUDCUCKOOLAND

3-down – Left the bar, ordered by the wife : BETTER

4-down – Solver’s one right to enter two points on court : THIRTY

5-down – Large cake: large roll’s possibly as hot inside : BATHSOAP

6-down – Nothing in Vermeer’s work is for good : EVERMORE

7-down – Expert and lay climber’s link keeping pet No. 4 in prophetic style : PROGNOSTICATIVE

8-down – Spitting’s allowed here: decay is an endless chain : ROTISSERIE

12-down – Painter of classical subjects, The Mater Mated possibly one : ALMATADEMA

15-down – Gather 10 on river far from 3 : INFERIOR

16-down – The Scots’ own mountain covering, their own to keep : MAINTAIN

19-down – Spell out 4, theoretically beginning at sea : THREEO

20-down – Pursued, say : CHASTE

22-down – See 3 : HALF

8-across – Unlimited affection? : FREELOVE

9-across – A good bet suggested to relatives as some protection : NAPKIN

10-across – Legislative measures followed by Romans : ACTS

11-across – Prudently involved the city elders : DISCREETLY

12-across – The opposite of a sun bonnet? : ICECAP

14-across – Criterion followed by a cavalry regiment : STANDARD

15-across – Rowdy clients cut by the typist : STENCIL

17-across – A second order of clergy : DEACONS

20-across – Sailors in the drink : ABSINTHE

22-across – One takes no end of cash in here, finishing with nothing : CASINO

23-across – Well-known way in which Christmas is enjoyed : CELEBRATED

24-across – Period of time – spring, for example : TIDE

25-across – Thanks to foreigners, a bit of old England : MERCIA

26-across – In which to store clothes they’ve grown out of? : TALLBOYS

1-down – Result of dropping the charge? : PRICECUT

2-down – An outstanding part of the country : NESS

3-down – Delay that gives serious offence : HOLDUP

4-down – Press it, rudely and obstinately? : PERSIST

5-down – Swell position for a batsman : INCREASE

6-down – Writers’ additions? They may be taken out in the theatre : APPENDICES

7-down – He finishes off the game with the queen : KILLER

13-down – Shared secret belief : CONFIDENCE

16-down – New form of travel in space : INTERVAL

18-down – Time for wonder : NINEDAYS

19-down – Willing to try a new blend of tea : TESTATE

21-down – His produce is dispensed at local pumps : BREWER

22-down – Hold in close affection : CUDDLE

24-down – Save up to get a brass instrument : TUBA

1-across – Recoil from two similar cats : WHIPLASH

5-across – Study marvellous discussion : CONFAB

9-across – Scrambled early goal, after missing a significant part of the play? : ALLEGORY

10-across – Vital force in Spanish port, an ancient city : VIGOUR

12-across – Slight variation of a dance : TWIST

13-across – Eking out fodder stored in desperate situation : KNIFEEDGE

14-across – Hunt film role that’s unusual, or ordinary? : RUNOFTHEMILL

18-across – Non-rigid structure for climbing plant : JACOBSLADDER

21-across – Announcement posing threat to the Opposition? : BATTLECRY

23-across – Show great glee with new headgear : CROWN

24-across – Expose a French medium with 25 : UNMASK

25-across – What can be popped in to grill? : QUESTION

26-across – Provoke me to leave meeting I backed : IGNITE

27-across – Arab staying here should see to his mates! : STUDFARM

1-down – Artist enters with something insubstantial : WRAITH

2-down – Some ornamental work is so fashionable, face up to it! : INLAID

3-down – Shining example of current usage : LIGHTBULB

4-down – Small fortune, maybe – earned from a hit? : STROKEOFLUCK

6-down – Express belief in old deal : OPINE

7-down – A lot of liquid drunk, with beams all round! : FLOODLIT

8-down – Where knocking’s called for, with doorbell out of order : BORDELLO

11-down – Buff envelope with vital contents? : BIRTHDAYSUIT

15-down – Tried to get fit, given cause for concern : EXERCISED

16-down – Sail out to support daughter, one in African capital : DJIBOUTI

17-down – Surname starting Mac’s not unusual for me : SCOTSMAN

19-down – Leave with prima donna – lady who appeared in 11 : GODIVA

20-down – Someone unknown working among many in difficulty : ANONYM

22-down – Be inclined to discuss this composer : LISZT

1-across – Broadcast of fussy prig gets people moving! : SYRUPOFFIGS

9-across – Speaking of new patent type of bomb : NUCLEAR

10-across – Salesman left in charge of a carbon copy : REPLICA

11-across – Gets a point for painting : LANDSCAPE

12-across – Chains one man to a pole : IRONS

13-across – Study what stops traffic around midday : READ

14-across – Exclusive holiday – credit to be arranged : RESTRICTED

16-across – Ring in by Friday with results and dates : BOYFRIENDS

19-across – Hard to understand exercises a journalist rejected : DEEP

21-across – Golf club parking to be brought in before long : SPOON

22-across – Midair sound is, I suspect, deceptive : INSIDIOUS

24-across – Man getting married is in church dress : CHEMISE

25-across – In the midst of anxiety embraces doctor : AMONGST

26-across – Suitable wear for retired persons? : NIGHTATTIRE

1-down – Old school flash many order indiscriminately : SECONDARYMODERN

2-down – River fish found under rocks : REELS

3-down – Permeate by standing about in paved complex : PERVADE

4-down – Zealous adjudicator upset by topless event : FERVENT

5-down – Understood after 1pm reversing it’s lawful : IMPLICIT

6-down – Turning up, got oneself hit for something said in error : SLIPOFTHETONGUE

7-down – Bank man sometimes prone to exaggeration? : ANGLER

8-down – Is dear doctor prominent? : RAISED

15-down – Caught using telephone, is behaving obsequiously : CRINGING

16-down – Split dry piece outside : BISECT

17-down – By quarter to six a little damage is obvious : EVIDENT

18-down – Unusually staid; not without heart but reserved : DISTANT

20-down – Foreign buyer puts an end to striptease dancing : PESETA

23-down – I’d turned up carrying stolen loincloth! : DHOTI