| Clues across |
| 9 | Gold coin, somewhat battered. Nothing else in the river (7) |
| 10 | Is Shakespearean king turning his back on one from the Middle East? (7) |
| 11 | The Parisian has a lie-down, as one does after an accident (5) |
| 12 | Restore friendship, making Cleo nicer (9) |
| 13 | Type of tree planted by Life Member of Friends of the Earth? (9) |
| 14 | Battle for fruit from Garden of Eden when two leading characters from there return (5) |
| 15 | Display skill with bag, perhaps, in ship (8,7) |
| 19 | Account in the red? No wonder, if money went like this (5) |
| 21 | Janitor, in confusion, seeing croc but missing first of snakes (9) |
| 23 | Disappointing answer: “Only fish” (5,4) |
| 24 | Component of explosive is hardly inert (5) |
| 25 | Succeed, perhaps, exchanging first of characters for unknown. Forgiven? (7) |
| 26 | Doomed ship – almost a queen (7) |
|
| Clues down |
| 1 | Like a shotgun at the wedding of two ‘names’ (6-9) |
| 2 | A lord’s free pile, maybe . . . (4,4) |
| 3 | . . . and he may consider himself one like this winner at Cruft’s (3,3) |
| 4 | How a pixie signs his letters addressed to second person? (8) |
| 5 | Turn French law upside-down to be able to provide container for lubricant (6) |
| 6 | Strafe Royal Navy? That’s upsetting! Move somewhere else! (8) |
| 7 | Getting a stitch whilst scattering seed, we hear (6) |
| 8 | Straight or non-specific boss (8-7) |
| 16 | Exhibition of vulgarity on rough headland (8) |
| 17 | Rice substitute’s potential to infect (8) |
| 18 | It’s annoying – train broke down in Irish Republic tunnel, initially (8) |
| 20 | Stand-up sort of chaps, perhaps, providing cartoon papers (6) |
| 21 | It’s noisy in Cyprus, and overcast (6) |
| 22 | Light, but fail to start brown coal (6) |
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