9-across – A sheep fed cocoa, extremely hot drink : AMERICANO

10-across – See 20 : POUCH

11-across – At sea, naval disheartenment OK, I swear : TAKETHE

12-across – Reversed mystic symbol inscribed with a second charm : ENAMOUR

13-across – Lips on confectionery? That’s it! : CANDY

14-across – Behind vehicle, trailer? : SLOWCOACH

16-across – See 11 : LORDSNAMEINVAIN

19-across – Right exalted originally by right-wing theatre : REPERTORY

21-across – Money on counter, type of table? : READY

22-across – Girl’s well after setback, praise be! : HOSANNA

23-across – Italian city, intimate and more exotic : PALERMO

24-across – See 4 : CANEM

25-across – Book with ripped jacket, quality finally improving : ONTHEROAD

1-down – Remarkable point : PARTICULAR

2-down – See 21 across : RECKONER

3-down – Arctic land tax : WINTRY

4-down – Danger! Initially vicious, aggressive chihuahua’s turned up? : CAVE

5-down – See 25 : TORECOVERY

6-down – Look to file request for painter and decorator? : SPRAYCAN

7-down – Goddess a lion, did you say? : AURORA

8-down – Interminable annoyance for god : THOR

14-down – Shakespeare fan aswoon, very dizzy : SWANOFAVON

15-down – Writer of short stories loving a film actor : HENRYFONDA

17-down – Country in India toured by Singh or Patel, for example? : SURINAME

18-down – Just charge for that work in support of development in Africa : AFAIRCOP

20-down – Improper garment in which Carol’s welcomed by father: that’s painful! : POSING

21-down – Comfort priest in embrace of arbitrator : RELIEF

22-down – White hair shaved on top : HOCK

23-down – PM, hell for the Speaker? : PITT

5-across – Intense expression of outrage by people missing answer : FIERCE

6-across – Religious belief is shown in the mass : THEISM

9-across – One novelist or another abridged : ORWELL

10-across – Heroic feats of 4 no longer moving one : EXPLOITS

11-across – Prevail over heartless monster : BEST

12-across – A crazy Irishman with power and skill of 4 : AIRMANSHIP

13-across – Red Cross patron? : SAINTGEORGE

18-across – Saw nothing amiss in president, initially : WASHINGTON

21-across – Monster George has smashed left, right and centre : OGRE

22-across – Heed revised note appended to catalogue : LISTENTO

23-across – For example, story of saint, say, presented in advance : LEGEND

24-across – Annoyingly, don’t stop fire hazard : DRAGON

25-across – Institution having silver lining in this respect : HOMAGE

1-down – English people over time dividing charity up — something GR developed : DEMENTIA

2-down – Namely, helping fighter upset monster : SCYLLA

3-down – Hoped art could be curated for European gallery : THEPRADO

4-down – Test programmes for those made redundant at times, by George : PILOTS

5-down – So-called king once, in a good way, married queen : FARMER

7-down – Brendan’s almost impenetrable? That’s not true : MYTHIC

8-down – Divisive policy, variation on 13 : SEGREGATION

14-down – In lower-class part of UK, acting like unorganised workers : NONUNION

15-down – Like six rules 11 mostly named with Botham : GEORGIAN

16-down – I’ve tangled with dragon, up to a point — outcome is mixed : VARIED

17-down – In charge, name possible future king : PRINCE

19-down – Knight, say, following success as slayer : HITMAN

20-down – English hero’s effective use of arms in fight : NELSON

9-across – Make good magazine earlier : ATONETIME

10-across – One inspects pupils losing way round Windows : OCULI

11-across – Giving a boost to Jack’s function : LIFTING

12-across – Top cleric’s scripture class fills course : PRELATE

13-across – Either half of sweetbread : LOLLY

14-across – Bare contents of French well, by the sound of it : AUNATUREL

16-across – Mad Bojo is in fact admitting day’s a reward for work? : JOBSATISFACTION

19-across – Silk may be found in this elevated part of Wimbledon : HIGHCOURT

21-across – Special day for old Roman teams : SIDES

22-across – Mostly clean quarterdeck for hobby? : PURSUIT

23-across – Server’s first to stop backing horse : BARISTA

24-across – Liquid waste, a by-product of hard labour : SWEAT

25-across – Eg Central Park race is about to block country bumpkin there : RUSINURBE

1-down – Orchestra catch up around start of joyful chorus : HALLELUJAH

2-down – Lots of holes in this wood perhaps : GOLFCLUB

3-down – Tax collecting? It’s fun! : LEVITY

4-down – Mass inspires fashionable man on board : KING

5-down – Working out goalie’s job, one appearing in paper : KEEPINGFIT

6-down – Solve Times cryptic crossword, initially at home? : DOMESTIC

7-down – A posh couple’s foreign 6? : AUPAIR

8-down – Help plan last first : AIDE

14-down – I see a scavenger going round creating flyers : AVICULTURE

15-down – Brown maybe settles on skip : LANDSCAPER

17-down – Current noble’s relations : ACCOUNTS

18-down – River Test’s vigour : INDUSTRY

20-down – Information about a way to tidy beds : GARDEN

21-down – Analyst’s quiet place for bowling : SHRINK

22-down – One’s often driven in job : POST

23-down – Tied up by strapping American : BUSY

5-across – Fear, being tone-deaf etc, some instruments or others : FLUTES

6-across – Discovered a bit of corn planted in line, not cut : LEARNT

9-across – Particular kinds of speech — ear got some, but only some : ARGOTS

10-across – A point going in one : UNAWARES

11-across – At this point, use your ears, by the sound of it : HERE

12-across – Finished in a triple time tempo, finally dealt with : ATTENDEDTO

13-across – Entering and leaving canals? Not 12 or 24 : INONEEARAND

18-across – Uses what’s between ears, has fun with left to right shift : CEREBRATES

21-across – Visibly less happy lacking attention — hence row : TIER

22-across – Note echoed later, splitting ears in disturbed city : BRISBANE

23-across – End of list that guy had permanently fixed in memory, metaphorically : ETCHED

24-across – Lacking lead, the editors considered : HEEDED

25-across – Note from one kind of singer heard : TENNER

1-down – Like Van Gogh, for instance — messed up, with one ear : EUROPEAN

2-down – Attentive female occupying stage is happy : GEISHA

3-down – Servant who doesn’t let things go 13 8? : RETAINER

4-down – Know how to put in anagram of ear in cryptic : ARCANE

5-down – Composed, having prepared in advance without hearing organ : FORMED

7-down – Hear about breakfast or lunch, or possibly tea? It’s a deal : TREATY

8-down – See 13 : OUTTHEOTHER

14-down – Recounts how ears could be disturbed with rant : NARRATES

15-down – Becoming aware of, in a form of cognition, once nothing’s omitted : NOTICING

16-down – Comb what protrudes from head in school : SEARCH

17-down – That woman’s rising musical ability makes us listen again : REHEAR

19-down – One that hears about eg Joan of Arc in French festival : EASTER

20-down – Piece from austere orchestra in enhanced sound system : STEREO

1-across – Point weapon? That’s harsh! : STRIDENT

5-across – Mats in work for prayer, supposedly : MANTIS

9-across – Late in the year, briefly attending hospital department — it’s dirty : INDECENT

10-across – Former party leaders taken into custody : NICKED

12-across – Rosette’s a frivolity? Don’t listen! : COCKADEAFUN

15-across – Strange nation, English, on reflection : EERIE

17-across – Do the job OK but leave little margin for error : CUTITFINE

18-across – Over four weeks’ money lost at one Riviera resort — precariously placed : ONTHINICE

19-across – Finally had row : DRANK

20-across – Had listened to jockey here? : INTHESADDLE

24-across – American gym teacher perhaps a distant relative? : APEMAN

25-across – The same people present : DONATION

26-across – Youngster taking course at Oxford got his head down : KIPPED

27-across – Greatly admires PM’s astonish­ingly honest admission about Truss’s ultimate direction : IDOLISES

1-down – Aware of what’s happening? No : SWITCHEDON

2-down – With Ruby Green, consider what you might want to do in the bedroom? : REDECORATE

3-down – That’s good! Scoundrel’s given up second home : DACHA

4-down – Writings by Donne about very ordinary people : NONDESCRIPTS

6-down – Turned away — one nurse in particular upset : ALIENATED

7-down – Accept bet son refused : TAKE

8-down – See 22 : SIDE

11-down – Not working at that point with my department : OFFTHERECORD

13-down – Damn! This is complicated with no guarantee of success : HITANDMISS

14-down – Game that’s played on board : DECKTENNIS

16-down – Finish off ale in time for relaxation : ELIMINATE

21-down – Bit of hot stuff about to pick up Vlad — help! : AVAIL

22-down – Spotted in the distance — that’s cheeky! : BACK

23-down – Having turned up, go against Harris for now : VEEP