CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Her Grace sat around with an uninvited party-goer (4-7)

8. Break a tile with toe, and grow pale (8)

9. Fundamental note one may poke about for (4)

10. Bad weather one may try to take by assault (5)

13. It is close to being mean (4)

16. They are our shoulders that must bear the responsibility (4)

17. Such fluid and water is wishy-washy (4)

18. Frivolous creature that may be half-fostered (4)

20. The salary a warder is given (5)

24. Amphibian discovered on leaving Sir Isaac (4)

25. Rain can be made into a liquor for steeping meat in (8)

26. What a solemn ceremony a party can be! (11)

DOWN

2. A bit of opera any Italian can breathe (4)

3. Striking effect a Celt might achieve (5)

4. Part of a dynamo that can go up and down (5)

5. A wader a girl’s taken on (5)

6. Top men delve like this for growth (11)

7. One in charge of supplies may have a shop in America (11)

11. Surplus copies are to be found in Dover sometimes (5)

12. Younger brother at school for whom there’s a sort of scale (5)

14. It is wicked, to live it up like this (4)

15. Leave completely? Not completely! (4)

19. A palace in France may be the place to stay (5)

21. Take a meeting in support of the rail (5)

22. Left out of 14, the court may turn one out of one’s home (5)

23. A light ring Prince Henry had, nothing more (4)