cryptic crossword

ACROSS

1 Days of old power studied for

big corporation (6,3,6)

9 Rip up root for replanting,

leaving petals in a bowl? (9) 10 Poem about place of fantasy

... (5)

11 ... it is featured in retro street

musical (5)

12 Venomous African country midge bites unknown number (9)

13 Rough National Trust walk

ahead (8)

14 Threaten prankster with

death (6)

16 Sack's covering penny or

something in river (6)

18 Take in case of broken limb

being blue (8)

22 About fifty, one is plain

absent-minded (9)

23 Catch up with rest of fiction

(popular) (3,2)

24 Personal accident cover, with

strings attached (5)

25 Last act of Jesus -- Son, in

case uncertain? (9)

26 Male detective with hound following Joe Bloggs? (3,4,3,5)

DOWN

1 Idiots upset MP in reshuffle

(7)

2 More bananas showing a

higher number of speckles (7) 3 Famous Italian represented

cardinal on video (8,2,5)

4 Lilac rim on yam's inside

reveals bitterness (8)

5 In a bad way in Spain, very

unwell, variable (6)

6 Irish pool staff, small and large, getting into party drink and food (10,5)

7 Eastern Fleet being shelled

will swallow tax boost (7)

8 Stood for flipping parade -tone-deaf taking part (7)

15 Kind of French clubs with dodgy casino Romeo inhabits (8)

16 There's always a lapse before

it's read (4,3)

17 One has faith one will go far

(7)

19 Retail confused lies about English artist's place in Paris? (7)

20 House-keeping? It could be a

flat occupation (7)

21 Second bird, one from

America originally (6)