CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Hated to change right inside, there being so little of it (6)

8. Circumnavigator a suitable mate for 12 Down? (5)

9. Study class, toe the line (7)

11. Tree unfortunately to maul when about to put on bonfire (8)

12. Yield to authority and put it off for a while (5)

15. Cryptic language used back in the antiquated occult (4)

16. Contents of third month are, in part, circular (3)

17. Your and my hydrogen ahead: what time is it? (4)

19. For what we are about to receive – Miss Darling! (5)

21. Let go such grip as the householder might have (8)

24. Makes mock of what NASA does? (5,2)

25. An award for first of diners in middle of dinner (5)

26. Start blazing, the sort the French follow (6)

DOWN

2. The Queen, given a poem to wear away (5)

3. Messrs Lee Enfield and Winchester, perhaps (8)

4. It’s hardly a throw! (4)

5. Most of 17 is about a party – and it smells! (5)

6. Inexperienced when returning North to issue a caution (4)

7. Look radiant, being right out of fish (4)

10. Ship’s officer upset sailor, nothing less, for such cloths (9)

12. Get down out of the way for mate of 8? (4)

13. The woman gets lowest point back from the playwright (8)

14. Regret following tail-end of regiment, to be honest! (4)

18. She will shortly lose apostrophe, and may explode (5)

20. After start of Christmas, Misrule was very unkind (5)

21. Am included in half the biography by way of notoriety (4)

22. It goes round and round in the wet (4)

23. Hides knowledge, only to reveal workplace (4)