CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

▶ Across

1. Record of meeting made up by seconds (7)

5. Be silent! It's a game of cards! (5)

8. One being taught to be a wage-getter after fifty (7)

9. Its building-blocks might disappear in sunnier climes (5)

10. French region fraud aching to be heard (9)

12. Give one a dressing-down that may be a transformation (3)

13. Revolting person will stagger around the top of the bar (5)

17. Moorland height starts towering over region (3)

19. Sack the man on watch for standing in the grate (9)

21. Slacken off end of tassel and put a board on it (5)

22. Attacks a fool when about to put to sea (7)

24. Provide hands and leave the fruit (5)

25. He may have no bottle left, having finished his round (7)

▶ Down

1. Spite of March Hare first shown to Wonderland visitor (6)

2. Naturally it falls again and Academician is upset about it (7)

3. Brief mathematical function of sunbronzing (3)

4. Indifferent reaction to quiet on mat (5)

5. Sign of surrender is a flight we organised (5,4)

6. How to win Los Angeles over is related by marriage (2-3)

7. Despite being hot and bothered, one might hug it (6)

11. Share selection left in a ship for one to fool with (9)

14. It holds the mind of Iran perhaps with Latin surroundings (7)

15. It flows right inside a vapour (6)

16. Betting the price is curious when numbers are up (4-2)

18. Is up and is going east in the Navy (5)

20. ‘this earth, this ___ , this England’ (K Richard II) (5)

23. The sun, note, thus appears at the end of April (3)

▶ Yesterday's solution

Across 1. Parks 4. Resists 8. Cover 9. Torture 10. Urn 11. Ground-hog 12. Epee 13. Arch 18. Restrains 20. Dam 21. Mortise 22. Inure 23. Suspect 24. Lutes Down 1. Picture frames 2. Revenge 3. Sprigs 4. Ration 5. Spring 6. South 7. Sledge-hammers 14. Redoubt 15. Praise 16. Silent 17. Espial 19. Sores