Across
5
Compartment in 16 where birds fight (7)
9
Loud isn’t very soft (5)
10
Say a word such as “it” at church (9)
11
Ruthless traders like places with tourists (5-9)
13
God’s sign of the end of winter, reportedly (4)
14
Intellectual bookworm initially gripped by Le Carré novel (8)
17
Non-metric standard for beard and paper (8)
18
Area of land when returning from Dover-Calais (4)
21
Ethical procedure affecting cod-piece factor (4,2,8)
23
It may ‘elp to seal (9)
24
Wine temperature fine (5)
25
Plastic cups material from messy home at the heart of the Pyrenees (7)
26
Introduction of policy agreements suits everyone (7)
Down
1
Very loud, but ultimately quiet (4)
2
Appleyard points out reason for interruption to match (4,7,4)
3
Spice Girls’ foremost fan – me, at first (6)
4
Scandalous revelation from former model (6)
5
Singing fellows from Switzerland in more trouble (8)
6
Dealer, one shedding tears about publisher (8)
7
Liquorice sweets obtained from spacecraft token (10,5)
8
Article and manuscript on the little people for those very folk (10)
15
Houston regularly invested in island wood tar (8)
16
Bomber will distort route (8)
19
Settle differences – or is it cosmetic? (4,2)
20
Law suit finally disposed of – for a figure (6)
22
Where to see toned bodies? Covers of glossy magazines! (4)