Thursday 22 October

Across

1 Lyrical film about regular parts of forest (6) 5 Comic character being nasty about R’n’B (2,4) 8 Roar in Italy for opera composer (7) 9 Grand yarn twisted in glue (7) 11 Excitedly recording chats about origin of Sasquatch, a creature that may not exist (12,3) 12 Blocks German agreement most regularly ignored (4) 13 Waiting to involve extra director before mostly heated attempt to secure rights (7,3) 17 Wartime leader the writer found occupying French elevation, covered in blood (10) 18 Scotch: old fool at first returned one litre (4) 20 Failure to notice sensitive tenant is upset (15) 23 Reckons French are investing in good applications (7) 24 Film aboard spacecraft getting cool reception? (7) 25 Inventor is absorbed by revolutionary point (6) 26 Amiable spy with beer ignored by Americans (6)

Down

2 Fine US city initially helps odd chap from another state (9) 3 Make adjustments to weaker batsmen over runs (6) 4 Disapproval is following involuntary response in a lot of bad behaviour (9) 5 Millions curious to see legendary giant (5) 6 Papal directive to surround Birmingham market area (8) 7 Temperature in a French resort almost doing for lark (5) 8 HQ excited with parachute action (4,7) 10 Experts in botany, say, are left enthralled by uncovered figures (11) 14 Obstructing Democrat’s opening for energetic complaining (9) 15 Response to accusation almost completely about the French flour (9) 16 Say it’s so wrong to involve first of these show-offs (8) 19 Friendly African country welcoming invasion by Gabon (6) 21 Sounded surprised about Australian leading (5) 22 March/April period in Japan is angelic (5)