Apologies for the lkate post – my briadband went down and I couldn’t let anyone know!
Thanks to a very patient BT person (and no thanks to half a dozen complete incompetents), I have just managed to get back on line and all working OK.
Solving time: 39 minutes.
I am a bit under the weather at the moment, and my solving times seem to have gone up, but this did seem quite a tricky puzzle. The two big clues were not obvious phrases and that made life none too easy. However, it didn’t detract from the enjoyment and evenutally things fell into place.
ACROSS
1 PUCKER – This was one of the last clues I solved, while watching Jamie Oliver on a recording of Top Gear. Homophone PUKKA / PUCKER = to purse as in lips
4 PRIORESS RIO in PRESS
9 NORDIC hidden answer
10 AGRIMONY ON inside A GRIMY
11 LABOUR INTENSIVE – anagram
13 PATHE – Another head-slapper – completely threw me yet everything was there – and yes, I am old enough to remember PATHE News!
18 WINNIPEG Not sure about this clue – and would welcome suggestions! W = Wife Singl measure of spirits = NIP and then I lose it!
19 PAL UP The news of the passing of the setter Crispa reminded me that one of her favourite anag indicators was “Dicky” meaning faulty.
20 GROSVENOR SQUARE – Anag of Governor’s plus SQUARE = old fashioned.
25 ROSSETTI – SET in ROSTI
26 OKAYED – O = Old + homophone of (Jack) CADE
DOWN
1 PENELOPE Writer = PEN + East European – E POLE (rev)
3 EPICUREAN Anagram of A U Recipe + N = Noon. Probably the weakest clue for me, a bit contrived.
5 RIGHT WINGER – A Right Whinger without aspiration (H) – Lovely clue!
6 ORION – I + ON after OR (Gold)
7 EMOTIONAL E + MOTION + AL ( “almost” everyone)
12 INDEPENDENT – Enough said!
14 TRICORNES CORN inside TRIES
16 PIP SQUEAK – Philip = PIP confess = SQUEAK
17 APPENDED – A P P = A couple of pages – ENDED = called it a day.
21 VENUE – AVENUE minus A
22 AGONY – Go inside A NY = a state
Thanks to Dac for a stiff challenge!