Independent 6601 by Dac

A pleasing puzzle by Dac.    Solving time: 18 mins

* = (anagram)*   < = reversed

ACROSS

1 DEF (l = L) ECT       Excellent misleading surface

11 RO (A) ST (i)      Rosti is a Swiss potato dish – the type you eat, rather than one you put things in

12 COLLECTED     Another very good surface – double definition

17 CHANNEL FOUR      (RAF luncheon)*     Auntie = BBC   Not its only rival, of course.

20 EXEC (utive) RATES

22 NOYES      Hidden reversal indicated by ‘retired’     A poet, once a basis of a Listener crossword, if I recall, playing around with no and yes.

23 MASS AGED

25 Y O (SEMIT) E    Times<

26 ME(R) LOT    (motel)*     R = waiter’s last

DOWN

2   FIL (MAB) LE(t)

3 CAT A TONIC

6 I (one)  M (mark = German currency before the euro) (p) AGE

8 PARADE      Defined by the final word in the clue ‘display’, I think.     I did not research further to see if it also fits the wording of the rest of the clue but it sounds a likely title for such

12 COM (PARTy) MENT

19 V (ERSE) S     For once Irish is not ‘Ir’ but an older name for the Irish language

21 REAR M     A very pleasing &lit to complete a very enjoyable puzzle.