I found this quite easy, solving time 14 mins.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
8 AT HEIST
9 EP I ZO (Oz<) A Oz = country down under (Australia)
10 OILC A N The Muse Clio<
11 LEG (AT) ION TA< definition and wordplay split at that/diplomatic
12 INDELICATE (nice detail)*
13 ROAD “Rowed”
14 TO(w)NS
16 MIDAS Hidden reversal
18 V (I) AL lav<
19 A T O P
21 CREDIT NOTE Cryptic definition
23 LUST ROUS(e)
24 FIASCO (C is oaf)*
25 USA NCE (final letters = “ends”)
26 N (AIR) OB I
DOWN
1 NAT I ON (No 1 tan)< Even-handed puzzle with surfaces in this and 24 across hammering (in jest) both main party leaders.
2 S (HOCK ER) S
3 GIANTISM (a smiting)*
4 ITALIAN DRESSING (daintiness a girl)*
5 LEAGUE Hidden
6 (g)LITTER
7 YOKO (Ono) HAM A
15 OUT BU (R) ST
17 SAINFOIN (sinfonia)*
18 VIN (DAL) O O lad<
20 PATINA (a paint)*
21 CLOVE R
22 TAC TIC “Tack Tick”
A rare Nina from me this time, a perimeter message celebrating daughter’s marriage (Congratulations, Gilly and Leo).
I completely missed that! Best wishes to both!
Have just gone back to the paper to see this Nina. I missed it I’d say cos I don’t look for them too often with Quixote tho I would generally give a glance in any puzzle and probably did here. It was tricky to spot as the CONGRATULATIONS which started the message were in reverse at the bottom of the grid. Quite an achievement with those pre-determined letters to produce a puzzle of the normal accessible standard – maybe the placement of the perimeter letters was chosen to facilitate this.