A good deal harder than usual, I thought – solving time, 32 mins.
* = anagram < = reversal
ACROSS
1 GRIT This was my last entry – a tricky double definition.
4 CAS(h) T-OFF Nicely misleading as a reversal is suggested.
10 AM ERICAN EXPRESS (rare sixpences)*
11 AGE LESS
12 STERILE One of a number of ‘hiddens’ in the puzzle, but they were far from obvious.
13 S (WEE) T
14 ANDROGEN (Don anger)*
16 STAR (LE) TS
18 A ISLE Isle of Man
21 DR AS TIC
23 RAM HOME Good
24 CHIEF MAGISTRATE (Straight face me I)*
25 S (UN) TRAP
26 TARO hidden
DOWN
2 R (A1 MEN) T
3 TRA(i)NS LATE This took me ages – trains must be associated with Didcot.
4 CHE’S S
5 SUPREMO m (maiden over- cricket) in (poseur)*
6 ONE-DIMENSIONAL (as in line mode no)*
7 F EST(h)ER I think this refers to the Book of Esther (Old Testament)
8 Pablo CASALS First letters & lit
9 DEFENESTRATION (Don’t see fainter)* Rather unusual surface.
10 DISTRAI(N)T
17 ROT IFER (fire)*
18 AMMETER When you measure electric current i.e. I
19 ELEVEN The easiest hidden
20 E DICT S prime requirement = first letter
22 C(L)AMP This clue reads strangely – I wonder if there was a typo.
I agree about 22 down being a typo although strangely it is also there in the online puzzle this weekend.