Excellent puzzle, solving time 26 mins, lots of puns in the classic crossword style.
Not sure if it is just coincidence but each symmetrical pair of 13-letter entries seemed somewhat similar to each other. Not sure if that was intended.
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 HIGH CAMP Def: greatly affected
5 A LA SKA
9 AD (V) EN TURE (true)*
11 S (L)OTH (shot)*
12 SO LO (IS) T
13 SMACKER Double definition peck = kiss
14 S (MALL) POTATOES (OAPs set to)* Great surface. Not much money
16 EMBARRASSMENT Double definition. In similar country to 14.
20 CRO ATIA “Crow Asia”
21 AIR BASE Pun on ‘service’ ie garage or fighting services
23 DJ INN
24 THIRD RAIL Double definition
25 SON NET
26 U NAM USED (Man U)<
DOWN
1 H OARS (rows) wifE I thought this was very good indeed
2 GAVE L
3 CANT IN A Bar in eg Spain
4 MOUNT PLEAS ANT Sorting office in London
6 L (A SCAL) A Opera house in Milan pascal = unit of pressure (p)ascal
7 STOCK PORT
8 APHORISM Very cleverly hidden, with clue suggesting a possible anagram
10 E(US) TON ‘S TATI (film director) ON (working) Like 4, a London building. Pun on ‘training’
14 SUBTOPIAN (a pub is not)* urban development spreading into the countryside
15 ME Ruin CEDES
17 R (ETINU) E unite< = join “up” Very good
18 E (A RLDO) M (lord)*
19 HE (ALE) D
22 Afghanistan’s leader = first letter DAMS. Two early Presidents of the US, father and son, were called Adams
I was stumped by third rail, I’m afraid. I’ve never heard the expression – didn’t think Americans even knew what trains were. A bit of disappointment since I got most of the rest fairly easily.
The second meaning is a US usage ie an issue politicians would be wise to keep away from.
Yes, that’s what I gathered from reading the dictionary entry. I assume it’s derived from the railways though, which seems a bit odd when the US doesn’t seem to have much in the way of electric rail infrastructure.