Quite a straightforward puzzle, so thanks to setter Gurney (a 15sq. blogger in addition). Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle.]]
Across
1 We hear food is following characteristic pattern (6)
SERIAL : Homophone of( We hear ) “cereal”(breakfast food).
Answer: Of or relating to a number of objects or events one after the other following a characteristic pattern.
4 Having energy and space to develop, find way out (6)
ESCAPE : E(abbrev. for “energy” in physics) plus(and) anagram of(to develop) SPACE.
8 Man’s meeting politician to see what happened (7)
HISTORY : HIS(possessive pronoun for a male;man’s) plus(meeting) TORY(short for a British Conservative politician).
9 Showing nervous excitement and anger at end of month? (7)
FEBRILE : RILE(to anger;to annoy) placed after(at end of) FEB(abbrev. for the month of February).
Answer: As with one having a fever.
11 Period when entire term is recollected? (10)
RETIREMENT : Anagram of(is recollected) ENTIRE TERM.
Answer: The period at the end of the day or employment or career, when one may remember things past. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.
12 Reserve area by river (4)
BANK : Double defn:. 1st: What is put aside;banked for a rainy day.
13 Card showing beverages (English) (5)
TEASE : TEAS(beverages, favourite of the English) + E(abbrev. for “English”).
Defn: A funny person;one making fun of;teasing others.
14 I relaxed with some hot drink (8)
SMOOTHIE : Anagram of(relaxed) [I + SOME HOT].
Answer: A thick drink of blended fruit with ice and milk, yoghurt or juice.
16 One leaving note with numerical info at centre of form (8)
TESTATOR : TE(alternatively “ti’, the syllable for the seventh note in a musical scale, or what “I drink with jam and bread”) plus(with) STAT(short for “statistic”;numerical info/data) plus(at) the 2 innermost letters of(centre of) “form”.
Answer: One who leaves a last will and testament.
18 Beginning to sample cold beer range (5)
SCALE : Initial letter of(Beginning to) “sample” + C(abbrev. for “cold”) + ALE(beer).
Answer: A series of things, in order of size, value, etc. covering the possible values;range.
20 Bucket is whitish, I’m told (4)
PAIL : Homophone of(I’m told) “pale”(whitish).
21 Power associated with new regalia is appropriate (10)
PLAGIARISE : P(abbrev. for “power” in physics) plus(associated with) anagram of(new) REGALIA IS.
Answer: To appropriate;steal someone else’s original writing and passing it off as your own.
23 The German stocking lots of paper – he’s unrealistic (7)
DREAMER : DER(the definite article “the” in German) containing(stocking) REAM(a large quantity of sheets of paper).
24 Get school item from address at Chelsea (7)
SATCHEL : Hidden in(Get … from) “address at Chelsea”.
25 Second wife’s nice place in country (6)
SWEDEN : S(abbrev. for “second” in time notation) + W(abbrev. for “wife”) + EDEN(the Biblical garden standing for any nice place;paradise).
26 Pay for bench (6)
SETTLE : Double defn: 1st: Pay the bill.
Down
1 Son covers distance – show pleasure (5)
SMILE : S(abbrev. for “son”) placed above(covers, in a down clue) MILE(the Imperial system measure of distance).
2 Drink a feature of cabarets in Athens? (7)
RETSINA : Hidden in(a feature of) “cabarets in Athens “.
Answer: The strong wine from Greece. Another WIWD clue.
3 Treaty has potential to enrage me over time (9)
AGREEMENT : Anagram of(potential to) ENRAGE ME placed above(over, in a down clue) T(abbrev. for “time”).
5 Suspect money’s under bottom of mattress (5)
SCENT : CENT(an amount of money) placed below(under, in a down clue) last latter of(bottom of) “mattress”.
Answer: To have a suspicion of;to detect, as in “I scent/suspect foul play”.
6 Entertainer‘s performance including steal from America? (7)
ACROBAT : ACT(a performance by an actor or artiste) containing(including) [ROB(to steal from) A(abbrev. for “America”)].
7 Sweetbrier, for example, plant with head cut, in Spain (9)
EGLANTINE : EG(abbrev. for “for example”;exempli gratia) + “plant” minus its initial letter(with head cut) + IN + E(abbrev. for “Spain”;España).
10 Remuneration pressman’s quietly accepted for late cover? (9)
BEDSPREAD : BREAD(pay;remuneration;what one works for) containing(… accepted) [ED’S(pressman’s;editor’s) + P(symbol for “piano”;musical instruction to play quietly)].
Answer: What one covers oneself with late in the day on 11across.
13 Book so protective of Bible character (right) (9)
THESAURUS : THUS(so;in this way) containing(protective of) [ESAU(Bible character) + R(abbrev. for “right”)].
15 Self-willed old barrister’s first to look over condition about home (9)
OBSTINATE : O(abbrev. for “old”) + initial letter of(…’s first) “barrister” placed above(to look over, in a down clue) [STATE(the condition a person or thing is in) containing(about) IN(at home;not out)].
17 Farming up to latter part of life (7)
TILLAGE : TILL(up to a moment in time) + AGE(advanced years;latter part of life, as in “his eyes were dim with age”).
19 Rhode Island firm invested in suitable fruit (7)
APRICOT : [RI(abbrev. for the US state of Rhode Island) + CO(abbrev. for a company;a commercial firm)] contained in(invested in) APT(suitable;appropriate).
21 Annoy girl after gym (5)
PEEVE : EVE(a girl’s name) placed after(after) PE(abbrev. for “physical education”;synonymous with the gym period in school).
22 Display of emotion Speaker’s observed? (5)
SCENE : Homophone of(Speaker’s) “seen”(observed;noticed). Nice surface of a ruckus in the House.
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Answer to pic#1 please click here ; to pic#2 here ; and to pic#4 here
Great blog scchua and thanks to Gurney for an enjoyable puzzle.
For 13 ac I parsed as card = tease in textile manufacture. Nice that both words have these meanings.
Many thanks Scchua & Gurney, this was very enjoyable.
[[The only image I recognise is 3: Steve McQueen in The Great Escape.]]
[[Yes Bryan, that was from The Great Escape. Later, I’ll add links to the other answers beneath the pictures.]]
[[Many thanks, Scchua, all three had been on the tip of my tongue but – knowing you – I had been looking for somethings less obvious.]]