No 2553, Sunday, 04 Oct 09

Celebrations over, time to head back home
ACROSS
1 - Briton most caricatured? Ted Heath, perhaps (10) – TROMBONIST*
6 - Triple acrostic's appeal (4) – PLEA [T]
9 - Polish ring for opera singer (5) – {BUFF}{O}
10 - Plots against king described by secret agents (9) – {CON}{SPI{R}ES}
12 - A rest cut short (7) – {A}{BRIDGE}
13 - Alison naughtily seducing one contact (7) – LIA{I}SON*
14 - Discovery holiday's over (12) – {BREAK}{THROUGH}
18 - Faces sanctions (12) – COUNTENANCES [DD]
21 - Distraught parent embracing wife in port (7) – ANT{W}ERP*
22 - Total of wages paid in Scottish town collated by head (7) – P{AYR}OLL
23 - From tub, sailors will supply a scented preparation (4,5) – {BATH}{SALTS}
24 - Derelict male into gin (5) – TRA{M}P
25 - Flat race, perhaps, not quite finished (4) – EVEN(-t)
26 - Pedlars lie about a sandal (10) – ESPADRILLE*
DOWN
1 - Boy in boat is ill (6) – TOBIAS*
2 - Eager, individual protecting tree (2,4) – ON {FIR}E
3 - Ruby worries about Rex in play (5,8) – {BLOOD} B{R}OTHERS
4 - Hot in pleasant corner (5) – NIC{H}E
5 - Wearing vest, a person not in a long-term relationship? (9) – {SINGLET}{ON}
7 - Make mischief, given encouragement in plant (8) – {LARK}[SPUR}
8 - A bishop's vice - the drink (8) – {A}{B}{SIN}{THE}
11 - Plain secretive type produces a hangover cure? (7,6) – {PRAIRIE} {OYSTER} Result of a Google search, first time I am hearing of this
15 - Short answer involving Italian city and one in the US (9) – AN{NAPOLI}S
16 - Scratch game (8) – SCRABBLE [DD]
17 - Crafty to include it in caption (8) – SUBT{IT}LE
19 - Extra drama before dance (2-4) – NO-{BALL}No and Drama?
20 - Pass English, then blunder (6) – {E}LAPSE
22 - After a dish that's Italian (5) – PAST{A}

GRID