The Sunday Crossword No 3018, Sunday 21 Oct 2018

Found it really tough going today. Doesn't look like the regular Everyman setter.

ACROSS
1   Excuse certain satisfaction (8) PLEASURE {PLEA}{SURE} Was there in Neyarthas CW yesterday in a different avatar.
5   Beginning with greeting after hesitation letting doctor in (6) EMBRYO {E{MB}R}{YO}
9   Question highest in command (5) TOPIC {TOP}{IC}
10 Old man, very bold, moving with energy in dance (4,5) PASO DOBLE {PA}{SO}{BOLD*}{E}
12 Travel in good group involving zero risk, right? (5-4) GLOBE-TROT {G}{L{O}{BET}{R}OT}
13 Share in rent (5) SPLIT [DD]
14 Fantastic help by clerk at code-breaking headquarters (9,4) BLETCHLEY PARK {HELP+BY+CLERK+AT}*
17 Underrated beginner in ultimate card game babbled, holding diamonds back (13) UNAPPRECIATED {Ul...e}{NAP}{PR{ICE<=}ATED}
21 Produce alien after appeal (5) BEGET {BEG}{ET}
23 Sad poem about soldier perhaps with line in refined style (9) ELEGANTLY {ELEG{ANT}{L}Y}
24 Pasta that pigeons ruined? Not on (9) SPAGHETTI {THAT+PIGEonS}*
25 Father with particular expression of disapproval (5) FROWN {FR}{OWN}
26 Variable merits in wishes (6) YEARNS {Y}{EARNS}
27 Stocky son cutting mass of trees (8) THICKSET {THICK{S}ET}

DOWN
1   Thick soup in container on time (6) POTAGE {POT}{AGE}
2   Flowering plant first in bloom? Rejoicing about that (9) EUPHORBIA {EUPHOR{Bl..m}IA}

3   Hide final pieces of fabulous treasure on island (7) SECRETE {f...uS}{t...rE}E{CRETE}
4   Speak angrily about pressure for plan without initial reconciliation (13) RAPPROCHEMENT {RA{P}{PRO}{sCHEME}NT}
6   Lack of pretension in manner with pen (7) MODESTY {MODE}{STY}
7   One resisting authority figure belittled to some extent (5) REBEL [T]
8   Superior to receive pass (8) OVERTAKE {OVER}{TAKE}
11 One following order in full adjusted his aerial (9,4) SATELLITE DISH {SA{TELL}{I}TED}{HIS*}
15 Car is not damaged in tests (9) AUDITIONS {AUDI}{IS+NOT}*
16 Poor cleric, without work, in the red (8) RUBBISHY {RUB{BISHop}Y
18 Contribute feature below mine (5,2) PITCH IN {PIT}{CHIN}
19 Idiosyncrasy about service following trade (7) TRAFFIC {T{RAF}{F}IC}
20 Tips for calligraphy, given excellent new pen? (6) CYGNET {Ca...rY}{GiveN}{Ex...nT}

22 Country in hour covered by a horse going north (5) GHANA {A}{NA{H}G}<=

GRID