The Sunday Crossword No 3135, Sunday 31 Jan 2021

ACROSS

1   Fetch coals, kindling and what to clean up with (4,6) FACE CLOTHS*

6   Bar, one offering pork pie that's been recalled (4) RAIL<= 

9   Spooner's to be bold enough to divulge honest transaction (6,4) SQUARE DEAL (from ~ dare squeal)

10 Block and bar (4) STOP [DD]

12 Island in plaza renovated with evenly built-in stone (5,6) LAPIS LAZULI {LAP{ISL}AZ*}{bUiLt+In}

15 Hard seeing stories' heroes topless, wanting clothing (7) HOODIES {H}{gOODIES}

16 Smoothly operated, not beginning to see bureaucracy (3,4) RED TAPE oPERATED*

17 Farfalle grocer hides quickly (7) ALLEGRO [T]

19 Seen in sonar: 'Whale ... another whale' (7) NARWHAL [T]

20 Make improvements to cello lacking content in performance (11) RECONDITION {RE{CellO}NDITION} 

23 China about to tip over, making loud noise (4) CLAP  {PAL}{C}<= (Cockney rhyming slang China plate = Mate = PAL)

24 Not changing oil, I'm not coming home for starters, having broken down (10) MONOLITHIC {OIL+IM+NOT+Co...g+Home}*

25 What makes breeze breathe? (4) LISP [CD]/Definition by example 

26 Sportspeople fight in front of nightspot (6,4) ROWING CLUB {ROWING}{CLUB}

DOWN

1   Not eating quickly (4) FAST [DD]

2   Every now and then, coloured part of puzzle (4) CLUE CoLoUrEd

3   Grins, having coal and gin prepared for festive event (5,7) CAROL SINGING {GRINS+COAL+GIN}*

4   Everyman put in dictionary: 'pu's a Greek character' (7) OEDIPUS {OED}{I}{PUS} 

5    Animal's eaten acre, made to go on run, sounding less healthy (7) HOARSER {HO{A}RSE}{R}

7   A renowned tennis hero; universally respected American sportsman; his excellence spotted early on? (6,4) ARTHUR ASHE Acrostic &lit

8   Crookedly makes cuts, unedifyingly including education (10) LOPSIDEDLY {LOPS}{ID{ED}LY}

11 How bells may be sounded: loudly, expressing distress (4-8) HAND-WRINGING (~ hand ringing)

13 Dramatic recital that almost worked (10) THEATRICAL {RECITAL+THAt}*

14 Old scrawl's deciphered with unparalleled skill (5-5) WORLD-CLASS*

18 Regularly dropping oars, I annoy cox endlessly leading us to river (7) ORINOCO {OaRs+I+aNnOy}{COx}

19 Safari destination's Guyana; I rob ibises' nests (7) NAIROBI [T]

21 Pulse noted as children's author has heart transplant (4) DHAL D(+h)HA(-h)L

22 Ultimately, this taxi's not one loved by unions (4) SCAB {thiS}{CAB}

Reference List

Island = ISL, Hard = H, About = C, Acre = A, Run = R, Education = ED, Heart = H