Across:
8 Child support (AU PAIR) can be precious (gold = AU) for husband and wife (PAIR) (AU PAIR),
9 They’re bound to teach others lots of lessons (COLLEGES) in mountain pass (COL-) on stage (-LEG-) from one point to another (east to south = -ES) (COLLEGES),
10 Spins (= reversal indicator) music (rap = -PAR) for school (S-) (SPAR) practice in the gym (SPAR),
11 Squabble (-ROW-) with Pole (North Pole = -N-) in hostelry (B&B = B- B-) study (-READ) (BROWN BREAD) – one of The Bakers is responsible for it (BROWN BREAD
12 Blown (= anagram indicator) fuse (fuse = -SEFU-) found in university (University of Limerick = UL = U-L) (USEFUL) – how handy is that? (USEFUL),
14 Turn (= reversal indicator) mushrooms (ceps = SPEC-) in that case (-IF-) for one (-I-) colourful starter (‘colourful’ starter = -C) (SPECIFIC) in particular (SPECIFIC),
15 Sounds like something the man upstairs would say (DO THE RIGHT THING) is not bad advice (DO THE RIGHT THING),
18 Dead End opens (‘dead end’ opens = DE-) at The Screen (-FENCE-) – the first scenes (the first ‘scene’ = -S) (DEFENCES) are fundamental to many a courtroom drama (DEFENCES),
20 Look (peek = KEEP-) up (= reversal indicator) English (-E-) Royal (-R) (KEEPER) in The Guardian (the guardian = KEEPER),
22 Gets fired by major employer (MACHINE GUN gets fired by major employer – the army) and is employed by the National Rifle Association (MACHINE GUN),
24 Hidden alongside a lake (hidden ‘alongside a lake’ = DEAL) in a pine wood (fir or pine = DEAL),
25 Party (DO-) follower (-MINION) (DOMINION) gets the upper hand (DOMINION),
26 Stepmother releases shot (‘stepmother’ releases/without ‘shot’ = tepmer = TEMPER) in fit of rage (TEMPER).
Down:
1 Usurp (usurp = RU-PUS) criminal (= anagram indicator) concealing Mafia leader (‘Mafia’ leader = -M-) (RUMPUS) in Donnybrook (donnybrook/uproar = RUMPUS),
2 Grows on top (HAIR) of hemps coming from Hampshire (‘hemps’ coming from ‘Hampshire’ = ahir = HAIR),
3 Footballer (DRIBBLER) wearing a bib (DRIBBLER),
4 Produce again and again (ECHO) what’s coming out of the canyon (ECHO),
5 Take a quick look (GLANCE) in Government (G-) for one of the cuts in the hospital sector (-LANCE) (GLANCE),
6 Just be patient (BEAR WITH ME) as I’ve got Teddy for company (BEAR WITH ME),
7 Oriental (oriental = RELATION) boss (= anagram indicator) has links to La Familia (RELATION),
13 Rewrote (= anagram indicator) Fear? Hint (fear hint = FAHREN-IT) – it’s about that man (-HE-) (FAHRENHEIT) – the one, to a degree, conscious of the heat perhaps! (FAHRENHEIT),
14 Sings (sings = SIGNS) medley (= anagram indicator) of hieroglyphics from The Wall, for example (SIGNS),
16 Frank (open) isn’t finished (n) (‘open’ without ‘n’ = OPE-) with informer (-RAT-) for (for) losing the head (f) (‘for’ without ‘f’ = -OR) (OPERATOR) with one of those who has your number (switchboard OPERATOR),
17 Don’t turn a blind eye (TAKE NOTE) to what reporter might do (TAKE NOTE),
19 Frank (CANDID) and Rex not in card index (‘Rex’ not in ‘card index’ = cadind = CANDID),
21 Removes all traces of (ERASES) mill from Marseilles (‘mill’ from ‘Marseilles’ = arsees = ERASES),
23 Warm (snug = GUNS) review (= reversal indicator) of pieces (GUNS),
24 Curse (DAMN) produced by grandma losing rag (‘grandma’ losing ‘rag’ = ndma = DAMN).