Across:
8 Turning up (= reversal indicator) nice street (Nice/French ‘street’ = ‘rue’ = -EUR) with sense of purpose? Leaders (‘Sense Of Purpose’ leaders = sop = POS-) (POSEUR) and one of those drawn types from 3 down! (POSEUR in ‘art class’),
9 Miss (OVERLOOK) Ring (O-) and Victor (-V-) Ward (-ER-) checkout? (-LOOK) (OVERLOOK),
10 Leave out (SKIP) shish kebab starters (‘Shish Kebab’ starters = SK-) with duck (dip) beginning to go off (d) (‘dip’ without ‘d’ = -IP) (SKIP),
11 Criminal (CON-) set-up (set-up = -FOUNDED) (CONFOUNDED) and taken by surprise (CONFOUNDED),
12 An unimportant quarrel (spat = SPA-T-) about resistance (-R-) to first aid (first ‘Aid’ = -A) (SPARTA) in ancient city (SPARTA),
14 A nice farewell (a Nice/French ‘farewell’ = AU REVOIR) for Vera (Vera) retiring (= reverse indicator) (Vera = A- REV-) around mid-January (mid ‘janUary’ = -U) with a fair amount of (half of) 5 down (half of ‘memOIR’ = -OIR) (AU REVOIR),
15 Go to pieces (SHATTER-) in (-IN-) Government (-G) following (= position indicator) heart (heart) problem (= anagram indicator) (heart = EARTH) (EARTH-SHATTERING) – it’s like being hit by an asteroid (EARTH-SHATTERING),
18 Not being in on the picture (UNFRAMED), organisation (United Nations = UN-) is set up for a fall (-FRAMED) (UNFRAMED),
20 The man in Ring (man in boxing ring = referee = RE-F-) keeps key (music key = -E-) that opens entrance rattling (opens ‘Entrance Rattling’ = -ER) (REEFER) in jacket (REEFER jacket),
22 Old Pope (Pope CLEMENT-) in (-IN-) Spain (-E) (CLEMENTINE) might have links to Seville perhaps (CLEMENTINE might have links a Seville orange),
24 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) Trim (‘peel’ = ‘PEAL’) or Ring? (ring/chime = PEAL),
25 The new issue (NEONATAL) of a lone ant? (a lone ant) Wrong! (= anagram indicator) (a lone ant = NEONATAL),
26 No lairds in Lake District (no ‘lairds’ in ‘Lake District’ = ketict = TICKET) will give access to concert (TICKET).
Down:
1 Bar (LOCK) with underground passage leads (‘Underground Passage’ leads = UP) (LOCK UP) to secure garage (LOCK UP),
2 Bound (LEAP) to console a patient in part (‘consoLE A Patient’ in part = LEAP),
3 Wild (= anagram indicator) rascals (rascals = AR- CLASS) admit starting trouble (starting ‘Trouble’ = -T) (ART CLASS) by painting a picture (ART CLASS),
4 Noel Coward dismissed oracle (‘Noel Coward’ dismissed ‘oracle’ = nowd = DOWN) in Ulster (DOWN),
5 Short (e) viral phenomenon (‘meme’ without ‘e’ = MEM-) in Brazil (Rio) reflects (= reverse indicator) (Rio = -OIR) (MEMOIR) life of the bookmaker (MEMOIR),
6 Free (BLANK) for Limerick (limerick/poem = VERSE) (BLANK VERSE) – blame the lineman for this (poet writes BLANK VERSE),
7 A demonic (a demonic) boss (= anagram indicator) (a demonic = COMEDIAN) will leave you in stitches (COMEDIAN),
13 What do you expect when you leave The Post (leaves the post/job = RETIREMENT) – a night out after this perhaps? (a night out following RETIREMENT),
14 Tony, for example (Tony AWARD), for boy off Broadway (‘boy’ off ‘Broadway’ = radwa = AWARD),
16 Declared invalid (ANNULLED) by woman (Anne = ANN-E-) outside university (University of Limerick = -UL-) on line (-L-) leading demonstration (leading ‘Demonstration’ = -D) (ANNULLED),
17 Ribs (TORMENTS) and bone (T- bone) from mysterious (= anagram indicator) monster (monster = -ORMENTS) (TORMENTS),
19 Very small (MINUTE) motorway (MI-) going around Nutmeg State (going around ‘NUtmeg StaTE’ = -NUTE) (MINUTE),
21 In high spirits (ELATED) like the white rabbit (the White Rabbit in “Alice in in Wonderland” is -LATE-) captured by writer (ed = E-D) (ELATED),
23 Is not working (IDLE) for the papers (ID- papers) long (-L-) – what’s the point? (East = -E) (IDLE),
24 Robin Goodfellow (another name for PUCK) pushing stock from the banks (‘PUshing stoCK’ from the banks = PUCK).