Independent 7085

This puzzle is from 21 October 2011, giving me some qualms as it’s stored in a box carefully marked Nov 2011-Nov 2012. And not near the top either…

Anyway, there is a Nina, which the fifteensquared blog reveals. So try solving and looking for it first!

ACROSS

7 John returned carrying English meat (4)

8 French writer’s oeuvre bad, I fancy (2,8)

10 Animal, canine, I have, with careful approach, turned back (5,3)

11 Blight is able to kill every rose at the outset (6)

12 Father backed opening or introduction (6)

13 Group of stars raced back to party for artist (8)

15 Sort of like many boutique shoppers? (5,1,7)

18 Booze making you largely opinionated when probing dodgy data (8)

20 Sign that millions will be invested in military forces (6)

22 Wise fellow positioned around front (6)

24 Grape, unripe, offering no end of intestine pain (8)

25 Kooky vet alone carries the Spanish soap opera (10)

26 Oxygen in pack does for what’s turning you blue (4)

DOWN

1 Corner worker receiving greeting late (6-4)

2 Claim cricket side tucked into beer (6)

3 Instructor to worry soldiers about French nobleman (8)

4 Ranch hand left for France, not Spain, nothing more (6)

5 Son leaving nasty dominating influence (8)

6 Comment not meant to be heard loses second assistant (4)

9 Beat Fate? Guilt may develop as a consequence of war (6,7)

14 Idiot subordinate to that man father’s brought about (10)

16 Duplicitous Irish MP accepting much of information in sadness (3-5)

17 Key resort with caber tossing (5-3)

19 Side with no little force in performance (6)

21 Catcalls? End up on winning side initially (6)

23 State to show doubt, deposing leader (4)