7  Stitched small note by river - dawning of day? (7)

 8  Burrower's agent - with sailor (retired) (4,3)

10 Hankers for twelve months with mid-morning sun (6)

11 City terrible; Celtic - wide ranging (8)

12 Copper beasts gutted small members of pride (4)

13 Ear hairs stand up as a funny/sad play (5-5)

14 Play when the solver's a fan of King's book (2,3,4,2)

19 Oft concrete's refined - or carbon distorts (10)

22 Noble to tinkle - finally, taper (4)

23 Insects seen off, one granted permission (8)

24 Bigot's unknown note: a leftover ton (6)

25 Takes head protection from drunken lush men (7)

26 Boilers make sweet-talk - weak odds' omission (7)

 2  Queen and odd sister - inquisitive sorts (8)

 3  Black gang who travel above all the rest (3,3)

 4  End with a thrill that may restart the game (4-4)

 5  Some novel crown sticks again and again? (6)

 6  Was mine therein, with the number one deer? (7)

 9  Tab for the ticker needs black beer to cook (4,7)

15 Marsupials' soup - so vile on paper (8)

16 One million growers can augment the chest (8)

17 Ancient celts? Not in Sinn Féin a-changing (7)

18 Ran off and rode east - two times engineer (7)

20 New English newspaper bosses required (6)

21 More stupid pass right down under inside (6)