Never a cross word

 It's a long time since we had a crossword here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across

1. Rapidly get bigger pig in Orwell (8)

5. Avian musician, we hear (4)

9. Long term con in Mali, ferocious (5)

10. Instrument confused Luke and Lee (7)

11. Further helping for boxer's assistants (7)

12. Lad it made subject to rise and fall (5)

13. Red treats otherwise recommenced (9)

18. Old tribe in nice nighties (5)

20. Quack remedy from no strumpet (7)

22. Opera man among those cross in Italy (7)

23. I love Latin about headless spirit and acid (5)

24. Proceeds against Bridehead and Henchard in Hardy (4)

25. Somewhere to stop to change third leg (3,5)

 

Down

 

1. Hockney made a bigger one (6)

2. Petty Dibble in Top Cat (7) 

3. Bad poet attributed to Roy Orbison, not intially (5)

4. Poet produced muesli and cocaine (5,8)

6. Give unknown, that is lowest denominator to begin with (5)

7. Llandrindod Wells, in the end, abides (6)

8. Band in Essex, tethered (6)

14. Short ghost (6)

15. Captain Day asked to move over (7)

16. Cloud in big top changed about for first of royals (6)

17. Fortified wine introduces itself as something from abroad (6)

19. Follow in French one of 24 Across (5)

21. Gastropod starts to sing naturally as it likes (5)