Across:
8 Editorial (COLUMN) in The Post (COLUMN),
9 Struggled to keep calm (ANIMATED) with what 3 down did (what ‘animator’ did = ANIMATED),
10 Raised (= reverse indicator) amongst spike lavender (amidst ‘spikE LAVender’ = elav = VALE) in the low-lying region (VALE),
11 Take the soft option (MAKE IT EASY) to produce (MAKE) one (I-) Yeats’ (Yeats) play (= anagram indicator) (Yeats = -T EASY) (MAKE IT EASY)
12 What’s the incentive (CARROT) as roman-à-clef opens (‘Roman A Clef’ opens = rac) up (= reverse indicator) (rac = CAR-) with local nonsense? (local ‘nonsense’ = -ROT) (CARROT),
14 Calamity (DISASTER) and Diana’s (DIs = DIS-) anxious (= anagram indicator) tears (tears = -ASTER) (DISASTER),
15 Guy (MAN-) is not completely (g) sticking his neck out (daring) (‘daring’ without ‘g’ = -DARIN) for old Asian boxers (old foreign boxers from Boxer Rebellion = CHINESE) in the Republic, it’s heard (MANDARIN CHINESE),
18 Gladly accepts (WELCOMES) low comedies are lacking? I do! (‘low comedies’ are lacking ‘I do’ = lowcmees = WELCOMES),
20 Turns up (= reverse indicator), Punch and Judy (puppets) have no power (p) (‘puppets’ without ‘p’ = pupets = STEP UP) to rise to the challenge (STEP UP),
22 Desert pics (desert pics) drawn (= anagram indicator) (desert pics = DISRESPECT) out of contempt (contempt = DISRESPECT),
24 Report (NEWS) a loner missing from New Orleans (‘a loner’ missing from ‘New Orleans’ = news = NEWS),
25 Hundred (Roman 100 = C-) and one (-I-) in vehicle (auto = -AUT-O-) going to America (-US) (CAUTIOUS)? I’d be wary of that! (CAUTIOUS),
26 Graceful on the ground (NIMBLE) with heads of mulberry bushes (heads of ‘Mulberry Bushes’ = -MB-) in flower (flower/river = NI-LE) (NIMBLE).
Down:
1 Sample of sounds on a tambourine (sample of ‘soundS ON A TAmbourine = SONATA) from Beethoven’s Moonlight (Beethoven’s Moonlight SONATA),
2 Conclusions from unselfconscious (‘conclusions’ from ‘unselfconscious’ = efsu = FUSE) electrifying trip? (FUSE),
3 Time (-T-) in Romania (Romania) out (= anagram indicator) (Romania = ANIMA-OR) (ANIMATOR) drawing a picture for others to see commercially (ANIMATOR),
4 Some suburban kingdom (some ‘suburBAN Kingdom’ = BANK) could be a place of interest (BANK),
5 Receptionists missing Preston (‘receptionists’ missing ‘Preston’ = cetiis = CITIES), Manchester and London, for example? (CITIES),
6 “Holds water (MAKES SENSE) in builds” (MAKES) – site (site) report (= homophone indicator) (‘site’ = ‘sight’ = SENSE) (MAKES SENSE),
7 Consider in a different light (REASSESS) most of (l) the actual (‘real’ without ‘l’ = REA-) engineering (-E-) found in two ships (SS-SS) (REASSESS),
13 “Judge (judge/rate = R-ATE) locks up Oriental (East = -E-) linked to inside job” – that’s the handiwork of a creative (décor = -DECOR-) (REDECORATE) paper again (paper/wallpaper again = REDECORATE),
14 Understands strand is shedding (‘understands’ strand is shedding/without ‘strand’ = undes = DUNES) lots of sand (DUNES),
16 One of those in Dallas (AMERICAN) or Memphis Belle, for example? (AMERICAN),
17 Slow to act (HESITANT) in Athens? It (Athens it) confuses! (= anagram indicator) (Athens it = HESITANT),
19 One should be so lucky to get (MASCOT) married (M-) to a (-A-) woman from Glasgow (SCOT) (MASCOT),
21 Perhaps daylight (sun) starting off (s), (‘sun’ without ‘s’ = UN-) approaching spring (-WELL) (UNWELL) is off colour? (UNWELL),
23 Trouble-free (EASY) borders of Easter Daisy (borders of ‘EAster daiSY’ = EASY),
24 Extremes of Emperor Houshao of Han (extremes of ‘EMperor houshao of hAN’ = eman) going all the way back (= reverse indicator) (eman = NAME) by reputation (NAME).