Across:
1 Up-to-date (TRENDY) checkout? (check out = TR-Y) Incorporating limitless (d) cash advance! (‘lend’ without ‘l’ = -END-) (TRENDY),
4 In my opinion (AS I SEE IT), other spies can’t get their heads around my view (AS I SEE IT),
9 Firm (CO-) contacts central stockist (central ‘stockist’ = -CK-) for the French (the = -LE) (COCKLE) food found on beach (COCKLE),
10 Chapels on rock summits (‘chapels on rock’ summits = COR-) near fashion centre (‘fashion’ centre = -H-) in Mediterranean city (Nice = -NIC-E) (CORNICHE) running along the coast (CORNICHE),
12 What’s highly classified? (TOP SECRET) God knows! (TOP SECRET),
13 Revolutionary (= reversal indicator) Ireland (Eire = -ERIE) and Spain (E-) (EERIE) – that’s strangely frightening (EERIE),
14 Visibly embarrassed (RED IN THE FACE) opening 18 across (‘red blood cell’ = RED) with Pole (North Pole = -N-) taken in by thief (thief = I- THE F-), criminal (= anagram indicator) and hotshot (-ACE) (RED IN THE FACE),
18 Revolutionary (RED) family (BLOOD) has mobile in New York (mobile phone = CELL phone in US) (RED BLOOD CELL) – it’s one of those colourful airy types in circulation (RED BLOOD CELL circulates oxygen),
21 All the letters (A to Z = AZ-) opened first (‘opened’ first = -O-) by independent (-I -) college? (-C) (AZOIC) That’s no sort of life! (AZOIC),
22 A problem the medical orderlies could solve (TREATABLE) in violent (= anagram indicator) battle era (battle era = TREATABLE),
24 You’d need them at school (BOOKS-) going on the mitch (mitch/truant = going on the -HOP) (BOOKSHOP) to a novel place (BOOKSHOP),
25 Quarter (DIVIDE) of the papers (-ID- papers) in decline (decline/dive = DIV-E) (DIVIDE),
26 Right (R-) ending to case (ending to ‘case’ = -E-) for judge (-ASSESS) (REASSESS) to analysis again (REASSESS),
27 Arab leader’s (Arab leaders = ‘sheiks’ = ‘SHAKES’) report (= homophone indicator) throws one off balance (SHAKES).
Down:
1 Introduction to Torn (introduction to ‘torn’ = T-) Curtain (Curtain = -ACITURN) (TACITURN) production (= anagram indicator) isn’t saying much (TACITURN),
2 Get away (escape = ESCAP- E) from Bill (-AD-) inside (ESCAPADE) fooling around (ESCAPADE),
3 Turn upside down (DELVE) in Zinfandel vessel (in ‘Zinfandel vessel’ = DELVE),
5 Laconic (SHORT) Oscar (O-) Furlong (-F) from the capital (MONEY) (SHORT OF MONEY) is skint (SHORT OF MONEY),
6 Life, for example (SENTENCE-), is ultimately wretched, (ultimately ‘wretched’ = -D) (SENTENCED) given time (SENTENCED),
7 Dane isn’t involved with second-rate (‘Dane’ isn’t involved with ‘second-rate’ = scorte = ESCORT) bodyguard (ESCORT),
8 Concerns of writers (THEMES) from border (-HEM-) seduced by set- (set = T-ES) -back? (= reversal indicator) (THEMES),
11 They aim to stop the selling of alcohol, for instance (PROHIBITIONS), in bars (bars/bans = PROHIBITIONS),
15 Can’t complain about that (NO EXCUSES) negative response (NO) to why it went wrong (EXCUSES) (NO EXCUSES),
16 The first in 14 across (‘red in the face’= RED-) to get Adobe (Adobe = type of brick = -BRICK) (RED - BRICK) for English University (RED-BRICK),
17 They’re not up (SLEEPERS) to the jobs for the spies of the future (SLEEPERS),
19 Character synonymous with Trim (BARBER) public house (BAR-) is first back (first ‘back’ = -B-) in hospital (-ER) (BARBER),
20 Noel Coward dismisses lewd (‘Noel Coward’ dismisses ‘lewd’ = nocoar = CORONA) part of The Sun (CORONA),
23 Steer clear of the High Street (‘steer’ clear of/ taken from the ‘High Street’ = hight = THIGH) for piece of chicken from the butchers (THIGH).