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24 parses as [(1,4) single storage unit] inside [4 reversal of "neatly"], definition "garment".

Hi Pam,

I was/am stuck on the same parsings as you.

The best I can tell is...

26a - 1 letter "area" + 1 letter "current" + 1 letter "runs" + 1 letter "centre of Leeds" with the whole clue as definition making it a kind of &Lit.

20d - is an anagram of a word in the clue minus sinle letter answer to 25a.

17a - I'm not sure of this but I think it parses 1,3,4 for "barrels were returned" the 3 for "empty" + 2 for "I'm not sure" - definition is "I can forgo tack"

As for 12a - I don't have a clue:-) Like you say, the answer is clear but for the life of me I cannot see the wordplay!

12a. 3 letters for someone who’s paid, 3 letters singer as in informer, 1 letter from the left of auditorium.

Ah, so nothing to do with Rita ??? then and 'auditorium' is not a homophone indicator! 🤔

Many thanks Jono, I can honestly say I wasn't even close.

I’m very glad I didn’t see the Rita ??? connection as I’m sure once you see it it’s difficult to un-see… and the use of auditorium is, shall we say, devious.

I parsed 20 fairly quickly but got confused because I knew only a Tibetan spelling that differs by one letter. Agreed on 26 and 17. Never parsed 12...wrote in the answer, saw the "paid" but thought "left" was TA and couldn't get the singer.

Hi geeker. Is 20 part anagram? If that's not giving anything away plse. I'm finding this very difficult. Any tips welcome. Thanks

20: definition is "dish", foodstuff rather than china.

It's an anagram of (a word in the clue with one letter ["taste" or first letter of 25] subtracted).

You may not have heard of the dish. 25 gives a geographical hint, though the dish is not from that exact "land". As mentioned, I previously knew a spelling with one letter different, which [SPOILER ALERT] I learnt from reading the (14th) Dalai Lama's autobiography.

Thanks Geeker got it and a few more besides and am soldiering on!

Thanks, all: now completed. Special thanks to Jono for parsing 12a: obvious, once you know, of course!