2296: Men of note

The unclued lights, which include the German eighth, are of a kind. Ignore all accents.
 

Across

Most popular

Melanie McDonagh

When will the BBC stop adapting Julia Donaldson books?

1    Lines fish in strips (8)
6    Dads receiving trophy before drinks (6)
10    Being against work place on outskirts of Arundel (12)
11    Children are a bone of contention (5)
17    Sentence lout over pinching high-class rescue aid (8)
21    Disorder of a pair on a seesaw (8)
23    Middle-Easterner troubled earls in team (7)
25/26    Digital extremity with nothing missing in part of fortification (6)
28    Goodness! Nessie’s tail seen in harbours (7)
29    Antelope back at turning by dead hoofed animal (8)
34    Mayor leaves money-changers confused by EU agreement (8)
35    Vectis with head of Apache and Hawkeye (4)
36    Sky’s success, enrolling big beast (6)
38    New exotic tulip impresses one at wedding (7)
39    Malvolio’s rich clothing for Shakespearean character (5)
41    Wagnerian heroine that is betrayed, being captured (6)
42    Flower shop involved in crooked deal (8)
 

Down

2    Part from one’s parents, returning for recess (4)
3    Manages to garage fashionable cars (6)
4    Detective Inspector Paul smashed ring (6, two words)
5    In terrible heat one’s up-river on island in African country (8)
6    Skill of poacher about to take first from bird colony (7)
7    Writer twice interrupted by a song of triumph (5)
8    Loyalty, say, found in partnership (10)
9    European women’s group’s on board (5)
12    Rights ultimately universal, given repeated female anger (8)
15    Computing image in film (6)
18    Details of cabinet reshuffle? (10, three words)
20    Deep roar of singular fire irons (6)
22    Clean air’s unlikely to be poisonous (9)
24    Stop increases for medical tests (8, hyphened)
27    A drink or two on the quiet (7, two words)
30    Encouragement, we hear, for lover of horses (6)
33    Two boys, both small at birth (5)
37    It’s a fair way — Frenchman to his offshore location (4)
 
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution...