Across:
8 Chocolatier dismisses other ('chocolatier' dismisses 'other' = ccolai = CALICO) whitish type of material (CALICO),
9 Graduate (BA) returns (= reverse indicator) (BA = AB-) school (-S-) paper (-TRACT) (ABSTRACT) to academic type (ABSTRACT),
10 Closes 3 down (close/end of ‘cold fish’ = FISH) for school group (FISH),
11 Garda’s (Gardas = DIs = DIS-) union (-HARMONY) (DISHARMONY) produced conflict (DISHARMONY),
12 Rogue (SCAMP-) from island (-I) (SCAMPI) produced dish with 10 across (SCAMPI = ‘fish’ dish),
14 One (-I-) car (model -T-) coming in light shades (VIS-ORS) (VISITORS) synonymous with touring (VISITORS),
15 24 across (‘mark’ = MARK) and most of them (most of ‘them’ = THE) do (OCCASION) (MARK THE OCCASION) celebrate (MARK THE OCCASION),
18 One (I-) managed (-RAN-) to find half the Italians (half the ‘italIANs’ = -IANS) (IRANIANS) in 5 down, for instance (‘Asians’ = IRANIANS),
20 Views (VISTAS) of movie stars missing Rome (‘movie stars’ missing ‘Rome’ = vistas = VISTAS),
22 Has no chance of success (NON-STARTER) in a racing car with a flat battery? (staying at the post in racing = NON-STARTER)
24 The old capital? (old capital/money = MARK) Correct! (MARK),
25 Barman (Senior Counsel = SC-) or (-OR-) detective (-PI-) gets to switch (switch -ON) (SCORPION) something with a sting in its tail (SCORPION),
26 Short (y) drama (play) (‘play’ without ‘y’ = PLA-) retrospective (= reverse indicator), for example (eg = -G-E), about university (-U-) (PLAGUE) in The Black Death (PLAGUE).
Down:
1 Relative (MA-) – the first murderer (Cain) turning up (= reversal indicator) (Cain = -NIAC) (MANIAC) in Psycho (MANIAC),
2 Hope (WISH) of those coming off both sides of the Windrush (both sides of the ‘WIndruSH’ = WISH),
3 Unemotional type (COLD FISH) is familiar with the seas around The Antarctic presumably (COLD FISH),
4 What one gives to Rich’s partner (RAGS to riches) on the scrapheap? (RAGS),
5 No money in mayonnaises (no ‘money’ in ‘mayonnaises’ = anaiss = ASIANS) produced by the Chinese (ASIANS),
6 Works in the abbey (DRAMATISES) all over the place (= anagram indicator) – it’s a dream (it’s a dream = DRAMATISE-) at the start of the season (start of the ‘Season’ = -S) (DRAMATISES),
7 Icons are (icons are) smashed (= anagram indicator) (icons are = SCENARIO) in a sequence of dramatic developments (SCENARIO),
13 Establishing the facts (MAKING SURE), putting together the pieces (MAKING)? You bet! (you bet! = SURE) (MAKING SURE),
14 Old instruments (VIOLS) for taking top of anther (top of ‘Anther’ = a) from flowers (violas) (‘violas’ without ‘a’ = VIOLS),
16 One of the numbers (AIR) for (FOR-) church (Church of England = -CE) (AIR FORCE) service (AIR FORCE),
17 They hide what’s really happening (COVER-UPS) from mugs (C-UPS) boxing – it’s no longer on (-OVER-) (COVER-UPS),
19 Reviews (= reverse indicator) short (r) broadcast (air) (‘air’ without ‘r’ = ai = -IA) by two accountants (CA + CA = ACAC-) (ACACIA) and one of the Wattles from Australia (ACACIA is a wattle in Australia),
21 At the start of 16 down (start of ‘air force’ = AIR) most (k) of the slimy stuff locally (gunk) (‘gunk’ locally = GUN) (AIR GUN) is used to get rid of vermin (AIR GUN is used to get rid of rats/rabbits/grey squirrels),
23 Old revolutionary (Wolfe TONE) buried up (= reverse indicator) in the cenotaph (buried up in the ‘cENOTaph’ = enot = TONE),
24 Penny-pinching (MEAN) banks around Mediterranean (banks around ‘MEditerraneAN’ = MEAN).