Weekend Quick Cryptic 70 - Solution

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributors Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce Quick Cryptic crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Sawbill's turn. 

You can find a link to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT. You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here.

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints...

Some hints and tips:

• Sawbill assures me the apparent pub theme is not deliberate.
• In 3A spring is not the season.
• The American spelling in 10A is necessary for the clue to work
• Knowing your NATO phonetic alphabet helps with 7D.

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution and explanation of the answers...

Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc,  {deletions} and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Dad, say, turns over sheet of paper (4)
PAGE – PA (Dad) E.G. (say) [turns over] -> GE.
3 Towards spring, first bit of planting matures oddly (8)
UPSTREAM -  ([first bit of] p{lanting} matures)* [oddly].
9 Row upset caterer (7)
TERRACE – (caterer)* [upset].
10 Weird jewelry item regularly stolen (5)
EERIE –  Alternate letters, [regularly stolen] of jEwElRy ItEm
11 Piece of writing in the middle of desk, for example (5)
ESSAY – [middle of] dESk SAY (for example).
12 Natural to have dined behind pub ... (6)
INNATE – INN (pub) ATE (dined).
14 ... having ordered in time? (13)
CHRONOLOGICAL – Mildly cryptical definition when joined to the previous clue.
17 Left in charge after bar's open (6)
PUBLIC – PUB (bar) L (left) IC (in charge).
19 Run across dog (5)
ROVER – R (run) OVER (across).
22 Doctor provided treatment finally that's current (5)
DRIFT – DR (doctor) IF (provided) treatmenT [finally].
23 Bugs and nettles? (7)
NEEDLES – Double definition.
24 Ideas generated when he is accepted by Conservatives (8)
THEORIES – HE in TORIES (Conservatives).
25 Old soldier second character in local bar (4)
VETO – VET (old soldier) [second character in] lOcal.
 
Down
1 Understanding card game (8)
PATIENCE – Double definition.
2 Young women soldiers surrounded right and left (5)
GIRLS – GIS (soldiers) [surrounded] R (right) and L (left).
4 Corruptly entice police chief to start bending the rules (6,7)
POETIC LICENCE – [Corruptly] (entice police c{hief} [to start])*.
5 Cravat I need at first to coordinate (3,2)
TIE IN  - TIE (cravat) I N{eed} [to start].
6 Unpredictable sailor back in Morecambe? (7)
ERRATIC – TAR (sailor) [back] -> RAT in ERIC (Morecambe).
7 Bump into Mike at event now and again (4)
MEET – M (Mike in the NATO phonetic alphabet) EvEnT [now and again].
8 Nancy is confused touring old gorge (6)
CANYON – (Nancy)* [confused] [about] O (old).
13 Travelling close and far in the open air (2,6)
AL FRESCO – (close far)* [travelling].
15 Customary defeat in England (7)
ROUTINE – ROUT (defeat) IN E (England).
16 From inside, regard enviously patch outside house (6)
GARDEN – Hidden in [from inside] reGARD ENviously,
18 Maybe alter in the future? (5)
LATER – (alter)* [maybe].
20 Beer around university after five, for what it's worth (5)
VALUE – V (five in roman numerals) ALE (beer), [around] U (university).
21 Check tide is flowing back (4)
EDIT – TIDE reversed  [flowing back] -> EDIT.