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Two I cannot see from last Saturday's Guardian are:-
FLOWER EMPLOYS SECOND SPINNER B-T-M (5)

STOP PRESS: BINDING SECURITY
PROVIDED E-D-A-E-S (9)

The only bit I can see is that the "B" on
the first clue will probably be "second"

second one is endpapers

endpapers are used in books to bind them

The first one could be BROOM (flower) = B + ROOM but I don't like it much.

looks like it might be Bloom

Could it be BLOOM (flower)
B = second letter as you suggested
Loom (as in a spinning loom)

clutching at straws here!!

I put BLOOM. Your 9ac should definitely begin with and 'O'.

..an 'O'.

My thanks to all you good people who came back! Araucaria has always been a favourite of mine. I don't think that I'd have got "endpapers" -it was good to learn about that! On the other one, the answer is clearly "BLOOM" - sorry to mislead everyone, but for one of the clues across I had
--T-S and in my haste to finish I put "TITUS" when, of course, I should have put "OATES" - so there we go! Thanks again!