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Still stuck. I guess six has to become eight by putting another two i 'spin 9d but just guessing, as I say. How does the interleaving work?

Louis is actually tenth so presumably v goes to x?

Louis has two legs so look for another one pointing in another direction (by the way, the leg you have found is longer than you indicated). He also has two arms which will be higher up his "body".
The interleaving is of the last relevant line of the poem with an instruction about one cell. The "v" which has appeared in this forum is not the letter V by itself but the first letter of a word in the instruction which is itself three words long.

Thanks barretter. Bed time so will look on the morrow. I assume the line is about N blood.

Yup.

Rickye, don't be misled, the first abbreviation is not at 1a. There is an alternative that makes much more thematic and visual sense. Google examples of game if you seek enlightenment

Keepatit is right. the first abbreviation isn't at 1A. That's perhaps a deliberate trap. You might say that the first abbreviation plays a supporting role, not far away.

The final instruction involves just one cell, the 2nd cell of 13D, and doesn't change it, but adds to it.

S_pugh, I agree with you about the double unches, which are unfortunately becoming increasingly common in the Listener. Until a couple of years ago they were hardly aver seen. I don't mind the grid ambiguities since they are resolved by the theme.
As you say, the puzzle is a generally good one - enjoyable theme and excellent clues, but the double unches and the asymmetry of the legs suggest to me that the setter has not battled all the way to get a totally satisfactory grid. The contestant in the 'race' looks as though he's been subjected to torture and had a leg broken, poor chap. Out of interest I tried to see if a better depiction were possible using the two abbreviations, which are of equal length, for the legs, and the shortest other obstacle for the bracing strut. It didn't take long to achieve a satisfactory grid and perfect depiction by swapping the upper and lower obstacles and re-structuring the barring.

Thanks all. The picture is good now if still lacking a vital ingredient which the A presumably becomes. Will,sort out the interleaving now. I suspect the line of poetry and the instruction are interleaved. I have enjoyed it but the end was not crisp. How I would love to set one of these - it would stop me grumbling ever again when I found out how difficult it was!

The line of poetry starts at 1ac and the instruction starts at 10ac.