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I’ve only just had a look at this and I’m finding the prospect most dispiriting. There are so many clues, in tiny script, that I’m not sure I can be bothered. I’ve worked through the first twenty or so and although the clues are doable the quantity in front of me is seriously off-putting.

Maybe I’m just having a grumpy day!

Teenieleek, I've slogged away at this for most of the day. I've now solved around 90/95% of the clues, have the six clues and think I know what the thematic adjustment will be - but because I haven't finished all the clues, I haven't yet put a single letter in the grid.

As someone once said...Tomorrow is another day.

Hi both
I agree with you teenieleek that it's quite a slog to go through cold solving so many clues for so little obvious reward. So you definitely need to set aside a chunk of time for that.
I managed to do that and, with hazarding an informed guess with the first 7-letter down answer in the grid (there aren't that many 7-letter clues and, as it turnded out, two are thematically shorter), managed to get a toehold and the rest of the grid didn't take too long. One of those puzzles I enjoyed in retrospect....thanks to Bungo ( a new setter?)

The thematic adjustments to some clues certainly adds a level of complexity to filling the grid, especially as the 9-letter words are the obvious place to start, but one is thematic. And the message is no help until the grid is filling up. But it all works out prettily in the end. A good, challenging carte blanche.