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I've started this late after illness. I have the instruction from the across clues and have read all 160 posts - thank you everyone for the helpful comments.
To save time, should my approach be to input the down entries as per the instruction and then fill in the unches with letters from the across answers? (sorry if I'm being dense). I have many down clues still to solve so may well give this one up as it's so hot lol.

Hi Gazzar, I thought that the recommendation not to fill in the initial across entries wasn't good advice. Much better, perhaps, to make your initial entries in pencil, or on a separate grid. The reason I say this is that if you don't enter anything for the across clues until the latter stages, then the initial entries haven't been of any assistance to you in the solving process. So I recommend that you follow the preamble, and fill as much of the grid as possible. You might interpret that as "fill as much of the grid as is possible for me", but that's fine.

For the sake of time saving, just say what entries you want the answers for. I'll try to monitor the forum for a while.

Thanks for your sage advice meursault.
I could do with some hints for 26a, 41a, 3d, 25d, 30d and 31d.

Sorry Gazzar, I got involved in a film ('Perfect Sense' - I hadn't seen it before, very good).
26 extra word idiom, Emily referred to. modern communication.
41 extra word stump, popular.
3 extra word boys, H or ... on the x of a dilemna, add -ed.
25 extra word gyring (take note of this word, it is a clue to the theme) rural water is perpetually ea. Follow the plural of that with a seabird.
30 colloquial is extra, the answer is an inclusion. Unusual word for hitch, without looking it up again, I think SA/ZA.
31 no extra word. W(elsh) ri(v)er.

Many thanks Meursault.

Oh boy. Still on last weeks. I am pretty much there but frustrated. For one down I have one phrase, 6,5 beginning A and R. Is that right? What is the format of the original? Also, cell 1 in the middle I had to change to a g to make a the quote fit the pattern. That surely isn’t right. And as for the changing R to L in 5 to find a Bird from L2 of the poem I am at a loss. Regretting not simply following the across extra word instruction at a much earlier stage as I had that fairly quickly and plodded on top long trying to fill the grid......

Hi rrRobbo. 1D changes from 4,7 (being the first two words of line 4 of the poem) to 6,5 (being an anagram of the initial entry).
Changing cell I from C to G is correct. Cell V changes from R to L. Now cells I to VI, in sequence, give the falcon. It's the same word as was featured in a puzzle just a few weeks ago.

Hi

Yes A R is correct.

The bird is a Gentle so you have made the right changes by the sound of it.

Thanks all. Back to it after the gardening with today’s installment lying in wait....