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This week's puzzle is by Pasquale and has a special instruction, which you pretty much have to understand in order to solve most of the clues, although there are a few you can solve without it which will help you understand what's going on.

I was lucky in that the first clue I solved was 9a - I was able to parse all but two of the letters from the 'non special instruction' parts of the clue, then all I did was Google the other two letters along with the number and - hey presto!

I really enjoyed this and one has to marvel at the ingenuity of these types of puzzles.

Thanks to Pasquale for an ingenious and fun crossword.

Just what the doctor ordered:-)

Stay safe.

Hi Brendan,

This was the most fun I've had with a Guardian Prize in a while, and there have been some good ones. Thanks to Pasquale.
I got the upper left quadrant and several other clues before grasping the theme. Then it went fairly quickly. My LOI was a short word I'd not seen before, but I'll say no more to avoid spoilers.

Hi Geeker,

It's definitely good fun. Getting the theme certainly helps but it is possible to solve some clues without it, as you yourself did. I'm guessing your LOI was in the NE quadrant, it's a word I'd never heard of anyway:-)

Yes, you are correct! Clear enough from syntax, but I had to look it up.

I first got 8d and 10a. Once you get the underlying theme, things become easy. Though the theme here with numbers is different, it can get somewhat repetitious. It was fun, nevertheless.

I think I have done it all without understanding the numbers. Simply by guessing the word from the definition and then trying to see the word play from the clue in the answer. The whole grid is filled in but I have no idea if I am right.
Any hint as to elucidating the reason for the numbers please?

As Sherlock might have said to Watson....?

Chris - very good!

Think of science lessons!

Thank you Polly! I have got it now. Very clever