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Lathamjeld,
Thank you for that encouragement. I’ll try to think laterally and see what happens!

Lathamjeld,
Thank you again. That’s taken me over the line (no pun intended).
I think that the preamble confused me with some of its word choices regarding lines and illustrations. Clever, but slightly flawed (whereas I’m flawed and only slightly clever).

I've changed two letters and got the theme. I've also changed a further two letters to give the initiator. I also have three straight lines identifying the four words associated with the 1st and last of the thematics and I have two inverted shapes in the NE corner representing a further thematic. I suppose I now need to carefully peruse the grid to find the last elusive items - even though I know what they are, My apologies go to shark as my frustration is slowly changing to admiration - and I suppose that I should have realised that in the first place. I wasted most of yesterday assuming that this was something to do with battleships - more fool me - having two unches in 12a fooled me completely, and it didn't help having the wrong answer at 39a either, but at least I now understand why people found it amusing!!

Useby - absolute pleasure. I've needed this forum to get me over the line on so many puzzles! Sometimes just a little encouragement and reassurance that one is not barking up the wrong tree is all it takes!

FWIW, I really liked this puzzle. I hope too many are not upset by the grid-staring. As always with Shark, it's all there once you see it!

Surely the required cells in the NW sector are not contiguous? If they are I have some considerable problems

No, Gitto, they are not contiguous

Am struggling with endgame: if someone were able to point me to the correct column for the first bit, I'd be grateful...

Good afternoon. Nice puzzle. I found NW diagram after a lot of misses because I had stupidly assumed that the four quads wouldn't overlap! Doh.

Oddly enough, SW is giving me concern. I've found the thematic word but am not happy with my associated item, which is a two-letter word which might be interpreted thus. Am I right to question myself?

You are right to question yourself.

Unambiguous associated item. Make sure you can parse 39A - there are two similar words - one parses, one nearly does - and if it’s incorrect it’ll foul your SW illustration.

Hi specsaver

There are four 'qualifying' columns. It's the next to last.