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Good puzzle with an innovative grid. Quite liked this way of entering across clues — I could perhaps have wished that the puzzle of fitting the entries had combined with slightly less obscure clues, but at least this should help quieten down the “oooh Listeners these days aren’t hard any more” brigade a little 🤣

I was stuck on the last turn like others, but spotted the intention eventually. I ended by popping two letters into a recently cleared cell.

There are a couple of parsing issues I have, though I’m confident of the actual answers. 39a “Surround office during evening of poetry” I just can’t see the office. 21d “Itinerant outlaw unloads barrel, runs ahead” I can see the definition but can’t figure the wordplay. If anyone could give me a nudge to settle my mind that would be greatly appreciated.

mooncow, in 39 A, please look way down the list of "office" definitions and think of a three letter word / abbrev.

For 21 D, an American word for outlaw loses a "b" ( barrel) , then has an "r" ( runs) on the front.

Ah! I’d fixated on the wrong evening! All is now clear. Many thanks schorley.

I am still very uncomfortable with the final step ... Are the two letters to be entered in the thematic spot also used in chess notation? If not, then it seems that the thematic phrase (and its initials) are definitely eluding me ! Otherwise I found this a highly enjoyable puzzle. Any little hints will be most gratefully received !

Prime prospect, I think you have it.

A tricky but enjoyable gridfill, but now totally befuddled by the endgame I’m afraid.

If anyone is still there, got the self referential instruction (with help from earlier posts), but no idea what the final two words of it mean, nor what the message from the down clues means.

Any help gratefully received!

The self referential phrase takes you to a place where you'd expect to find the... (...message from the downs clues).

Yes, but what makes that location (4th word from across letters)? Just it’s location?

And I don’t see where we get a thematic phrase from?

I presume the second pair of works from down entries are a cryptic instruction, but otherwise can’t see what we’re supposed to do…

Thanks!

Because the grid as a whole represents something, and that place is where the... is found.

Hmm, maybe see what it’s going for, but seems a very vague instruction. And still don’t know what the second two words from down clues mean.

Might have to wait for the solution on this one!

Thanks for the help