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I need to stop grid staring and learn to take a break. After several VERY frustrating hours I gave up yesterday, yet with my first coffee of the day I see the solution in 5 minutes flat. I just need to fathom out the connection between the names now, Google, here I come!

Well that didn't take long!!

This was a very satisfying and skilful puzzle in many ways. It took a while for me to get started on the seemingly impossible clues but then it came together beautifully; the last steps cleared up my uncertainties. Congratulations Ifor and thank you.

Thanks drxx - still stuck on 38ac, but the other two were easy, once you pointed the way.

My big issue now is to see what's going on with the removed material. As yet, I have no idea what it's about.

Hi Dylan. 38Ac has two gaps. A word meaning The chap, and reversed it expresses surprise/mild confusion.

For the extractions. Each of your extractions should be two words, of the same length. They are all middle-less when combined.

I am at the full grid stage, message deciphered, poem found and then brick wall…

Any help for the next stage…? Are the surnames already mutilated before I fill in the blank cells? Are they mutilated due to the blank cells?

I assume at 22 letters in total for 5 names that they are short surnames…

Are they all in one 22-string chunk? Or 5 separate rows?

The surnames are mutilated in the same way as the removed material. They are not in one 22-string chunk.

Excellent.
Quite tricky to get going but things eventually slotted into place.
I made hard work of the end game by assuming the wrong shared characteristic after finding two then finding a completely plausible but wrong third member.
Had to sleep on it before the penny dropped.

Help with 38a please!
Two long words extracted?
Still no clue how to deduce one letter from the many extracted.

38a is 4 letters so nothing extracted.
Do you mean 37?
If you look at the characteristics of the other extractions it will point you towards the correct bit to remove.

Yes 37 sorry.