And, stumped @23, I hope you meant your solving process was ‘a mixed bag’, because the puzzle surely wasn’t. Btw, the river Ouse is better known (for many) as the river Great Ouse [that's why Pasquale used 'great'].

I really cannot see any negative points.
And while I know and appreciate, RCW, that you found this quite enjoyable (IMO, rightly so), I don’t agree that this ‘wasn’t quite up to recent offerings’. We thought Pasquale’s brainchild was a (a, not: the) highlight among recent Guardian offerings.
Thanks, Uncle Yap, and for once (ah well, joking ) I am fully with you in your preamblian [I thought, let's make a new word] appraisal for this crossword.

A delight!

It’s just that I managed the prize in 2 sittings without use of pencil & paper, yet Monday’s supposedly easy one had me utterly baffled. I’ll have to tackle some past prize puzzles.

Sorry to have burst your bubble. Maybe comparatively easy would have been a better expression. No prize crossword is easy unless you happen to be an expert solver which I wouldn’t describe myself as. To me, it’s reasonably easy if I can finish it on the Saturday (very rare) or Sunday but I often chip away at it all week and as it sits to the left of my computer, I have a quick look every time I sit down. I hope this makes you feel better.

We don’t look here until we’ve completed the puzzle or given up, and both came here hoping for a positive response from everyone, it’s good to see we’re all in agreement! My only niggle (and it’s a small niggle) would be that 18d seemed overly convoluted.

Last one in was 15d, even with all the checking letters and assuming ‘men’ at the end it still stumped us.

Particular favourites were 16a (such a clever clue!) and 1d for its great surface. Thanks Pasquale!

Davy your comment gives me a useful yardstick to measure my progress. Wondered how the prize compared on the spectrum of puzzles. Now I’m not quite so pleased with myself.

I’m not usually on the Don’s wavelength but I thought this puzzle was superb. In fact, I would say that it’s the most entertaining G. crossword for some while. Lots of different threads and the usual excellent clueing. Of the clues not already mentioned, I liked the simplicity of AITCHES and the amusing surface of SPURRING. The clue of the day is definitely TRW.

Incidentally, I found this puzzle far easier than yesterday’s Orlando which I still haven’t finished. As the prize puzzle was quite easy, I will persevere with Orlando until I finish it.

Another tricky one, after several weeks of relatively straightforward puzzles. I knew OGIVE (one of my first entries) and ASSAI, but UDAL and SYNERESIS were new to me (the latter despite my PhD in chemistry…)

16a is a great &lit, and 11 etc is up there too, but my favourite clue, for its wonderful surface, is the much simpler 12a.