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A majority of Listeners seem to use the "extra letters" technique : I suppose it's difficult to come up with a different way of conveying a message. I agree that three of the last four puzzles have been relatively easy but I suppose that will not last. Who knows?

I think you're right, Unclued, and the dumbing down has been going on for quite some time now : this year really only 2 puzzles stand out, one by Shackleton and another involving atomic number answers. Carte blanche puzzles tend to be more demanding, we've not had many of those this year. One of my favourite formats, carte blanche concentric circles, has appeared hardly at all...

The use of extra/omitted/incorrect letters as a key is, as you also say, monotonous. I suspect that this is either laziness or lack of imagination; there are surely many other ways to create a key.

......and there was yet another of these extra letter messages in today's EV!

Haven't enjoyed this very much to be honest. All a bit superficial.

That said, I'm not completely home and dry. Can anyone help with the parsing of 43a, 6d, 37d please?

Just sorted 6d.

In principle, I'm uncertain what you mean, but I will do my best:

43, FARM next to OUR, F extra
37 SORE around ON (about), O extra.

Bloody hell.

I write out the grids into a notepad in case there are changes to be made with the final entries. I'd missed out the bar at the end of 43a so had spent quite a while trying to justify ARMOIRE ...

Thanks!

Am struggling with the last normal clue 31d. I have oe-ran and realise there is a letter removed. I guess I have a mistake probably the o but still can't find a word to fit. Hint gratefully received.

31d is one of the 4, so needs to include that middle cell letter making it a 7 letter word. Your O is wrong
30a is anag of trees + LS minus one letter so not sure where your O came from ?

have you used Lo instead of LS - defn for that clue is "plenty of timber"