Here’s the Solutions grid

Here are the questions asked and the answers to them…

Q1: Identify the theme of this puzzle

A1: Father’s Day

Q2: List five words linked to the theme

A2: A number of words which have “PA” or “POP” in them, as well as MAHATMA,  MAN, TUNKU (aka Father of Independence in Malaysia) etc

Q3: Two words built in to the grid design that remain the same even if the grid is rotated by 180 degrees are..

A3: Highlighted in green in the grid above, these are POP and DAD

Here are the Annotations:
Across: 1 YEN around TREAT, 6 3D, 8 (CARAMEL ATOP)*, 10 POLL Y, 12 TEMPLE*, 14 CD.Telescopic, 16 (STARTUP CASH I)*, 22 DD, 25 Telescopic, = Indian Standards Institution, 26 DD, 27 ETON<, 28 (MAP PHOTO IS UP)*, 33 PATrick, 35 P A Y DA Y, 38 Telescopic, 40 (BRONX SOAP AD)*, 42 PAN<, 43 (DELL USER)*.

Down: 1 ESP Y, 2 T(H)REE, 3 Telescopic, 4 AYE*, 5 LEMON*, 6 POPPY cock, 7 (PLAne)*, 9 MOMent, 11 LA MP, 12 PARachutists (clue 16a), 13 MA(HAT)MA, 15 DD, 17 AMI GO, 18 ALI MONeY, 19 (YOUNG TURK -ORGY*)*, 20 SPA N, 21 ASP* T, 23 DD, 24 PAWS<, 29 DD, 30 DD (published in June), 31 SPA M, 32 W HELP, 33 DD, 34 NUT<, 36 DD, 37 BLAME*, 38 AX IS, 39 Telescopic, 41 D(A)D.

Here’s the link to the “Hall of Fame”

Thanks to “The Oracle” for this enjoyable puzzle and to all of you who participated