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Thanks Rad. All is right with the world now. Both 8d and 20d were amongst some of my last solves.

8d definition is shaky. A word for warrant around an abbreviation.

20d. Definition is icing although certainly not an every day word. Brill as in brilliant. Group is the usual. This should put the cherry on the cake for you ;-)

I've completed the required moving and "translation" but the pact still baffles me. A nudge would be much appreciated.

Caphrist. There are a couple of different ways you can achieve the “translation”. The correct one quite literally reveals a “pact” between the 5th and 8th columns inclusive

Thanks Merenz. Sloppy searching on my part, I'm afraid.

I'm still trying to fill the grid .Could someone please help me with:
3 Down (Volunteers, then I, go into obsolete nick without saying much. 10)
5 Down (Start off by appearing after scene in play - no longer heiress's choice. 6.)

Also I have a word beginning with T and ending with A for 12 Down (Founder isn't about to utter rubbish about head of high inquisition), but it won't fit in with any of my crossers....is it wrong ....or is one of my other answers wrong ?

Very grateful for any hints or nudges. Thank you.

Hi Samovar.
3 : Usual 2 letters for toy soldiers to begin the word. Followed by I, plus a 4-letter synonym for 'go' (also means rotate), all enclosed in a 3-letter obsolete for 'steal'. You probably won't get the latter word, so perhaps easier to work backwards : what 10-letter word starting with TA means "without saying much" ?

5 : literally take the start off 'by' and anagram the remaining letter with 'scene'. It's an obsolete term to do with inheritance.

12 : Definition is 'founder' as in creator. Anagram of 'isnt' to begin the word. followed by anagram of 'utter' and the first letter of inquisition. 'High' is extra.

Thanks Merenz. I was still totally baffled until I realised that I had the bars in the wrong places, thinking that 8d was in column 10 and 20d in column 9. Once I corrected this all became clear, and as you say the cherry (glace) was on the cake!

Actually the group in 20d isn’t exactly usual. In Chambers G can represent “group of”, which is what we need here.

A relief to have completed this at last! Like some other solvers I was slow to get anything in the grid, despite some very easy clues. This was partly because I expected something unusual as a result of the warning in the preamble: “Solvers must deduce the positions of grid entries”. In fact the positioning was quite normal for a carte blanche (though I managed to get it wrong!).

Thanks very much, Meursault. My first thought for 3 Down was the answer you have given me...but it wouldn't fit with my crossers. Obviously I have made a mistake elsewhere ! I hope after your help I can now make good headway.
Thanks again.

I apologise for interrupting, but I have just returned from holiday to 4520, and since no-one is probably still checking last week’s chat I take the liberty to raise my query here.

I have completed 4520 (before looking at the relevant chat!) but remain troubled by the instruction that the extra jumbled words hint at the theme. I have WASP - PAWS - HANDS, but I have been unable to work anything out of the others. Can anyone put me out of my misery?

(I have not looked at 4521 yet now any of the contributions to this chat!)