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Thank you Quisling...sorted now, after sorting a few letter mistakes in my quotes!

Really struggling with this one after an initially promising start, still, I'll soldier on - trooper that I am:-)

Brendan, if I can do it, you will romp on. What did you have for breakfast? Think soldiers.
Happy Christmas in advance everyone. I hope you are not too locked in.

Thanks for the encouragement Jogamel:-)

Have a very happy Christmas Jogamel. I always enjoy - and benefit from - your posts. (Although I'm not quite sure what this particular puzzle has got to do with soldiers.)

Nelson, think buttered bread 'soldiers'.

I'm almost there with this, just puzzled over 4d and wonder if I've erred in 14a....does it really mean poet? I assume 4d is a themed clue. Also struggling to parse 30d with or without a consumed bit.

Finally 9d 'written in stone' - umm...glass or metal usually. Have I misunderstood the parsing etc?

Granama1, 14a does mean sage or poet. 4d is not themed. Both are Asian in origin. 30d is not themed. Hen gives first three letters, spirit is two letters, of which the second is extra. 9d may usually be in glass or metal, but can just be carved generally, so I think “in stone” is ok. However, I did think the “that” is redundant, as the IVR for Chad is the second third and fourth letters

Thanks so much Quisling. That resolves 4d and 14a and 30d, all of which I can happily parse now. I now need to go through the clues again as I seem to be 2 short of the 10 despite having a full grid!

jogamel & granama,

Yes, I see that connection.

No problem, Granama1. If it helps, the 10 thematic answers exhibit 180 degree symmetry. Eight of them form one conventional shape, plus two others, and the last sentence of the preamble is a useful indicator to those.