Well, it's been a long slog for me, but I'm pleased to say that, after checking everything carefully, I have just completed the puzzle ... without looking at either thread which is always pleasing.
My only niggle is the parsing of 16d. I have the extra letter, the definition and the "Chinese" synonym but I'll be darned if I can see how the rest is derived.
As this thread advertises "gentle hints to clues", will someone kindly give me the slightest of nudges to ensure I'm 100% confident of the correctness of my grid fill?