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GWUK, I actually had 4 clashes in the wrong column on one side of the grid. I now see what the title of the crossword means, and that is, IMO, far more helpful than instruction from the received letters from the clues.

Gitto - did you Google the relevant bit of the clue?

Googling the key bit of the instruction certainly helped with the end game. Shame the changes didn't leave real words on the crossers, that would have been very nice.

Candledave, I have simply replaced two words within the grid with the Christmas gifts.

Struggling with how to complete one particular cell: Row 4, Column 5 - the first letter of 10D. The first sentence of the rubric seems to dictate that this isn’t a two-letter cell - the only letter to be entered in that element of 9A is that which is checked by the down entry (which I have as an ‘S’). But in order to complete the theme word in that column I need it to be an ambiguous cell so that I can use the alternative which, had it not been a checked letter, would have been ‘N’). I’ve no idea which of the two I should insert. Anyone else struggling with this apparent contradiction?

More generally, although (barring the single letter referred to above) I’ve found and inserted the four words that are - somewhat loosely - connected to the instruction spelt by the received letters, I can’t say that I’ve in any real way followed the instruction (indeed I can’t really imagine how I might follow it). I’m left thinking there must be more to it than just identifying and inserting the theme words. If not, then I think the ‘instruction’ is very badly worded. Am I missing something or is that really all there is to it?

Sorry - the cell I’m struggling with is Row 5, column 4, not the other way round.

I think that you have the theme word in the wrong column.

Thanks, but even more puzzled now! I have a pair of linked 5 letter theme words in columns 3 (all letters checked and unambiguous), and 4 (all unchecked and ambiguous apart from the final problematic letter) and another pair of 4 letter theme words in columns 9 (all unchecked) and 10 (all checked), with the two pairs being themselves connected by a story that’s associated with the received letter ‘instruction’, but which isn’t revealed by following the ‘instruction’ in any meaningful way.

Barneya, the twist is that the recipient no longer has the relevant item (checked column) when they receive the thematic gift.

That's the way I see it Ozzy. The thematic gifts replace what they had, so there are only two thematic words in each of the penultimate and final grids. You cannot fit all four in the first grid whilst obeying the preamble. And that definitely complies with the relevant CLUE.