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No problem, thanks Steven:-)

You are welcome, steven.

Not my favourite type of clue - too complicated (definitely guess, then parse)

* I found most of this reasonably easy. As happens remarkably often, I found an number of clues that several others have found difficult, and yet found some clues hard that nobody else seems to gave had problems with. I have finally decided to admit defeat on two clues, and ask for help. 😒 I have no idea what 8a is, so any hints will be welcome. I am very confident of the crossers, but just to be sure, I have -A-S -O-N. For 9a I'm fairly sure about the crossers, but I have E-L-I-. * I have 14 thematics. My FOI was 6a, which took me maybe a couple of seconds to solve.

First I should say Happy New Year. I'm well on my way to taking down all the decorations now.

I haven't read all the thread yet - it is so long. Guess what, I found this incredibly hard and cheated on several by looking up or checking my answer in Dan Word.

I guess my heart sank when I saw it was Brockwell, my least favourite setter. I did get half, but even some of those I couldn't always parse. There are too many I couldn't parse to set out here. I can't see a theme. I haven't actually got 26ac and like others I didn't know 27ac (a lack of a classical education?). I'd come across 3d before, but forgotten it. I am particularly puzzled by 22ac, my LOI. What has it to do with Kyiv? I didn't know 8ac. and I've never heard of the Bird in 19ac. There are at least another two that I can't see why: 4d and 9ac

My FOI was 6ac and I was very pleased to get 12ac one of my CODs. Other CODs were 21ac, 18d and 11ac. I look forward to something less challenging next week.

I keep reminding myself to always proofread my comments before posting them, but I keep failing to do so. "I found an number of clues that several others have found difficult" should have said " I found a number of clues easy that several others have found difficult".

Hi micky
All letters correct
8a is an ancient type of trumpet. It parses 2,1,5
9a "fancy" is a noun. The parsing reads backwards, involving a currency

Hi roof
I wasn't all that happy with 26a, but read "Hull" as a verb

Thank you, Chrise. I had actually got the right solution to 9a, and the right meanings of "fancy" and "cheese crust", and yet, amazingly, I didn't think of the correct reading of "counter", even with "cheese crust" to prompt me. With so many bits towards the solution, maybe I would have eventually got there without help. As for 8a, the only part of the clue for which I thought of the right interpretation was "Miles", and I think it's possible I might never have got it. Anyway, Chrise, thanks again for your help. 😁

Sorry Chrise @71, our posts crossed

Roof, the theme is 1d.
22a: Google indicates that there are theme farms in the Kyiv area.
4d: Silver is AG as usual. The "tips to heart-throb" are "? AND ?".
9a: "on the counter" is a reversal indicator. "Middle Eastern bread" is a currency often seen in puzzles, and "crust" indicates "first and last letters".