Hello, some assistance/hints would be appreciated for the following, thanks.
1( A) It regulates pressure in pub with drunken toast (8): ??????I?
23(A) Hunters having time with rustler abroad (8) :I????E??
40(A) Vessels, many carrying no good snake (9) : ??????A??
7(D) Cloth dry and sharp for dresser (11, two words): ???????A???
14(D) Those arriving later sat in top trains (8) :P?S???T?
16(D) With flowing Nile coming up, getting in a row (11) : ?I???R?????
27(D) Weak step around a ruined place in Scotland (7) : ?A?T???
7d - a 5 letter material + the usual 2 letter abbreviation for dry + a 4 letter word meaning sharp. The whole is an item of furniture which Chambers Word Wizard shows as hyphenated rather than 2 separate words.
I still have a bit to go before I can visualise the theme. I put it down for a while and am now back at it...it should be interesting to get on the trail of the theme!