Direct on the right, two indicators ccvccvcc cvccvc

This one is a ten letter anagram containing a four letter word, and the present is seasonal

That helps!

Seasonal -> Christmas -> Christmas stocking -> "Stocking Filler"

Anagram of "lift closer" with "king" squeezed in

You're the King of the Castle for today, and here is your girdle of office ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!

Officer organised a ride behind prison (9)

Direct on the left, and it's a British officer...

brigadier (brig/prison + anag. of a ride)

Indeed it is, Mr D! ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Rog!

I'm going to try to resurrect this one (which I belatedly realized never got solved) but with a couple of edits to make it a bit less broken:

Garrison castles, but admit English, producing dog runs or regattas? (4,5)

I seem to remember seeing a clue something like this, with castles as a sort of quasi anagram indicator (based on the chess move), also discovering then or from another clue that regattas are not limited to boats, all of which still leaves me stuck for an answer at the moment...!

Happy birthday, Lex!

Ah! Indeed so!

--Happy Birthday, Lex!

Direct on the right (but it could have just as easily been (8) instead of(4,5) with the direct on the left.)
"Castles" [is] indeed a very pedantic chess-related indicator (but still flawed because the board is, technically, obstructed...)

Got it: bark races = regattas - barracks (garrison) re-arranged (castles) and containing e (admit English)

... and thank you for the birthday wishes!

Well solved! (to clarify, "barracks" is rearranged in a specific order: the k moves 2 spaces to its left, and the leftmost r then moves to its right side...) ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you: upon searching the forum, I see that (although I had forgotten ) I actually answered your previous version of this in January this year but that you appear to have been distracted by something else at the time...
https://www.gameboomers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1265195/Searchpage/1/Main/90526/Words/%2Bbark+%2Brace/Search/true/re-cdm#Post1265195

Here are a pair of rather easier clues which gently tickled me recently
1. Chap stretched as a poet? (10)
2. More lofty by the sound of it, what a shocking poem by 1 (8)

1. Longfellow

2. Hiawatha ("higher" + anagram of "what a")

===[**CDM**]===
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy_ArpznZUs

Thanks, Lex

One that caught the pair of us out, and waste a lot of time:
A major, say, makes essential authentication (3,9)

key signature

I am mighty impressed! We had convinced ourselves that the direct was on the right, and that "key" related to "major" instead of "essential"

===[**CDM**]===

I think that's one that hits either right away or not at all. Fun clue!

Have a sampling of flounder goulash (7)

Direct on the left

I was expecting Cheryl to come for this hidden word - undergo

My next hint was going to reference her.

Well done, Lex! ===[**CDM**]===