The suggested words were ESTER (1), REEST (20), TERSE (24), TREES (43), TERES (6D), RESET (9), TEERS (23), STERE (30) and STEER (36). EERST (in the ninth row) was to be shaded. First prize John Newell, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey Runners-up S.C. Daneff, London SW18; Roger Baresel, London SW7
The poem ‘The Red Wheelbarrow’ (originally ‘XXII’) by William Carlos Williams is considered perhaps the foremost example of IMAGISM. First prize M. & M. Taylor, Waterthorpe, Sheffield Runners-up Bill Stewart, Leicester; Rupert Miles, Bisley, Gloucestershire
The paired unclued lights are food items which include a place-name. BATH and BUNS do double duty, BUNS is the plural and BRIGHTON ROCK is the literary reference. The pairs are 1A/22, 8/12, 8/14, 11/14, 13/33, 31A/25D, 38/37 and 39/30. First prize Leslie Mustoe, Hitchin, Herts Runners-up Sandra Speak, Dursley, Glos; Morris, Birchington, Kent
The suggested title is Brideshead Revisited, HEEDS/RABID (6A/42) being an anagram of BRIDESHEAD. The six characters, all members of the Flyte family, are ALEXANDER (Lord Marchmain) (21D), TERESA (Lady Marchmain) (37), and their children, BRIDEY (17), SEBASTIAN (8), JULIA (33) and CORDELIA (19). FLYTE (diagonally from the eighth row) was to be shaded. First prize Daisy
Five unclued lights (1D, 14, 21, 24 and 41) are titles of paintings by EDWARD HOPPER (5 39). First prize J.P. Carrington, Denchworth, Oxfordshire Runners-up Jenny Mitchell, Croscombe, Somerset; F.A. Scott, Enfield, Middlesex
The unclued lights are part of a SUIT of armour. First prize Clive Rose, Henley on Thames, Oxon Runners-up Virginia Porter, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff; Hugh Aplin, London SW19
The theme was PIGS. First prize J. E. Green, St Albans, Hertfordshire Runners-up Michael Moran, Penrith, Cumbria; John M. Brown, Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire
11, 42 and perimeter entries are titles of COMPUTER-ANIMATED FILMS. First prize B. Midgley, Ettington, Stratford-upon-Avon Runners-up Arabella Grandage, Bradenham, Bucks; D.G. Tallis, Oxford
A Ambition, A Aorist, B Battledore, C Caret, C Cashed, C Coact, C Coalman, C Cuttoes, D Dioxan, D Disaccharides, D Drop, E Eerie, F Ferrer, G Goering, G Guitars, H Heteros, I Ileum, I Impanel, I Impecuniosity, I Interrupts, J Jinn, K Kraits, L Lanolin, M Melanesian, M Minim, M Morphemes, N Neurons, N
The event was THE GLORIOUS TWELFTH (1D/29) (12 August, opening day of the grouse-shooting season). Remaining unclued lights bring to mind ‘grouse’: LAGOPUS LAGOPUS SCOTICUS (43/19: scientific name); RUGOSE and ROGUES (11 and 3: anagrams); GRIPE and BLEAT (39 and 25: synonyms). First prize Robert Burgon, North Berwick, East Lothian Runners-up Jack Shonfield, Child
The key word is DENTIFRICE (38), which can be divided into DENT defining 11, 21, 33; IF 13, 20, 27; and RICE 4A, 12, 18. First prize Trevor Speak, Dursley, Glos Runners-up Victoria Estcourt, King’s Somborne, Hants; J.S. Roberts, Rodmell, East Sussex
When BRIDGE is added to the unclued Across lights and FORD to the unclued Down lights (including each of the three components in 1 Down), they all become names of British towns. First prize Alan Hook, Beverley, Yorkshire Runners-up Chris Butler, Borough Green, Kent; Peter and Jeannie Chamberlain, Rushden, Northamptonshire
The poem was Shelley’s ‘Ozymandias’. The words from the poem are LEGS (16), TWO (17A), SANDS (26), NOTHING (37), KING (42), ANTIQUE (5), LAND (9), TRAVELLER (10), MET (23), DESPAIR (32). OZYMANDIAS (in the twelfth row) was to be shaded. First prize P.J.W. Gregson, Amersham, Bucks Runners-up Mrs P Bealby, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland; Mark
SOIL (9) — cryptically indicated by ISLAND IN THE SUN (1A), the title of a SONG (40) recorded by HARRY BELAFONTE (43) — defines each of the other unclued lights. First prize Mrs P. Newbury, Linlithgow, West Lothian Runners-up C. Elengorn, Enfield, Middlesex; Smithies, Vale, Guernsey
The answer to the subtraction sum in the title is 1947. So all the unclued lights are celebrities who celebrate their 70th birthday this year. The first letter of each clue, read in order, announce Doc’s 70th birthday. First prize Emma Wood, Loscoe, Heanor, Derbyshire Runners-up Tom Richards, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire; George D. Logan, Columbia, Maryland,
Redundant words were 12A virgin, 16A crazy, 38A mammal, 18D state, 21D greed, 25D tendon, 34D extremist. These respectively defined 14A vestal, 20D lunatic, 6D marsupial, 23D Indiana, 33A cupidity, 15A paxwax, 41A absolutist. Roman gods (underlined) in these words were turned into their Greek equivalents. First prize Nadya James, Heanor, Derbyshire Runners-up Ben Stephenson, London
4, 40, 43, 1, 3, 16 and 17 were all examples of PORTMANTEAU words, into which are packed the sense (and sound) of two other words. First prize F. Whitehead, Harrogate, N. Yorks Runners-up Mark Rowntree, London SE10; D.G. Page, Orpington, Kent
One of the unclued 4-letter lights is placed in the very middle of another to form each of the four unclued 8-letter solutions: 8, around 30=44; 19, around 22=2, 37, around 25D=20; 38, around 21=13. First prize Val Urquhart, Butcombe, North Somerset Runners-up John Kitchen, Breachwood Green, Herts; Ros Miller, Oxford
Extra letters in clues gave SAM GOLDWYN, to whom are attributed I’LL GIVE YOU (5) A DEFINITE (8) MAYBE (1A), INCLUDE (23) ME OUT (7), and IN TWO (33) WORDS (34A) IM-POSSIBLE! (38). Goldfish was his former name. First prize Magdalena Deptula, Eton, Berkshire Runners-up Eddie Looby, Longbridge, Birmingham; Sue Topham, Newark
The thematic BEATLES ALBUM (38 32) is SERGEANT PEPPER (1A 6A). 1A defines 17, and can be divided into words defined by 31 and 20; 6A defines 6D, 19 and 24. First prize Margaret Lusk, Preston, Lancashire Runners-up C.G. Millin, Swindon, Wiltshire; David Caldecott, Bowerchalke, Salisbury
