The unclued lights are headwords in Brewer under the SEVEN heading. The title indicates the sum ‘2114 divided by 302 = 7’ and so solvers had to include ‘7’ or ‘seven’ alongside their submitted solution. First prize Frank Maslen, London SW1 Runners-up Andrew James, Winchester; Dolf Mootham, Aldeburgh, Suffolk
The ‘circular chain’ (or RING CYCLE) of items was: RING CYCLE (anag of RECYCLING), GLYCERINE, GENERICAL, CAREENING, TANGERINE, ARGENTINA, WAGNERIAN, NORWEGIAN, ANGLE IRON, LOHENGRIN, RHEINGOLD, RE-FOLDING, GLORIFIED, FILIGREED, SIEGFRIED, REGICIDES, ISENERGIC, RECOGNISE, CONCIERGE, CRYOGENIC. WAGNER, whose bicentenary fell on 22 May, replaced the answer WAURST at 46 across. First prize Dr John Stabler, Fakenham,
Extra letters in clues give cancrine and Sotadean, both meaning PALINDROMIC, which describes each of the unclued lights and also the number and title of the puzzle. First prize Chris James, Ruislip Manor Runners-up P. and R. Dacre, York; Hugh Schofield, Paris
The unclued lights are the four members of ABBA (which means ‘father’), at 11/21, 12/40, 16/7 and 39/10. First prize Jason James, Cambridge Runners-up Mark Rowntree, London SE10; David Lumley, London SW5
Unclued lights are anagrams of seaside resorts in southern England: Paignton (1A), Seaford (32), Margate (33), Ramsgate (40), Salcombe (7), Ryde (15), Looe (21) and Worthing (22D). First prize Don Thompson, Bolton Runners-up A. Mulholland, Nottingham; Wilf Lewsey, East Leake, Loughborough
Unclued lights were winners of the NOBEL PRIZE (11A) for literature and their works. Each work contained a colour in the title, explaining how to shade the answer: MY NAME IS RED (1D); THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK (19D); THE GREAT GOD BROWN (15D); THE GREEN HOUSE (35D). First prize Jamie Staveley, London SW15 Runners-up Clare
The unclued lights are the surnames of the London WORTHIES, which had to be highlighted along the top row. First prize Eleanor Parker, Broadstairs, Kent Runners-up Roger Baresel, London SW7; D.G. Page, Orpington, Kent
FILM FANS (18) will know that numbers in the problem are linked to film titles: Seven BRIDES (1D) for Seven BROTHERS (22); The Four FEATHERS (5A); 12 ANGRY MEN (37/35); Five EASY PIECES (11/42). 7 x ([4 x 12] – 5) x 7 = 2107, the number of the CROSSWORD (19). First prize Katy Berry,
YEARLY FAST (30 3) defines LENT (36) and is also a cryptic indication of PAPACY (16A — i.e. pa + pacy). Lent is followed by EASTER (34), marked with a BLESSING (40) known as URBI ET ORBI (2) by the holder of the papacy, currently Pope FRANCIS (28A). First prize B. Taylor, Little Lever, Bolton
Monty Python’s Flying Circus (38/12/5) gave rise to 1D, 19 and 36/28 which starred 7 and 34 and Eric IDLE (puzzle’s title). First prize Mrs M.C. Conway, Sale, Manchester Runners-up Chris Edwards, Pudsey, Leeds; Margaret Lusk, Preston, Lancs
The quotation is 16/28/10/2/23, from The Rape of the Lock by POPE (highlighted). Remaining unclued lights each start with a word for a hairstyle: 6A AFRONT, 27D CROPPER, 30D PERMIT, 35A BOBA. First prize Alan West, Bolton Runners-up Barry Roe, Wigston, Leicester; Keith Norcott, Warden Hill, Cheltenham
Extra words to be removed from clues were: ‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And, sorry I could not travel both’. The lines of verse appearing in the grid (highlighted for clarity only) were ‘I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference’ from the poem ‘The Road Less
Each of the four paired lights (at 1A/4, 13/14, 30/31 and 32/33) forms a RIGHT ANGLE which is the solution in each case. Four right angles equal THREE SIXTY DEGREES (the solutions at 23/40/15), thus making the FULL CIRCLE of the title. First prize R.R. Alford, Oundle, Peterborough Runners-up Jenny Atkinson, Little Chalfont, Bucks; Lewis
The works were novels by Evelyn Waugh: Put Out More Flags (anagram of 1A/35), Black Mischief (16/23), The Loved One (17/7D) and Vile Bodies (21A/31). First prize Miriam Moran, Pangbourne, Berks Runners-up Mrs R.J.C. Shapland, Ilkeston, Derbyshire; John Light, Addlestone, Surrey
Corrections of misprints in clues give PAPER OVER THE CRACKS, indicating the position of 12 in relation to the other unclued lights. First prize Kenneth M. Robb, Linlithgow Runners-up Alexander Caldin, Salford, Oxfordshire; Ben Stephenson, London SW12
The unclued lights formed from the anagrams of the Lover’s Knot clues are boys’ and girls’ names, entered at consecutive solutions, as follows: 1D/2; 15/18; 21A/23; 27/30; 29/31. First prize Vivienne Pyatt, Arkesden, Essex Runners-up S.L. Jordan, Didcot, Oxon; Fiona and Jean Daniels, Sydney, Australia
The song was ‘MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY’ (4D/18/13) (Cole Porter). A word for ‘father’ is the centre of four unclued lights: E[POP]T (1A), MIS[GOV]ERN (4A), SU[PERE]GO (22) and SKE[DAD]DLE (40). COLE (35) and PORTER (3) were to be shaded. First prize Joan Kendall, Thundridge, Ware, Herts Runners-up Mrs Jane Smith, Beeston, King’s Lynn,
1D, 2 40, 12 and 15 36 are PERSONAE (43) that have been adopted by DAVID BOWIE. Unchecked letters of unclued lights are supplied by the thematically allusive astronaut writer, piano guy spelt by extra letters in clues. First prize Simon Harris, London SE21 Runners-up Trevor Evans, Drulingen, France; Kevin Ward, Quorn, Leicestershire
The unclued lights are six US composers, at 4 and 24, and the pairs at 9/11, 21A/32, 25/16 and 35/3. First prize Jed Brignal, Nottingham Runners-up Alan Hook, York; Lewis Corner, South Fremantle, Western Australia
The unclued lights are alcoholic drinks, and thus might be included, if one was getting a round in. First prize David Heath, Elston, Newark Runners-up Mrs J. Vernalls, Thame, Oxfordshire; David Jenkinson, Matlock, Derbyshire
