The unclued lights, as a singleton and four pairs with one unclued light doing double duty, are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. Two of the unclued lights are of three words, one including an abbreviation. All but one of the remaining unclued lights are of two words. Ignore two apostrophes. Across 10
The unclued lights are provinces or areas of BELGIUM. First prize C.R. Haigh, Hassocks, West Sussex Runners-up Frank McDonald, Carron, Falkirk; I. Lyttle, Armagh
The unclued lights are of a kind. Ignore one grave accent. Across 1 Hails a picador, awfully exciting (13) 11 Difficult child had fun playing close to school (7) 12 Father has undone Turk’s head (5) 14 As You Like It — a piece of theatre by Shakespeare (6, two words) 16 Peg
The unclued lights are PUBLISHING FIRMS. Our apologies for the omission of clue 42 Across. It went missing during the production stage. It should have read: 42 Enticing action Latino attains oddly (13) First prize Jenny Gubb, Uffculme, Devon Runners-up Philip Berridge, Spalding, Lincolnshire; Mrs E. Knights, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
The unclued lights (one of two words, one of three and-another of four components) are of a kind. Chambers gives only a cognate of the solution at 7 Down. Across 9 River in middle of West Bank city (4) 11 Seafarer of marked individuality, but primitive (10) 12 Clear illustration includes appendage of seed
The unclued lights are famous British OAK trees. First prize Gerry Fairweather, Layer Marney, Essex Runners-up Mrs L. Ashley, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex; Jan Thompson, Bolton, Lancs.
The unclued lights are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. Ignore one apostrophe. Across 1 Top for one dining in Cornwall? (7) 11 Rainy weather trapped everyone, in case (6) 12 Chosen the same, leaderless (7) 14 Old sweetheart at short race track (5) 16 Hang around. Look
The theme word is KING and the pairs are 4/41, 14/1A, 19/27, 34/16 and 38/24. First prize C.V. Clark, London WC1 Runners-up C.S.G. Elengorn, Enfield, Middlesex; Jacqui Sohn, Gorleston, Norfolk
Having solved the puzzle, solvers are required to highlight a 2×2 square which contains the four letters of the otherwise unclued theme word. This theme word can be paired with five of the unclued lights. The resulting pairs are then defined by the remaining five unclued lights (two of two words), all of which can
The unclued lights are stations of the London Underground CIRCLE Line. BAYSWATER is the paired theme-word. Solvers had to highlight TOWER HILL in yellow, as per the Line’s colour on a London Tube Map. First prize Janet Hill, Brighton Runners-up Gay Roper, Weston Underwood, Bucks; Don Young, Oldham
The perimeter squares yield six theme-words in order, though any one of them can come first. The remaining unclued lights (two individually and a pair) reveal three more theme words. Solvers are asked to highlight in the appropriate colour a final two-word theme-word hidden in two rows in the completed grid. Across 6
All but one of the unclued lights can be preceded by DOCTOR (or in one case DOC). The title also explains why DOC’s name (as the compiler) was omitted from the heading of the puzzle. Solvers were required to highlight CAPE at 38 Down which yields ‘Cape Doctor’ where Doctor follows rather than precedes the
The unclued lights are US STATE CAPITALS. First prize Stewart Jones, Winchester, Hants Runners-up John M. Brown, Rolleston-on-Dove, Staffs; Gareth Davies, Langstone, Newport
The unclued lights (two of two words) are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer among other reference books. Elsewhere, ignore one grave accent. Across 1 Complete support for defender (8) 6 Wan painting child’s vehicle (6) 11 Novice leads the experts, then ties (5) 14 Calm meeting in silence (6) 16 Slight, and slightly
The unclued lights Across are CATS and the unclued lights Down are DOGS. First prize John Kitchen, Breachwood Green, Herts Runners-up Matthew Hudson, Stoneleigh, Surrey; Patrick Tremlett, Nedlands, Western Australia
The unclued Across lights (two of two words) are of a kind, as are the unclued Down ones, all verifiable in Brewer 19th edition. Across 1 Originally inexperienced, feels skill growing (12, two words) 12 Outlet I left, working out rota for a breather (10) 14 Some greet Andalusian character (3) 17 Lawgiver cut
The unclued Across lights are ANAGRAMS of French numbers (22: trente, 24: soixante, 26: sept, 29: onze, 43: trois) and the Down lights of German numbers (3: vier, 4: hundert, 10: sechs, 40: acht, 41: drei). First prize G. Jones, London SW1 Runners-up Sue Topham, Elston, Newark; S.J.J. Tiffin, Cockermouth, Cumbria
The unclued Across lights are of one linguistic kind and the unclued Down lights are of another, all of which solvers must figure out. Across 1 Busy person squeezing scab on carpet (6) 7 Cilla’s out gathering what Novello suggested (6) 12 Ends of the line abolished at privatisation? (9) 13 Come down
The unclued lights can be preceded by GREEN which had to be shaded in green, as indicated in the solution grid. First prize Vincent Clark, Frant, East Sussex Runners-up Michael Grosvenor Myer, Haddenham, Cambridge; Emma Staveley, Oxford
The unclued lights (one of two words) can be preceded by the same word which is hidden in the completed grid. Solvers must highlight this word appropriately. All resulting phrases are verifiable in Brewer. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 1 Ought to be quiet when dreadfully loud (6) 7 Elysian areas of knowledge? (6)
