Suggested by 30 (IKEBANA, or flower arranging), the unclued lights were all anagrams of flowers: 1A gardenia; 18 rose; 22 violet; 24 daisy; 39 lily; 45 iris; 47 orchid; 48 geranium; 8 aster; 12 freesia; 23 lupine; 25D primrose; 28 alyssum. First prize Romy Angel, Twickenham, Middlesex Runners-up Ben Stephenson, London SW12; Andrew McKie, Peterborough
All the unclued lights can be linked with PETER, 35/38 is the paired solution. First prize Gerry Fairweather, Layer Marney, EssexRunners-up Bridget Workman, Purley, Surrey; Alastair Goudie, Cupar, Fife
Unclued lights were games played in I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue: SOUND CHARADES, SWANEE KAZOO, CHEDDAR GORGE, PICK UP SONG and MORNINGTON CRESCENT. First prize Mike Whiteoak, Ilford, EssexRunners-up Dr Wendy Atkin, Sleaford, Lincs; Paul Elliott, London W12
The winners The first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of Word Perfect by Susie Dent (John Murray) go to the following. First prize Martin Dey, Hoylandswaine, SheffieldRunners-up Victoria Sturgess, Wimborne, Dorset; David Armitage, Stockport; Elisabeth Hopkin, London SE9Additional runners-up John Boyd, Ashtead, Surrey; Dianne Parker, St Margaret’s at Cliffe,
December 12th was the birthday of Gustave FLAUBERT (1D) and Frank SINATRA (15). Examples of their work are MADAME BOVARY (13) and SALAMMBÔ (20), and FLY ME TO THE MOON (1A) and STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (45/37). Flaubert was born in ROUEN (25), and Sinatra in HOBOKEN (in the ninth column) which was to be
Unclued lights are nicknames of works by Beethoven, born 250 years ago. The title referred to the Ghost piano trio, Op. 70/1. First prize Carlos de Pommes, Walton on Thames, SurreyRunners-up R.P. Wright, Loughton, Essex; Damian Hassan, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham
Each of the unclued lights includes the same letter three times in succession. First prize Tom Rollinson, Borehamwood, HertsRunners-up Lynn Gilchrist, Willoughby, NSW, Australia; Brian Midgley, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire
The unclued lights are characters in Much Ado about Nothing. First prize Keith Norcott, Cheltenham, GlosRunners-up Mrs E. Knights, Wisbech, Cambs; P.D.H. Riddell, London SE23
Unclued lights are anagrams of animals: PRAENOMINA (1A: Pomeranian), MARTIAN (18: tamarin), LARBOARD (21: Labrador), SHORE (28: horse), PROTEIN (42: pointer), MACLE (6: camel), MENTALISM (24: Simmental), LATER (25: ratel), CREMATE (31: meercat) and MAGYAR (34: margay). The title suggests the song ‘Animal Crackers in My Soup’. First prize A.R. Wightman, Harpenden, HertsRunners-up Roderick Rhodes,
The unclued lights each contain all five vowels once only, but in different orders. First prize Dr Stephen Clarkson, Hadleigh, Suffolk Runners-up Roslyn Shapland, Ilkeston, Derbyshire; P. and D. Keating, Beeford, Yorkshire
The octet associated with CHERRY STONES (19) is: tinker (1A), tailor (40), soldier (20), sailor (15), rich man (6A), poor man (23), beggar man (1D), thief (32). First prize Anthony Briggs, Brinkworth, WiltsRunners-up Donald Bain, Edinburgh; G.R. Greig, Victoria BC, Canada
Ten symmetrically placed unclued lights are synonyms for the warning ‘WATCH OUT’. First prize Andy Wallace, Ash Green, CoventryRunners-up Caroline Arms, Ithaca, New York; Stephen Smith, Messing, Essex
The unclued lights are heraldic terms. First prize J.P. Carrington, Denchworth, OxfordshireRunners-up David Shields, Merthyr Vale M.E. Bosence, Bournemouth
The lyrics of the perimetric I’M POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN and FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN were written by Sammy Lerner, while the lyricist of THE RAIN IN SPAIN and I TALK TO THE TREES (3D/16) was Alan Jay Lerner. LERNER (in the tenth row) was to be shaded. First prize Ann Holme, Salisbury, WiltshireRunners-up Nicholas
The unclued lights take an extra letter to make BRAMBLING (1A), BUDGIE (12A), STARLING (14A), REDSTART (23A), BRANCHER (27A), TURACO (34A), STILT (35A) and CHOUGH (38A), which could then meet at a BIRDBATH. First prize Alasdair MacKenzie, Hambledon, HantsRunners-up Judith Cookson, Prestbury, Cheltenham, Glos; Bill Stewart, Leicester
The unclued lights form pairs of famous soloists and the instruments they play; 1A/19, 5/34, 23/8, 31/39, 43/16A. First prize Andrew Herbert, Brooke, NorfolkRunners-up Alexia Dobbs, Tilston, Cheshire; Philip Berridge, Gosberton, Lincs
The poem was The Brook by Alfred Tennyson. The words were HERN (8A), LINGER (20), BRIMMING (32A), FLOW (40), TROUT (44), SLIP (2), SPARKLE (6), SWALLOWS (21), BICKER (32D) and STARS (37). ALFRED TENNYSON (diagonally from 1) was to be shaded. First prize R.A. Percy, Southport, North CarolinaRunners-up Hugh Alpin, London SW19 Rosie Bailey, Swindon
In George Orwell’s 1984 WINSTON SMITH (31/3) worked for the MINISTRY of TRUTH (43/21). The MINISTRY of LOVE (43/34) got him for THOUGHT CRIME (24/35) and sent him to ROOM 101 (28). He finally gave in to BIG BROTHER (15). First prize Clare Robinson, SheffieldRunners-up Ian Laming, Chippenham, Wiltshire; Brenda Widger, Bowdon, Cheshire
The unclued lights, along with Peter MAY in the title, are England cricket captains. First prize Harry Hyman, Streatley, West Berks Runners-up Val Urquhart, Butcombe, North Somerset; Hilary James, London W5
The perimeter quotation is from Mahler. Remaining unclued lights were names of symphonies: 12A Mahler / Schubert; 26A Haydn; 39A Britten; 11D Liszt; 18D Beethoven. ‘Titan’, the name of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, was to be highlighted. First prize Margaret Lusk, Preston, Lancs Runners-up David Heath, Elston, Newark; Mrs S. Arnold, London SW9
