Conrad HILTON (2), Michael WILDING (37), Mike TODD (24), Eddie FISHER (3), Richard BURTON (30), John WARNER (31) and Larry FORTENSKY (40) were all married to ELIZABETH TAYLOR (4A/17). First prize Frank Whiteman, Eastbourne, East Sussex Runners-up Isaac Thompson, Urmston, Manchester; Mrs E. Knights, Wisbech, Cambs
The unclued lights are EPISCOPAL SIGNATURES First prize Jason James, Cambridge Runners-up K.M. Robb, Borrowstounness, West Lothian; McNeill, Belfast
On 15th June 1919 John ALCOCK (34) and Arthur BROWN (37) completed the first non-stop transatlantic flight when they crash-landed near CLIFDEN, COUNTY GALWAY (46/9) in a VICKERS VIMY (23/25), having taken off from ST JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND (10/13) the previous day. First prize Judith Cookson, Prestbury, Glos Runners-up Martina Fabian, Bourne End, Bucks; Alan
The unclued lights are famous LEFT-HANDED people. First prize Tony Hankey, London W4 Runners-up Chris Butler, Borough Green, Kent; Julie Sanders, Bishops Waltham, Hants
First prize Susan Edouard, Bexhill-on-Sea Runners-up Joan Sutton, Canterbury, Kent; Harry Duff, Machen, Caerphilly
The unclued lights are all hybrid animals whose names are formed by combining the names of the two original animals. First prize Miriam Moran, Pangbourne, Berkshire Runners-up David Carpenter, Sutton Coldfield; Dr R.J. Bell, Hampton Hill, Middlesex
Unclued lights are TSAR (12) NICHOLAS (5A), his son ALEXEI (33), and his predecessors PETER (3) and CATHERINE (20) THE GREAT (23), BORIS (35) GODUNOV (21) and IVAN THE (6) TERRIBLE (43). First prize Miriam Moran, Pangbourne, Reading Runners-up Jack Shonfield, Child Okeford, Dorset; Vincent Clark, Frant, East Sussex
The unclued lights (with the pair at 37/26) are orchestral CONDUCTORS. First prize Elisabeth Johnson, Toronto, Canada Runners-up Gareth Davies, Langstone, Newport; Peter Gregson, Amersham, Bucks
The group is ‘Les Nabis’ (anagram of ALBINESS (18)). Its members were VALLOTTON, DENIS, ROUSSEL, RANSON, SÉRUSIER, BONNARD and VUILLARD. The seminal work was THE TALISMAN (appearing diagonally from row thirteen). THE TALISMAN was to be shaded. First prize Peter Tanner, Hertford Runners-up Michael Knox, Beaconsfield, Bucks; Bill Stewart, Leicester
DEVILS at 33D (its ‘essence’ is ‘EVIL’) is linked with ‘Malevolence’ (13) and ‘Roguish’ (19) and Devil’s CANDLESTICK (1), ON HORSEBACK (3), LIVERY (7), DOOR (14), SHOESTRINGS (17), ELBOW (27), APPLES (29) and ISLAND (32). First prize F.A. Scott, Enfield, Middlesex Runners-up John Cruickshank, Aberdeen; Jenny Atkinson, Little Chalfont, Bucks
The first and second letters of the unclued lights are the same as the third and fourth ones. All the solutions are words or one phrase eight letters long. ARARAT at 32 Down matches the pattern but is only six-letters in length and had to be highlighted. First prize D. Thorpe, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire Runners-up
The second and fourth letters of six unclued lights gave abbreviations of the states forming New England: ACATER (13) Connecticut, ERNIE (24) Rhode Island, AMBEROID (27) Maine, ANCHOS (1D) New Hampshire, KVETCHED (22) Vermont and SMEAR (34) Massachusetts. NAG/LEND (17/36) is an anagram of ENGLAND suggesting ‘New England’. First prize Mike Conway, Grantham, Lincs Runners-up
BOYCOTT (24), GOWER (25), MAY (40), GRACE (2), STRAUSS (23), HAMMOND (27), CLOSE (34), and ROOT (36) have all held the England Test CAPTAINCY which solvers had to highlight. First prize Ken Rae, Shetland Runners-up Eddie Looby, Longbridge, Birmingham; Anthony White, Folkestone, Kent
The unclued lights are ACCENTS or DIACRITICAL SIGNS and any appearing on letters in the grid had to be ignored. First prize Professor Colin Ratledge, E. Yorkshire Runners-up V.A. Plomer, Swindon; B. Taylor, Bolton
The preamble suggests that unclued entries are partial anagrams of UNCLUED. The ‘repeated cryptic clue (= anagram of CLUE)’ ‘fixes not only’ LUCE ‘but also’ the central 2×2 block as [CE/LU] and ‘as a result’ LUNE. First prize Sue Topham, Elston, Newark Runners-up Ben Stephenson, London SW12; Phillip Wickens, Faygate, West Sussex
The unclued lights form the folk rhyme ‘Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar-man, thief’. A.A. Milne (MILNE had to be highlighted) used this as the basis for Cherry-Stones, (9d) though the beggar-man became a ploughboy. Milne’s next five jobs are also mentioned in various clues. First prize Lydia Miller, Vale, Guernsey Runners-up
The unclued lights are the names of FAMOUS STEAM TRAINS including the pairs at 14/15 and 17/30. First prize Jenny Harris, Cheltenham, Glos Runners-up Virginia Porter, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff; Wendy Atkin, Sleaford, Lincs
Albert Finney, a fine ACTOR (13), died on 7 February 2019. His legacy includes SATURDAY NIGHT (10) and SUNDAY MORNING (9), and TOM JONES (1), THE DRESSER (27/24) and SKYFALL (28). BYTE (20), FAR (17) and LINEN (40) give an anagram of ALBERT FINNEY. LINEN was to be shaded. First prize Andy Wallace, Coventry Runners-up John
Unclued lights were husbands (40A) of Jane Austen’s heroines. First prize Alison Hinder, Sholing, Southampton Runners-up Janet Dibley, Polegate, East Sussex; C.G. Millin, Ramleaze, Wiltshire
The seven concise clues lead to: heALth centre (3,31), HEARTbreak (9), midrIFf (26), last of alL (40), out of afRIca (14/2), wild WEST (21) and false DAWN (7,24). First prize Margaret Lusk, Fulwood, Preston, Lancs Runners-up G.H. Willett, London SW19; E.C. Wightman, Menston, W. Yorks
