This, the 22nd annual Puzzle that Gordon Gray has set, has a theme designed to help completion and will appeal to people who enjoy doing Crossword puzzles, such as in the Daily Telegraph (though it is not a Crossword puzzle). Puzzlers have plenty of time to find the answers and Puzzles should be returned, with donation, by 27 January 2013.

Gordon posted Puzzles on 5 December, so those already on the distribution list should receive their copies in the next few days. Anyone else who would like a copy of the Puzzle can access it from the web at www.christmaspuzzle.co.uk. Alternatively puzzles can be collected from St Mary's Eaton Bray.

All the money you donate, except for the prize-money, will go to charity.

Please note, for those who received the puzzle by post, there is one corrections which has now been changed in the latest puzzle download:

Question 17

This question should read: 17. ... 11a's companion, Erik Weisz) hypothesised, was ...

Any further corrections will be posted to the blog and to the corrections page.

This, the 21st annual Puzzle that Gordon Gray has set, has a theme designed to help completion and will appeal to people who enjoy doing Crossword puzzles, such as in the Daily Telegraph (though it is not a Crossword puzzle). Puzzlers have plenty of time to find the answers and Puzzles should be returned, with donation, by 22 January 2012.

Gordon posted Puzzles on 5 December, so those already on the distribution list should receive their copies in the next few days. Anyone else who would like a copy of the Puzzle can access it from the web at www.christmaspuzzle.co.uk. Alternatively puzzles can be collected from St Mary's Eaton Bray.

All the money you donate, except for the prize-money, will go to charity.

Please note, for those that have downloaded the puzzle before 6pm today, or received their copy by post or email, there are two corrections which have now been changed in the latest puzzle download:

Question 31b

The answer should fit into: _ _ _ _ RIN

Question 38

This question should read: 38. ... 24a's husband, showed his intense love by ...

Any further corrections will be posted to the blog and to the corrections page.

• Ingenious and great fun
• Even more challenging this year.
• My brain, dictionary and Philavery have worked very hard. Thoroughly enjoyable.
• Ingenius! Thank you for many hours of bewilderment, fun and the odd Eureka moment.
• As ever, I think the wife has beaten me – more effort needed next year!

For more of this year's comments, and those from previous years, see What you said.

Scores for all puzzles received are now available in the Your Results section.

Puzzle website

I am deeply indebted to my son, Theo, who maintains the Puzzle website www.christmaspuzzle.co.uk and to his company, Ai Solutions, who host the site. In early January Theo created a routine that allowed me to post your scores instead of having to wait for him to be available. This meant your scores were on the web on the day I received them. I hope you found that helpful.

Many of you have registered to receive a copy of the Puzzle as soon as it becomes available. This appears to be helpful all round. However, we received a few queries about registration - in particular, is registration needed every year or is it a one off exercise? We have decided that next year we will distribute the Puzzle to anyone who has ever registered and I will make the process clear in next year's Puzzle. As always, next year's Puzzle will be e-mailed to you in the early hours of December 8th.

Whilst the website holds most of the information relevant to the Puzzle you will not find any answers. I am not especially protective of my intellectual property but, given the number of Puzzle down-loaders, I am only prepared to send out answers to people who send a donation for the charities; these are being posted over the next few days.

Finally

Next year will mark the 21st anniversary for the Puzzle. Once again I can confirm that the Puzzle is already set and will be issued so that most of you receive it on, or soon after, 8 December.

I trust you all have a peaceful and happy year and I look forward with anticipation to our next battle of wits and round of correspondence.

-- Gordon

There is one extra dash. The answer should fit into: _ _ _ _ QUI _ _

The downloadable Puzzle has been updated to reflect this correction.

Any further corrections will be posted to the blog and to the corrections page.

This, the 20th annual Puzzle that Gordon Gray has set, has a theme designed to help completion and will appeal to people who enjoy doing Crossword puzzles, such as in the Daily Telegraph (though it is not a Crossword puzzle). Puzzlers have plenty of time to find the answers and Puzzles should be returned, with donation, by 23 January 2011.

Gordon posted Puzzles on 7 December, so those already on the distribution list should receive their copies by 9 December. Anyone else who would like a copy of the Puzzle can access it from the web at www.christmaspuzzle.co.uk. Alternatively puzzles can be collected from St Mary's Eaton Bray.

All the money you donate, except for the prize-money, will go to charity.

This, the 19th annual Puzzle that Gordon Gray has set, has a theme designed to help completion and will appeal to people who enjoy doing Crossword puzzles, such as in the Daily Telegraph (though it is not a Crossword puzzle). Puzzlers have plenty of time to find the answers and Puzzles should be returned, with donation, by 24 January 2010.

Gordon posted Puzzles on 4 December, so those already on the distribution list should receive their copies by 11 December. Anyone else who would like a copy of the Puzzle can access it from the web at www.christmaspuzzle.co.uk. Alternatively puzzles can be collected from St Mary's Eaton Bray.

All the money you donate, except for the prize-money, will go to charity. In a change of policy I have decided that from now on I will donate £500 of the money raised to St Mary's, Eaton Bray, where I am the Reader, with the remaining money to be distributed equally between six charities - Children's Adventure Farm Trust, Community Meeting Point Harpenden, Merlin, Rett Syndrome Association UK, Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, The Children's Society - all of which have been suggested by Puzzlers who between them have been with the Puzzle for an average of 13 years.

• The number of entries exceeded 300 for the first time.
• The money distributed to charity this year has exceeded £4,000 for the first time.
  A total of £4,200 has been shared equally between six charities: Child Brain Injury Trust, Dunstable & District Disabled Sports, Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Museum, St Woolos Cathedral Rescue Appeal, Stafford & Stone Talking Newspaper, Tread the Boards
• The total raised by the Puzzle now exceeds £30,000.

Entries have come from many parts of the world, including as far away as Australia and, this year, 18 entries achieved full marks including Angie Baker, Greg Baker, the Brabenec family and Roger and Helen Wilkinson from within our villages.

A draw, to select four winners, was held at St Mary's Church, Eaton Bray, on 1 February. The winners were:

• Pauline Blackburn, Betty Jackson and Margaret Young, S M Jones and Colin & Jan Vout.

In addition, one entry was drawn at random from among all the entries received, the winner being Mrs R H Lowe, who scored 118½. These five winners each receive a cheque for £25.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this fundraising again this year.

There is one dash missing. The answer should fit into: _ _ _ LIN _

The downloadable Puzzle has been updated to reflect this correction.

Any further corrections will be posted to the blog and to the corrections page.