Christmas Puzzle

Christmas Puzzle 2009 - Your Results

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:53:27 GMT

Scores for those puzzles received by Thursday 21st January are now available in the Your Results section.

Christmas Puzzle 2009 - Time gentlemen please

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This year's annual Charity Christmas Puzzle has now been posted, and is available to download.

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.

Christmas Puzzle 2008 - Results

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Another year of puzzling is nearly done and dusted with the year being marked by the passing of three milestones:

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.

Christmas Puzzle 2008 - Your Results

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:31:40 GMT

Scores for those puzzles received so far are now available in the Your Results section.

Christmas Puzzle 2008 - Correction

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:28:39 GMT

Question 10a
This question should read:

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.

Christmas Puzzle 2008 - Theirs not to reason why

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This year's annual Charity Christmas Puzzle has now been posted, and is available to download.

This, the 18th 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 25 January 2009.

Gordon posted Puzzles on 5 December, so those already on the distribution list should receive their copies by 10 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.

Over £27,500 raised for charity
Over £3,000 donated in each of the last four years

This year's puzzle will support 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.

Christmas Puzzle 2007 - Comments

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:37:03 GMT

A few of this year's comments...

Brilliant - and most enjoyable.
Utter despair - followed by almost total jubilation.
I enjoyed solving this one - especially the sneaky bits - George W Bush indeed!!
A sheer joy.
I'm still allergic to computers.
You clever devious man.

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

Christmas Puzzle 2007 - Correction

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:00:00 GMT

Question 27
This question should read:

27. ... to be there. Turning to the left is where the first battle of the civil war was fought and ...

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

Christmas Puzzle 2007 - The birds and the bees

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This year's annual Charity Christmas Puzzle has now been posted, and is available to download.

This, the 17th 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.

Four winners will each receive a £25 prize.
Everyone who enters will qualify for a £25 prize draw.

Gordon plans to post Puzzles on 8 December, so those already on the distribution list should receive their copies by 12 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 on Sunday 9 December.

Over £24,000 raised for charity
Over £3,000 donated in each of the last three years

This year's puzzle will support three charities Romania Care, the restoration of the Harrison & Harrison Organ, St Albans Cathedral, and Michael Sobell House Hospice, Mount Vernon.