The Clue Writing Competition

1999 Winning Clues


March 1999    A normal cryptic clue to CHAMBERS

1st Gordon Murray
Might be employed, primarily, in daily crosswords` completion!
2nd Vinay Sarin
Doctor in frantic search for rooms
3rd Kevin McDermid
Foremost amongst crossword handbooks and many bibliophiles' essential reference section?

April 1999  A Printer's Devilry clue to LASTING.

1st  Larry Baum
By not leaving, a wily man delivered the final insult to his unfortunate family.
2nd  Kevin McDermid
Irish peace, maybe, disrupted by bard: abandon parade.
3rd  David McNeill.
"I'm not buying any tickets for that silly tomboy", father insisted at the fete.

May 1999 A normal, cryptic clue to E-MAILED

1st Hugh Everett
European meal I'd eaten and sent down bit by bit (7)
2nd Kevin McDermid
Foreign media infiltrated by the French and used to send coded messages?
3rd Larry Baum
Auntie got sick when Spam was delivered.

June 1999 a normal, cryptic clue to LAWN TENNIS

1st Kevin McDermid Clue No. 14. Where King was a force to be reckoned with, oddly, Lenin wasn't!
2nd Dennis Borris Clue No 7. Wasn't Lenin mixed up with turf racketeering?
3rd David Plumpton Clue No. 11. Scuffed lines want new redrawing after this?
July 1999 a misprint clue to CHEERS
1st Dafydd Price-Jones
Thinks of church at all times on Sunday
2nd Gordon Murray
No 5 Tu es cher (....when translated)
3rd Luciano Ward
No 3 To Sam's bar!

August 1999 a normal clue to GRASSHOPPER
1st Luciano Ward
No 2 Mary Jane knitted her pop a little jumper.
2nd Roger Phillips
No 12 Fat French person looking to buy tiny jumper
3rd David McNeill
Sergeant almost turned informer: it's not quite cricket.

September 1999 a normal clue to CONSTABLE
1st Rod Harling
In the end his lot can be unhappy
2nd Henry Casson
Prisoners before the bench, here is an officer of the law
3rd Elaine Woontner
Policeman is performing noble acts

October 1999 a normal clue to DEMOLISH
First: (Clue 33) Dream world in Soho? The odds are it will result in ruin. (Alastair Sutherland).
Second: (Clue 32) Troubled Sondheim left for northern ruin. (Richard Grafen).
Third: (Clue 29) Protest on the left is at high level. (Leon F. Marzillier).
The runners-up were Rod Harling (Clue 23), Stan Scott (Clue 28), Bob Van Langen (Clue 20) and Luciano Ward (Clue 13).

November  1999 Letters Latent clue to HEADSTRONG
First: Mark Oshin  As the mule is, and others can be
Second:  Luciano Ward   Perverse, strange and … oh, just ghastly
Third:  Elaine Woontner  Hard stone cracked - it's refractory
runner-up Alastair Sutherland (Clue 30).

December 1999 Normal Clues to CHRISTMAS TREE
First: Bruce McKenzie Nouveau riche smart set pine for winter holidays
Second:Simon Collins See it strewn with charms when Turkey's consumed
Third: Leon F Marzillier This pine's transformation manifests a time rich with presents
Runners-up, in order, were: Alastair Sutherland, Luciano Ward, David Plumpton, and CG Rishikesh.

Congratulations to Luciano Ward who is awarded the prize for most consistent competitor of 1999.