Crossword solution

The unclued lights are the names of FAMOUS STEAM TRAINS including the pairs at 14/15 and 17/30.

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.

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.

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.

‘Never eat an oyster unless there’s an R in the month’ (Brewer). Eight unclued lights (in appropriate order) start with abbreviations of the months said to be safe for OSTREOPHAGES (1): SEPTIME (18), OCTANDRIA (26), NOVICE (34), DECELERATING (43), JANIFORM (11), FEBRIFACIENT (13), MARION (19D) and APRICOT (28).

HORROR FILM (1D) ACTOR (15) BORIS (10) KARLOFF (26), né PRATT (21A) died on 2 February 1969. Most famous for THE (7A) MUMMY (37), he was also in HOWARD HAWKS (1A)’s SCARFACE (24).   First prize M.J.

The unclued lights (10/1D, 11, 23/38, 29D/28 and 39) received knighthoods or a DBE in the recent New Year’s Honours List.

The LITTLE GENTLEMAN IN BLACK VELVET (4/8/16D) was a Jacobite toast to the MOLE (34) who made the molehill on which KING (30D) William III’s horse fatally stumbled. Frances HODGSON BURNETT’s (10) LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY (4/1D) also wore black velvet, which also describes Guinness mixed with champagne.

The theme word is GRASS (for which the title is a cryptic clue). 1A, 1D, 6 and 37 are informers; 28, 29, 33 and 39 are types of grass; 8A, 15, 22 and 26 are German Nobel literature laureates.   First prize Mrs R.J.C.

The paired unclued lights are anagrams of one another, most being symmetrically arranged; 2/21, 5/23, 12/41, 15/25, 19D/20.   First prize Alan Peevers, Manchester Runners-up Martin Dey, Hoylandswaine, S.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT   Unclued lights were names of GHOST STORIES by M.R. (MONTAGUE RHODES) JAMES: CASTING (1A) THE (29) RUNES (10); THE TREASURE OF (9A) ABBOT (58) THOMAS (100); THE TRACTATE (42) MIDDOTH (33); OH WHISTLE (43) AND I’LL (68) COME TO YOU (1D) MY LAD (24); THE STALLS OF (44) BARCHESTER (115) CATHEDRAL (82); THE ROSE (77) GARDEN (22); THE MEZZOTINT (79); CANON (83) ALBERIC’S (11) SCRAPBOOK (8);THE ASH-TREE (107); and COUNT (110) MAGNUS (89).   WINNERS The first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of Secret Service Brain Teasers by Sinclair McKay (Headline) go to the following. The first four winners will each also be sent a bottle of champagne.   First prize Margaret Almond, Southampton   Runners-up P.J. and E.F.

The quotation was ‘IN MY BEGINNING IS MY END’ (12/15) from East Coker (an anagram of the title), second poem of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. Remaining unclued lights are words whose first half is the same as their second half: 5, 16, 42, 43, 10 and 13. ELIOT (diagonally from the twelfth row) was to be shaded.   First prize Mike Conway, Grantham, Lincs Runners-up Edward Staveley, London SW15; S.C.

The HISPANIOLA was the ship that brought the other unclued answers to TREASURE ISLAND in the novel by R L Stevenson. No pirates were named in the grid, except Ben GUNN who joined against them, but (Long John) Silver appeared in the clues, which had a nautical/piratical flavour. The map in Treasure Island had three red X’s, like the grid.

ROUND THE HORNE (32/40/37) starred 6/37, 6/23, 1A, 14 and 8/13. The title suggested their other comedy show, Beyond Our Ken.   First prize Sara Macintosh, Darlington, Co.

The two people were Prince RUPERT (12) of the Rhine, born 1619 in PRAGUE (6) and died 1682 in WESTMINSTER (48), a SOLDIER (23); and REMBRANDT (45) van Rijn, born 1606 in LEIDEN (9) and died 1669 in AMSTERDAM (13), a PAINTER (33). RHINE (in the eighth row) was to be shaded. First prize John Fahy, Thaxted, Essex Runners-up C.V. Clark, London WC1; C&A Snelson, Leyburn, N.

Unclued lights, individually or as a pair (38/9), are FIREWORKS.   First prize F. Whitehead, Harrogate, North Yorks Runners-up I.

The unclued lights are presenters of BLUE PETER: individually at 39; pairs are 3/2, 7/22, 15A/15D, 15A/17, 25/14, and 32/31, with PETER at 15A doing double duty.   First prize C.E.

The quotation is 10/11/39. Remaining unclued lights are all daggers.   First prize G.

The word ladder connecting UNITED and STATES goes: UNITES (1D), URITES (18), WRITES (7D), WHITES (34), WHILES (30A), WHALES (7A), SHALES (10), STALES (31).

The unclued Across lights are US state capitals and the unclued Down ones are the states. The title refers to DELAWARE (DE) and its capital DOVER.   First prize D.P.