AZED CROSSWORD 105

Malabar-rat, raccoon, nylghau, oriole, aberdevine, howler (Anagram)

1.  J. Horwood: A very horrible anagram I’ll clue: “Who once abode on Ararat?”

2.  W. H. Pegram: Role clear, how he laboured over an animal-carrying boat.

3.  Sir C. Willink: A lull! Ararat ahoy! Wanderer, cooing, bore me olive branch.

VHC

C. Allen Baker: Lo! I gave many a brace harbour ere the cool rain drown all.

T. Anderson: Very large animal collection aboard. Nowhere a harbour?

Col P. S. Baines: Election over, Labour lead by narrow margin. Ha-ha, oracle!

Brig R. V. M. Benn: Bland racer on high above Ararat roll in, you are welcome (roller, racer, pigeons).

Miss M. P. Blackburn: Holy builder who bare animal cargo on rare ocean travel.

D. W. Bolton: A new olive branch? Ararat! Here I can moor our bold galley.

E. J. Burge: I once gave animal bunch lee: ‘All aboard’ or watery horror!

E. A. Free: Once a chill rain bore me, rolled on a rough wave, by Ararat.

M. A. Furman: Rain eh? I’ll cover many a creature, on board a hollow barge.

S. Goldie: —— whom I’ll honour, ran a very tolerable abecedarian cargo.

J. J. Goulstone: Are we all on board? Can a brace more go in? I’ll have to hurry.

D. V. Harry: All on animal barge cheer – an olive bract drew our ‘Hooray!’

R. E. Kimmons: A Liberal choice – a deal now, or harry a Labour Government (ref. Gen. Election result).

J. R. Kirby: Had every animal in care on a boat. Blow, cruel gale horror!

A. D. Legge: Lo, a dove – a worn-out, branch-bearing hero. Really a miracle!

D. F. Manley: Beheld lovely ‘colour arch’ (meaning a rainbow) o’er Ararat.

A. R. McKenzie: No chance Tory-Liberal marriage deal? – or have Labour won? (ref. Gen. Election result).

A. C. Morrison: Our arch-animal-lover who carried all genera by one boat.

F. E. Newlove: Hearing a ‘Vote Labour’ call by warrior Enoch alarmed one (ref. E. Powell).

L. W. G. Oxley: Labour race clear – are in. Many who voted Liberal groan ‘Oh!’ (ref. Gen. Election result).

F. R. Palmer: ‘O hear gale’, I warn, collect, harbour on board every animal.

Dr R. J. Palmer: Crab, hen, hog, oorial, vole… were in my care, all Ararat-bound.

S. L. Paton: Rain over by now – morale high – Ararat locale could be near.

F. J. Philbrick: No Liberal/ Tory marriage! Do Labour now have real chance? (ref. Gen. Election result).

Mrs D. M. C. Prichard: He bore cargo – every animal double. Will anchor on Ararat.

H. L. Rhodes: Come heavy rain, he will land our barge (or coble?) on Ararat.

T. E. Sanders: Lo, early one who built animal haven – rare accord begorra!

J. M. Sharman: Begorra! How can Harold manoeuvre a Lib-Tory re-alliance? (ref. Gen. Election result, H. Wilson).

Miss E. Ward: O Leader above, watch all our animal cargo here on briny.

W. D. Wigley: In a cargo boat he overrode a hurricane abnormally well.

HC

R. B. Allnutt, G. Aspin, J. C. Barnes, E. A. Beaulah, R. C. Bell, Maj A. S. Birt, J. H. Blackburn, P. W. M. Blayney, Mrs A. R. Bradford, C. O. Butcher, J. G. Chilvers, Mrs D. M. Colley, A. E. Crow, Dr J. E. Davies, R. Dean, G. A. Dickson, J. H. Doran, P. Drummond, A. J. Duncum, C. Durrant, J. D. Ede, P. D. Edwards, P. S. Elliott, Mrs B. Eskell, J. C. Felton, R. P. C. Forman, B. Franco, Dr G. B. Greer, D. J. Hennings, Mrs R. Herbert, Mrs J. Higgins, R. Hitchcock, E. M. Hornby, J. M. Houghton, Dr D. E. G. Irvine, G. Johnstone, N. Kemmer, Mrs G. Lamer, P. W. W. Leach, P. Leather, Miss J. S. Lumsden, Lieut-Col D. Macfie, Mrs S. M. Macpherson, D. W. Mason, H. W. Massingham, G. T. McLean, F. Moss, I. Munro, A. G. Patterson, M. L. Perkins, F. N. H. Pexton, T. L. Price, P. E. Radburn, H. R. Sanders, Mrs J. Saunders, D. H. Smith, J. G. Stubbs, J. B. Sweeting, L. E. Thomas, C. L. Thomson, D. J. Thorpe, I. L. Thurlow, G. A. Tomlinson, M. B. Tonkin, R. Vaughan-Davies, P. J. Wagstaffe, J. D. Walmsley, J. F. N. Wedge, A. R. Wheatley, H. Williams, D. C. Williamson, Mrs C. D. Wood, S. E. Woods, Dr E. Young.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS TO No. 100):
1. (equal). C. Allen Baker (1, 8), C. O. Butcher (2, 6); F. R. Palmer (0, 10); 4. S. Goldie (3, 3); 5. D. V. Harry (2, 4); 6. C. J. Morse (0,7); J. R. Kirby (1, 5), D. F. Manley (2, 3); 9 (equal). H. W. Massingham (2, 2), Brig R. F. E. Stoney (1, 4), F. B. Stubbs (0, 6), Rev C. D. Westbrook (2,2); 13 (equal). Rev C. M. Broun (1, 3), E. Chalkley (1, 3), Mrs B. Lewis (1, 3), F. E. Newlove (0, 5), Dr R. J. Palmer (0, 5), Sir W. Slimmings (0, 5), Mrs M. P. Webber (1, 3) E. J. Burge (1, 3). F. D. Gardiner (2,1) CONSOLATION PRIZES: F. R. Palmer, C. J. Morse, J. R. Kirby, F. B. Stubbs, F. E. Newlove, Dr R. J. Palmer, Sir W. Slimmings.
 

 
Comments
 
A record entry, nearly 820, with virtually no mistakes, and a brute to judge. Probably this sort of ‘special’ is a little easier to solve than most, but I think it’s also quite fun (it is to compose, though time-consuming) and this accounts for the large entry, with so many new names. The ‘Noah’s Ark’ theme is pretty well played out now, I think – there are precious few creatures beginning with X for one thing – but I dare say other categories of objects could be used in the across words. Making up long anagrams certainly seems to be popular.
 
Most of the anagram entries were about Noah or the recent election. As in the first ‘Noah’s Ark’ I tended to prefer anagrams which did not include ‘Mr Noah’ himself but which clued him in some way. Mr Horwood did this most neatly; I’m only sorry ‘once’ came out as ‘wants’ in the announcement in the paper, a typical example of the dangers of telephony. There were some splendidly unconventional anagrams and I cannot forbear to mention a few: ‘O ruler! A broccoli groweth on her lean Alabama vineyard!’ ‘O horror! Call an ambulance! Vera (i.e. a girl) ate her own body!’ ‘Can Don or I wear your horrible orange balaclava helmet?’ ‘Ah! Ebor’ll believe arrowroot can cure Himalayan Dragon!’ ‘Lenora caught a rare collembola in her new brood aviary.’ See what I mean?
 
Congratulations to the new triumvirate at the top of the honours list (which ought properly to have been announced last month). The list has changed quite a lot since last year, which I hope will serve as an encouragement to newer solvers that the field is wide open.