AZED CROSSWORD 1147

MAYDAY

1.  Dr E. Young: Flowers light is what’s picked up from coaster on bar? (may day; Flowers beer brand).

2.  R. S. Morse: First of month and sign of distress? Yes to both (m + ay, d + ay, & lit.).

3.  W. Anderson: This signal is saying ‘Malady at sea’ (comp. anag. & lit.).

VHC

J. R. Beresford: Rover’s exceptional transmission is the pretext for a Morris dance? (2 mngs.; ref. carmaker).

S. J. Best: Mr Amundsen’s first haircut in two years – time for celebration at the pole (M A + DA in y, y).

Mrs A. Boyes: Urgent message Amy had sent out: LOSING HEIGHT POSITION UNKNOWN (anag. less h + y; ref. A. Johnson).

N. C. Dexter: What can occasion this? A yard breaking can (a yd in may, & lit.).

R. A. England: This call always or nearly always gets doctor out? Yes (ay or ay(e) in MD + ay, & lit.).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: First of month indeed associated with a Robin (m ay Day, & lit.; ref. R. Hood’s association with Mayday, and TV presenter R. Day).

C. R. Gumbrell: For which we set up the pole to go round yearly, in good time off? Yes (y(early) in mad + ay, & lit.).

E. C. Lance: Help required: maid, morning and afternoon (may day).

J. C. Leyland: Urgent demand from injured party gained advantage from The Sun, we ’ear? (‘made ’ay’).

H. W. Massingham: Date linking might with extremes of armoury? (d between may and a, y, & lit.; ref. Red Square parade).

T. J. Moorey: Such as flying Amy called finally, alas? (anag. + d + ay, & lit.; ref. A. Johnson).

C. J. Morse: In my lifetime, a socialist celebration has become a cry for help (a in my day, 2 defs.).

G. Perry: There are always openers for dancers in my festival (ay da in my).

Dr T. G. Powell: In olden times a damsel would always call when in distress (may ’d ay).

W. J. M. Scotland: Monday? Could be, if a year moves on (a y for on in Monday; Mayday 1995 will be a Monday).

P. L. Stone: Woman finally released from many hours of labour when crowning takes place (ma(n)y + day; ref. childbirth, May Queen).

R. C. Teuton: ——? This can supply many yachts aid in distress (comp. anag. & lit.).

G. R. Webb: Batsman and Robin? There’s something wrong from the sound of it (May + Day; ref. cricketer Peter M. and TV presenter Robin D.).

R. J. Whale: United you’ll see blossom with time – that’s when the reds will celebrate (may + day; ref. Manchester United).

HC

G. Adams, M. Barley, E. A. Beaulah, R. C. Bell, Mrs K. Bissett, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, C. J. Brougham, E. J. Burge, B. Burton, C. J. & M. P. Butler, I. Carr, J. & B. Chennells, M. Coates, R. V. Dearden, C. M. Edmunds, E. G. Fletcher, M. Freeman, A. B. Fulton, S. Goldie, G. I. L. Grafton, I. F. & L. M. Haines, P. F. Henderson, R. Hesketh, Dr M. Kelmanson, J. Knott, F. P. N. Lake, R. K. Lumsdon, Mrs J. Mackie, D. F. Manley, P. W. Marlow, K. McDermid, Dr E. J. Miller, C. G. Millin, R. A. Mostyn, F. R. Palmer, J. Pearce, D. Price Jones, Rev E. H. Pyle, H. R. Sanders, D. P. Shenkin, W. K. M. Slimmings, Mrs I. G. Smith, J. B. Sweeting, C. W. Thomas, K. Thomas, R. Tillcock, D. H. Tompsett, Mrs J. Waldren, Mrs M. P. Webber, I. J. Wilcock, Sir David Willcocks, D. Williamson, R. S. A. Wyatt.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS): 1. D. F. Manley • (2 prizes, 9 V.H.C. s) 2. R. J. Hooper (3,6); 3. C. J. Morse (3,5); 4(equal); C. R. Gumbrell (2,6), P. F. Henderson (2,6); 6(equal). T. J. Moorey (0,9), R. S. Morse (3,3); 8(equal) M. Barley (1,6), • R. R. Greenfield (2,4), F. P. N. Lake (2,4); 11(equal). J. R. Beresford (0,7), N. C. Dexter (0,7), J. C. Leyland (1,5), R. K. Lumsdon (3,1), P. L. Stone (1,5); 16(equal). R. Hesketh (1,4), H. W. Masslngham (1,4), F. R. Palmer (1,4); 19(equal); EJ. Burge (0,5), B. Burton (1,3), Dr I. S. Fletcher (0,5) Mrs J. Mackie (1,3); 23 (equal). M. Earle (1,2), R. J. Palmer (1,2), R. C. Teuton (0,4), R. J. Whale (0,4), D. Williamson (0,4), Dr E. Young (1,2).
 
CONSOLATION PRIZES: T. J. Moorey, J. R. Beresford, N. C. Dexter, E. J. Burge, Dr l. S. Fletcher, R. C. Teuton, R. J. Whale, D. WiIIiamson.
 

 
COMMENTS
 
301 entries, and no mistakes, though one or two chose the wrong word to clue (mostly BELTANE). I don’t think that the theme took long to spot for most of you. Many said that the preamble more or less gave the game away and that In any case it was In theory possible to complete the puzzle and clue MAYDAY without really understanding the theme. Perhaps I made things too easy for you with the heavy hints and long anagrams. I still think this was no bad thing. With both the unclued lights and the words they defined being unclued I really felt that the anagrams were necessary for checking purposes. BELTANE, believe it or not, was entirely fortuitous. I didn’t even look it up to see what it meant until I came to write the clues. (As It happens I could have used It as a ninth unchecked light with something in the preamble linking It with the clue-word. For some reason I just didn’t think of that!) Chambers (1993) doesn’t help by spelling MAYDAY as one word and as two words on the same page, but I don’t think anyone was seriously worried by this. (Incidentally, one competitor fell foul of a clear misprint in the new Chambers, using ‘this’ to mean ‘today’. The first definition of ‘today’ In C. should surely read ‘this day’.) Anyway, a fairly easy ‘special’ for once, and one for which I might have expected a bigger entry. I was a little worried that MAYDAY would be an uncongenial word to clue. I needn’t have been. You rose to the occasion splendidly. Congratulations all round, and especially to Dr Young’s brilliantly witty exploitation of double meanings. Does anyone, incidentally, know if these internally rhyming words have a technical name? I consciously restricted myself to words composed of two actual words (in C.), so NIGNOG, HUGGER-MUGGER, etc were out.
 
Congratulations to all those whose names feature on the (22nd) annual honours list, and especially to Mr Manley for narrowly retaining his position at the top. I am, as usual, indebted to Mr Ron Dearden for keeping the score for me during the year In case my maths falters.
 
Some news now of impending changes in the arrangements for the slip. The redoubtable Janet Briggs has left The Observer and is not being replaced. It is proposed to entrust the mailing of the slip to an outside agency and I hope this will ensure a prompt and efficient service. Those who wish to receive the slip will be asked to pay a small annual subscription In return for which they will receive it automatically each month regardless of whether they have competed. Stamped self-addressed envelopes will no longer be required and no special arrangements will be necessary for Azed competitors living abroad. The mailing list should steadily expand and become a useful resource for special occasions like Azed dinners, lunches, the appearance of Azed neckwear, etc. Anyway, watch out for an announcement in The Observer of these new arrangements. I am certainly pleased about the expected benefits they should offer and hope you will feel the same.