No. 488: The winners

Competitors were asked to compose an octet on one of the following subjects: a belated Valentine; a 'Buy British' entreaty to drink English beer instead of imported wines; tele- vising the House of Lords.

Oddly enough the potential comedy value of putting the Lords on the air seems to have escaped most competitors; and no one was very convincing as to why one should eschew the grape for the grain just to please Robert Max- well. On the other hand the majority of com- petitors proved to be extraordinarily expert at turning a forgotten anniversary to memorable advantage, chief amongst them Brian Allgar who wins five guineas:

I sent no Valentine, no lover's 'Hail' To my madonna; now I feel the flail Of your disdain. If I've impaired your pleasure, That you accord me so unkind a measure, May I not hope to melt those eyes of ice

And make amends with this, my love's device?.

O blame me not that I forgot; for by your spell lam enchanted. Through my heart SLAN the sharpest T E D dart from

s bow is

Three guineas to the insouciant Dr W. I. D. Scott :

My love, that primed this heart's tormented

seething—

Chilled on a sudden to marmoreal ice- 1 wot the missive which hath checked thy breathing Is none of mine, nor bears not my device.

Since to another swain thine eye hath slanted, Let this, my Valentine, fill up thy measure:

'I love thee not.' Stay thou by him enchanted; There's wenches yet for me to take my pleasure.

And three guineas to R. Kennard DaVis for a more heartfelt missive:

To you I send this out-of-date device, Hoping to give you some belated pleasure. Too long has winter with his claws of ice Grappled my heart in cold and cruel measure!: But now Love's zephyrs, spring-time fragrance breathing, And Hope's new-waxing sun, more steeply slanted,

Have set within my veins the warm blood

seething.

Make me your Valentine. your slave enchanted!.

The prize of one guinea for identifying Cole- ridge's 'Kubla Khan' goes to Gillian Barritt.