CROSSWORD 1449: Storm-tossed by Columba

A first prize of £30 and a bottle of Graham's award-winning, Late- Bottled Vintage Port for the first correct solution opened on 21 February, with two runners-up prizes of £20 (or, for UK solvers, the latest edition of The Chambers Dictionary — ring the word `Dictionary'). Entries to: Crossword 1449, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

Each of thirty one clues comprises a definition part and a lfdden consecutive jumble of the light including one extra letter; these extras form six words identifying a certain group. Remaining clues are merely cryptic indications. Their solutions are the definitions of six unclued lights. The latter are 6 formed from members of the thematic group.

Name Address ACROSS 1 Objects kept secret? Plenty (8) 8 Some bogus hints (4) 12 Dear starter on menu, heavenly (10) 13 Exclude saboteur (6) 15 Rather ugly old ship, in actuality

(8) 18 Cold periods around river valley

(9)

19 Foreign painters' early periods

(9)

20 Heir authorised by law (4) 21 Easy old theme (4) 24 Ibex — alias mountain climber?

(6) 29 Response to the crime (4) 30 Apparition's prominences (4) 32 Gets worried, beset by wild urges (9) 34 Class, rude to crusty teachers

(9)

37 Film, swell epic — plausible?

(8) 38 Tree in a picture of the Muses

(7)

40 Redecorated room's messy patches (10) 41 Hawk conveys savagery (4) DOWN 2 Pluck out simple souvenir (6) 3 Taxi home (5) 4 Men in villages activated movement in religion (14) 5 Pleasant Australian shrubs (7) 7 What's fiery and responds to sound reproof? Team in vessel (eightsome) (14, two words) 9 Acceptable fool (4) 10 Computer proves reliable (6) 11 Discordant tunes for hearers (6) 17 Measure up the alcove (4) 22 Placed this order (5) 23 Boss ate a prime cut of beef (8) 25 Attack official proceedings (4) 26 Prodigies happen to set records

(8)

28 Monstrous item? So right (7) 30 Secretary left Spain (6) 31 Muddy potion's strangeness (6) 33 Exile — one sorcerer — separate no longer (6) 35 Price list foe undercut (5) 36 Holy books, elevated (4)

Solution to 1446: Ore

The components of CHAL/COPWRITE (2) suggested 35, 42, 31; 1A, 7, 26; and 4, 5D, 15.

First prize: Patricia Cooper, Virginia, USA. Runners-up: Sylvia Jordan, Oxfordshire; R.R. Macleod, Edinburgh.