Christmas Crossword competition - answers and winners

Cryptic solution: Across: 1 Glad Tidings Of Great Joy I Bring, 15 Glade, 16 Rover, 17 A Christmas Carol, 18 Castle, 19 Loose 20 Abase, 21 Steeple, 23 Orchestrating, 26 Sackbuts, 28 Grit, 30 Shetland Islands, 33 Light, 34 Imbue, 35 Rhomb, 37 Inculcated, 40 Elopement, 42 Assurance, 43 Competed, 44 Beatific, 47 Instance, 49 Startles, 50 Charmaine, 53 Erudition, 55 Persistent, 56 Night, 58 Ashen, 59 Prone, 60 Hair Conditioner, 63 Dill, 64 Trachoma, 65 Generalissimo, 69 Detract, 71 Ernst, 72 Grist, 73 Braise, 75 Throw In The Cards, 76 Union, 77 Ivory, 78 Sire He Lives A Good League Hence.

Down: 1 Gage, 2 Avalanche, 3 Trestle, 4 Dirge, 5 Novella, 6, Sartorial, 7 Flare, 8 Rehearses, 9 Animalcule, 10 Jitter Bugged, 11 Years, 12, Backer, 13 Irreparable, 14 Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 22 Conservative Candidates, 24 Tension, 25 Gendarmerie, 27 Tetrode, 29 Divertimenti, 31 Libertarians, 32 Inches, 36 Ousts, 38 Locate, 39 Everlasting, 41 Sepsis, 45, Fling, 46 Screen, 48 Clipper, 51 Ant Hill, 52 Anton Chekhov, 54 Upholsterer, 57 Reconnects, 60 Hearth Rug, 61 Continual, 62 Nails Down, 66 Retsina, 67 Spanish, 68 Yahweh, 70 Tonal, 72 Gusto, 73 Bantu, 74 Byre.

Concise solution: Across: 1 Dissolution Of The Monasteries, 15 Tenet, 16 Saint, 17 Self Development, 18 Aghast, 19 Gabby, 20 Molar, 21 Risotto, 23 Negative Poles, 26 Overhang, 28 Style, 30 Electric Shavers 33 Salvo, 34 Thorn, 35 Litre, 37 Enamellist, 40 Solecisms, 42 Guncotton, 43 Prologue, 44 Estimate, 47 Noontide, 49 Trekkers, 50 Stretcher, 53 Exemplary, 55 Broadsword, 56 At Sea, 58 Extol, 59 Final, 60 Fellow Traveller, 63 Aunt, 64 Editions, 65 Draughtboards, 69 Travail, 71 Eases, 72 Mogul, 73 Latent, 75, Experimentalist, 76 Agent, 77 Often, 78 The Importance Of Being Earnest.

Down: 1 Date, 2 Synagogue, 3 Outcast, 4 Upset, 5 Icing Up, 6 Notabilia, 7 Fussy, 8 Hale Moons, 9 Middle East 10 Nevertheless, 11 Solar, 12 Expose, 13 Ice Stations, 14 Set Someone's Fears At Rest, 22 Intelligence Department, 24 Vainest, 25 Steelworker, 27 Noodles, 29 Stock In Trade, 31 The North Pole, 32 Swains, 36 Tango, 38 Expert, 39 Stonewalled, 41 Pulses, 45 Aphis, 46 Escort, 48 Dwarfed, 51 Radiant, 52 Tying The Knot, 54 Eating Apple, 57 Bloodstain, 60 Fish Slice, 61 Orangeade, 62 Lorgnette, 66 Galleon, 67 Outdoor, 68 Marram, 70 Limbo, 72 Motif, 73 Lathe, 74 Gnat.

Winners: The two first prizes, copies of the A & C Black, OUP Who's Who 1897-1996 on CD-Rom, were won by I Matheson of Stornoway and Mrs E Kelly of Purley. Runners-up, receiving the new Oxford Dictionary of Quotations:: J Goodyear, Chardstock; C & C Blare, St Andrews; K McAndrews, Heaton; Mr J Wood, Ulverston; Mrs M Kinch, Bradford-on-Avon; Alan Scott, Scotstoun; G Price, Aberystwyth; Reginald Kilby, Coventry; Mr & Mrs R Stumbles, Llandrindod Wells; Francis Fitzgibbon, London NW5; Mrs E Harrington, London SE8; Mrs Gloria Fagg, Strumpshaw; R Luker, Caterham; A Horton, Maidenhead; Mr & Mrs P Reynolds, Morriston; P Finn, Gravesend; Tina Dixon, Warmington; J Atherton, Burwell; C Bloomfield, St Albans; Mr J Francis, Cucufield.

Children's puzzle

Solution: Across: 1 Tortoise, 5 Puppet, 9 Meatball, 10 Sponge, 11 Hoist, 12 Interrupt, 14 Watership Down, 17 Fostermothers, 20 Gone to sea, 21 Opera, 22 Spider, 23 Judoists, 24 Insist, 25 Peter Pan.

Down: 1 Tomahawk, 2 Realist, 3 Orbit, 4 Selfishness, 6 Uppermost, 7 Penguin, 8 Twenty, 13 Tape measure, 15 Rose trees, 16 Assassin, 17 Fancies, 18 Evens up, 19 Agassi, 21 Ozone.

Winners: The first prize, a copy of the nine volume Oxford Children's Encyclopaedia, was won by Sarah Cooper, Chetwynd Middle School, Nuneaton. Runners-up, receiving The Young Oxford History of Britain and Ireland: Ben Watson, King's School, Cambridge; James Colville, Raughton Head Primary School; Amy Hodgson, Heron Hill School, Kendal; Jonathan Moore, Trinity Middle School, Newport; Charlotte Aitchison, Heathside School, Weybridge.