GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD WIN A LUXURY CROSS PEN

ACROSS

5 A usually flat ring of metal or rubber to keep joints or nuts secure (6) 7 An authorised stamp placed on gold and silver articles (8) 9 Blitzen and Comet are among these creatures pulling Santa Claus’s sleigh (8) 10 Dot, EastEnders character played by June Brown (6) 11 Four such creatures feature in the lyrics of The Twelve Days of Christmas song (7,5) 13 Period immediately before the festival of the Nativity (6) 15 The _ _ _ _ _ _ , term for the four most prestigious events in professional golf (6) 18 A dummy animal chased by racing greyhounds (8,4) 21 Marcelo, Argentinian manager of Leeds United FC (6) 22 Spring flowers of plants that bear fruit with stones or seeds (8) 23 Bodies of troops consisting of a group of battalions (8) 24 Fernando, Spanish ex-Formula One racing driver and two-time world champion (6)

DOWN

1 A kind of velvety cord used in trimming and bordering dresses and furniture (8) 2 Hapless buffoon played by Rowan Atkinson, who first appeared in 1990 (2,4) 3 A thin flat piece of metal or plastic held in the hand and used to pluck the strings of a guitar (8) 4 The _ _ _ _ _ _ , English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982 whose lead vocalist was Morrissey (6) 6 Capital of the state of South Australia (8) 7 Frank, English businessman who invented the Meccano model construction system in 1898 (6) 8 Any one of four chess pieces occupying the corner squares at the beginning of a game (4) 12 Ancient galleys with three ranks of oars one above another (8) 14 British children’s comic magazine launched in 1937 that featured Desperate Dan (3,5) 16 Brian, English radio cricket commentator noted for his on-air banter and humour (8) 17 Una, actress who played Rita Rawlins in the TV sitcom In Sickness and in Health (6) 18 A set oration in honour of a deceased person (6) 19 A line on a meteorological chart showing conditions of equal pressure (6) 20 A breakwater or mole (4) SOLUTION TOMORROW