SIR LANCELOT AND HIS PAGE

PLAY ISPY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £250!

Every week our gallant knight engages in an amiable joust with his Page. They provide different clues that give the same answers. Sir Lancelot gives the Cryptic Clues and his Page the Quick Clues. Now join them in a game of iSpy for your chance to win £250! Answers next Sunday.

SIR LANCELOT’S CRYPTIC CLUES

Across 9 Monarchy initially collapsed, worn out (5) 10 Unwilling shout about clue solved on time (9) 11 Speed confused with speed – hopeless (9) 12 Caught strange bishop having little food (5) 13 Mean to study broken toe (6) 14 Lose temper at team? Quite the reverse (4,4) 16 These days, some poetry is hostile (7) 18 Reviewed it – a goal – that’s a pain (7) 20 Get a new ring first, but it’ll cost you (8) 22 Friends getting in shape (6) 25 Cross supplier tore off after five (5) 26 Initial mistake by someone in the field (5,4) 28 Least smooth change? Shorten it (9) 29 Contempt for small crop (5) Down

1 Missile starts to show change under duress (4)

2 Firm employing last missing relative (6)

3 Broke trance, so he was earlier (8)

4 Money for a cob, say (5) 5 Depressed by family that’s noble (4,5)

6 Diamonds reach limit in polar region (3,3)

7 Tugs nail out when it’s hailing (8)

8 Reliable team improved fellow worker (10)

13 Disconnect and evade tacit arrangement (10)

15 Guaranteed if recited in a different way (9)

17 Will some electricity include one bit of charge? (8) 19 Rigorous experiment gets a group of detectives on trial (4,4)

21 Leaving to catch end of ear-piercing (6)

23 Casino’s initial permit was green (6)

24 Bully gets English champagne for starters (5)

27 Piece of glass is a nuisance, by the sound of it (4)

TO ENTER: Complete the Crossword and count how many times the letter ‘i’ appears in the grid. Then text LANCELOT followed by a space, your answer, name and postcode to 65700, eg LANCELOT 9 John Smith W8 5TT. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network rate. To enter by phone, call 0905 652 2140 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company’s network access charge. Entries will be accepted until 11.59pm on Friday. See below for terms and conditions. Phone and text Helpline 0330 1000 601. ISpy winner December 22: P.K. Bradley, of Leeds. iSpy winner December 29: Mrs Laurie Partridge, of Oakham, Rutland. Last week’s answer: 10