Crossword and Sudoku brain-teasers.
ACROSS
1 Artist and stained glass designer who painted Sidonia von Bork 1560, The Beguiling of Merlin and The Golden Stairs; one of the last PreRaphaelites (5-5)
6 Fresh, powdered, crystallised or preserved in syrup, a spice derived from a rhizome used to flavour biscuits, treacle tarts, cakes, curries and sushi (6)
10 Used for topiary, hedging, longbows and woodworking, a native evergreen tree with red arils found in beech woodlands and churchyards (3)
13 Jacket of a book; the top sheet, blanket or quilt of a bed; a place setting at a restaurant table/formal dinner; or, a thicket used as a shelter by game (5)
14 Sharp ridge of rock between glacial valleys, such as the one linking Scotland’s Càrn Mòr Dearg and Ben Nevis (5)
15 An area of rolling chalk hills and woodlands where much of Midsomer Murders was filmed; one of the 38 AONBs in England and Wales (9) 16 Musician and hypnotist in George du Maurier’s 1895 novel Trilby (8)
17 Forelimb of a whale, seal or turtle adapted for swimming; a television series about a dolphin; a swimfin; or, an arm of a pinball machine (7)
18 Interior decorator and fabric designer who redecorated Clarence House and Highgrove for the Prince of Wales (4)
21 English author whose works include the autobiography Goodbye to All That, historical novel I, Claudius and extended essay The White Goddess (6)
22 Artist whose The Ambassadors depicts Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve with items including a globe, anamorphic skull and a lute with a broken string (7)
23 Abbreviation of an arts charity that awards mask-shaped trophies (5)
27 Item associated with Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing (4)
29 Alloy used for fireplaces, companion sets and Le Creuset cookware (4,4) 30 The _______ Patient; Michael Ondaatje novel adapted into a film with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (7)
33 From the Italian meaning “hunter”, a tomato, rosemary and garlic-based sauce for chicken or rabbit (10)
34 Toy with a series of cogs for creating geometric patterns and designs (10)
37 Roman name for Odysseus; a poem in blank verse by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; or, a novel by James Joyce (7)
38 Gorge on the Danube with two dams and two hydroelectric power plants (4,4)
39 Rugby player who became the youngest ever All Black when he played his first international in 1994 aged 19 (4)
41 With the capital Beijing and ruled by emperor Puyi from 1908-12, the world’s most populous country (5)
43 Known as Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, son of Henry III who ruled as king from 1272-1307 (6,1)
44 Style of brown leather shoe with a pattern of perforations, originally Scottish or Irish for outdoor wear (6)
49 In dendrochronology, a part of the crosssection of a tree trunk representing a single year’s growth; or, an identity tag placed around a bird’s leg (4)
50 The _______ of King George; film with an all-star cast including Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren and Ian Holm (7)
51 Cartoonist whose books include Angels on Horseback, A Leg at Each Corner and This Desirable Plot (8)
55 Publications highlighting and commemorating a school’s annual events, achievements and activities (9)
56 Up-and-_____; a garryowen in rugby (5)
57 The Sky at _____; astronomy documentary presented by Patrick Moore for more than 50 years (5)
58 English actress whose roles include Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall, the Queen in The Crown and Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider’s Web (3)
59 Alternative word for a catwalk; or, a strip for aircraft to land and take off (6)
60 Formal parterre consisting of plants arranged in symmetrical patterns (4,6)
DOWN
1 Male deer, hares and rabbits (5)
2 French _______; the Cote d’Azur(7)
3 Bergamot-flavoured black tea named after the title of a prime minister (4,4)
4 Lady ______; Margaret Atwood novel (6)
5 Markings on a peacock’s tail feathers; holes in needles; or, the calm regions at the centre of hurricanes or storms (4)
7 Christopher Nolan science fiction film with Leonardo DiCaprio (9)
8 African country, capital Conakry (6)
9 The ____ London; Mayfair hotel renowned for traditional afternoon tea (4)
10 Rival/opponent of the Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses (7)
11 Setting of Thomas Hardy’s novels (6)
12 Flower known as a Christmas rose (9)
19 Hat traditionally worn at a regatta (6)
20 Artist who painted The Starry Night and several representations of irises (3,4)
21 One of a set of 14 items carried in a bag by a caddie (4,4)
24 Breed of toy dog sometimes crossed with a shih tzu (7)
25 Bookseller who took over the editorship of The New Peerage from John Almon and put his own name to it (7)
26 Another name for Christ Church, a constituent college of Oxford (3,5)
28 Actor who starred as Radagast in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (5)
31 US Gem State bordered by the Treasure State and the Silver State (5)
32 English rower who won four consecutive Olympic gold medals, three of them with Steve Redgrave (7)
35 Type of tiered tower or temple (6)
36 Element with the symbol K (9)
38 Island nation, capital Jakarta (9)
40 Country formerly called Ceylon (3,5)
42 Nation where goulash originated (7)
45 Actor remembered for Shakespearean roles as well as films including Arthur and Gandhi (7) 46 Dutch footballer who won the Ballon d’Or three times in the 1970s (6)
47 Shallow body of water separated from the sea by a sand bank or coral reef (6)
48 Hindi name for India (6)
52 _____ Quarter; area in Paris around the Sorbonne and a series of busy bistros (5)
53 German word meaning over/above; or, a transportation network company (4)
54 Winston Churchill’s deputy who was prime minister during the Suez Crisis (4) A sudoku grid has a 9x9 grid that is further subdivided into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve the puzzle, each of the rows, columns and 3x3 boxes should contain all the digits from 1 to 9. The solution to this puzzle will be published in next week’s issue. Solutions will be given next week. The last date for entries is January 1. The winner of this crossword will be announced on January 11. The winner of the December 14 crossword is