CROSSWORD NO 1,894 ★ £500 TO BE WON

TO ENTER Complete the crossword and count how many times the letter ‘A’ appears in the grid. Text YOU followed by a space, your answer (the number of ‘A’s) and name to 65700, eg, YOU 9 Sue Smith. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network rate. Or telephone 0905 652 2141 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company’s network access charge. Or post your entry to

YOU Crossword No 1,894, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries will be accepted until 11.59pm on Friday 1 March. One random winner from all correct entries will win £250 and five runners-up will win £50 each. If you enter after the closing date you will not be included but may still be charged. Phone and text helpline: 0330 100 0601. Winners will be notified by phone within 14 days. Solution in two weeks.

ACROSS

6 Town in Greater Manchester where Wanderers find a home (6)

7 False teeth (8)

9 Thickening agent (4)

11 Type of pastry (10)

12 Ham for a reactionary man? (6)

13 US state (5)

14 One of the original clubs in the 17, 4,

19 down (7)

16 Ian or Sir Alexander (7)

18 _____Villa: one of the original clubs in the 17, 4, 19 down (5)

19 Introverts (6)

20 Fairytale character who also has her own pantomime (10)

21 Mythological nymph spurned by Narcissus (4)

22 Whole

numbers (8) 23 Bearlike (6)

DOWN

1 Well done – as Sir Cliff would sing! (15)

2 Complete agreement, harmony (6)

3 Pregnancy

resulting in the abnormal development of a fertilised egg outside the cavity of the uterus (7)

4 See 17 down

5 One of the original clubs in the 17, 4, 19 down (7,5,3)

8 Production (11)

10 Type of firework (5,6)

15 Secured money by intimidation (8) 17 (and 4, 19 down) Organisation founded in 1888 (7,8,6)

19 See 17 down