Christmas Puzzle 2004

Posted on March 4, 2005

My thanks to everyone in the villages who took part in, or donated to, my annual Christmas Puzzle. The 2004 Puzzle raised £3,010 - as a result I was able to donate £300 to each of WorkAid, Skillshare and Friends of the Animals and £2,110 to St Luke's Hospice, Harrow & Brent. For the first time the puzzle went 'international' with entries from Cyprus and from France. Of the 234 entries received 39 submitted a perfect solution scoring 120 marks, including Viv and Mel Grundy and Liz Constable from our villages.

A draw to identify prize winners was held on 30 January in St Mary's Church, Eaton Bray. Four winners were selected at random - each receives a cheque for £20. They were: Alex Cornock from Butlers Cross near Aylesbury, Margaret Cotterill from Littleover in Derbyshire, Helen Cullum from Alton in Hants and Robert Norman from Luton.

The other prize winner selected at random from all entries recieved was Mrs Chris Burrows from the Wirral, who scored 119½. She, too, recieves a cheque for £20.

This year's donations bring the total money raised by the Puzzle to £18,065. Thanks to everyone who has supported the activity over the years. Next year's puzzle, with a theme based on a poem, is already set and ready for distribution. I expect to put it in the post on 8 December from whic dat it will be possible to download the puzzle from the website: www.christmaspuzzle.co.uk
Gordon Gray

Source: Focus, March 2005