Christmas Puzzle 2025
This year's annual Charity Christmas Puzzle has now been posted, and is available to download.
This, the 35th annual Puzzle that Gordon Gray has set, has a theme designed to help completion and will appeal to people who enjoy doing Crossword puzzles, such as in the Daily Telegraph (though it is not a Crossword puzzle). Puzzlers have plenty of time to find the answers and Puzzles should be returned, with donation, by 25 January 2026.
Gordon has posted Puzzles to those on distribution list, so these should be received in the next few days. Anyone else who would like a copy of the Puzzle can access it from the web at www.christmaspuzzle.uk. Alternatively puzzles can be collected from St Mary's Eaton Bray.
All the money you donate, except for the prize-money, will go to charity.
Any corrections will be posted to the blog and to the corrections page.
December 8, 2025 | Permalink | Comment
Reader Comments
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December 8, 2025
,ChrisBob says:2 questions. Line 7, should it say "or" after fertilisers? Also, Line 11, should that be one less letter on the third word? Cheers
December 9, 2025
,Gerry says:Interesting - my brain had read that as "or" anyway! No to the other question. At last a theme we know and not a TV programme or book we have never heard of. Thank you Gordon - Day 1 has been fun and only 2 reference books and no internet so far :-)
December 9, 2025
,Ian Hilton says:Thanks for another intriguing puzzle Gordon. Very saucy this year when I entered naked ladies into Google and got lots of options we won't discuss in genteel public! Also is there one too many dashes for 6C?
December 9, 2025
,Keith Anderson Simmonds says:An exciting puzzle this year, but I'm somewhat at a loss interpreting "The Puzzle's title provides a clue to the starting letters." Having a good stare at this part of it! Keith
December 9, 2025
,Keith Anderson Simmonds says:I fully understand the part of the preamble concerning the starting letters now. Pretty pleasant solving!
December 10, 2025
,Diana Platts says:Brilliant puzzle, as always. However, having almost finished it, I've got 17, not 16 plants. Also, I'm a bit concerned about unconventional spelling in 6c, syntax in 9b, and baffled by 23b
December 10, 2025
,Gordon Gray says:Yes ChrisBob "fertilisers or pesticides"!
December 10, 2025
,janet pointon says:I also have 17 plants, not 16
December 11, 2025
,Gordon Gray says:Diana / Janet. You both have the correct number of plants.
December 12, 2025
,Rik Edwards says:Brilliant quiz as ever, thanks Gordon. But I'm also wondering if there are too many dashes on 6c and 9b?
December 12, 2025
,Gordon Gray says:9b is OK, but I agree wrt to 6c.It would have better been clued 2 dashes BIT 3 dashes.
Update 15-Dec: The downloadable Puzzle (including the emailed version) has been updated to reflect these corrections.