I have been doing Times crosswords for years and regularly send in completed grids, but have never won the lottery of entries. Does anyone know what the odds are? (I used to take The Independent and send in completed grids and often won - and was able to equip our local primary school with a shelfful of dictionaries and other reference books!!).
I have been runner up on the Sunday Times. Two Cross pens. Bizarrely the first time was my first ever attempt. I have won the Telegraph and been runner up. I did the Observer once when the wife wanted a CD and I did the crossword and won! I have also cracked the Scrabble a couple of times so I guess I am just lucky. It has been over 15 or so years so I could have bought the stuff with my postage stamp money!!
I think it is the sheer numbers that do the times as the Sunday prize is rather valuable. I and some people I know read the telegraph but prefer the times on sundays.
I have never won in over 40 years of fairly regular entries - must be at least 1500 and perhaps nearer 2000. Have won 3 or possibly 4 Mephisto though over same period of time.
Blimey, Dalnek! No hope then! I have only started managing to complete and send in the Mephistos regularly over the past year (having invested in Chamber's) and thought I was among a select few, because they are usually so challenging! Never mind, I do them because I enjoy doing them and am adicted to completing them once I have started, even if I can't possibly spare the time! People like us probably have a personality disorder....!
Yea! I agree about the personality disorder but my wife thinks that's just one of my many faults. However I have won the Mephisto at least 5 times over recent years. I was thinking about having all the wee winner's notifications framed to hang in the downstairs loo but she says that's too vainglorious. It might be useful in an emergency nevertheless.