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The annual St John PB Christmas crossword – politicalbetting.com

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  • SandraMcSandraMc Posts: 820
    17 across Abbacy
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 2,186
    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    Merry Christmas to all PBers, left, right and centre.

    I won't even attempt the crossword as I'm hopeless at them.

    I'm looking forward to eating some sprouts, but not to having to peel them.

    Pro tip: frozen sprouts.
    Further pro tip - say the dog ate them and then you don't need to prepare or eat them.
    Sprouts do seem a bit bitter this year (maybe not enough frosts?) when i boiled them for our early Christmas dinner on Saturday, so I roasted the remaining sprouts with some chopped streaky bacon , a few mixed herbs and a drizzle of olive oil for 30 min or so with the Christmas Eve ham. They were much nicer and noticeably sweeter by being mildly caramalised.

    Happy Christmas to all!
    Thanks for the tip. Just found some bacon in the freezer to add to the sprouts.
  • stjohnstjohn Posts: 1,935
    Yes, ABBACY: Old Westminster office.

    Dissolved by Henry VIII. CAB (taxi) reversing inside A (area) + BY (near)

    Just 21 down to do (Clued as 22 down)
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 2,186
    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Your reading matter for during the boring bits of the film this afternoon.

    A review of a £525 per person 4 hour 5 course Christmas Dinner trip around the Kent Countryside on the British Pullman, with bells and whistles. By Gary of Youtube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw1KM9qTK4o

    (Nicely done, but I'm slightly struggling to see the point TBH. I would do something else with my £525 per person.)

    Checking, Gary had the First Class version, which is £1080 per person.
    Was that the wine waiter having to read the label?

    You often see that train on the southern lines in Kent so it's not just Xmas. Pass if the destination is Ramsgate or Dover, but Folkestone is beginning to look a bit better now down by the old ferry port. Some expensive property being added too.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 76,593
    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Your reading matter for during the boring bits of the film this afternoon.

    A review of a £525 per person 4 hour 5 course Christmas Dinner trip around the Kent Countryside on the British Pullman, with bells and whistles. By Gary of Youtube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw1KM9qTK4o

    (Nicely done, but I'm slightly struggling to see the point TBH. I would do something else with my £525 per person.)

    Checking, Gary had the First Class version, which is £1080 per person.
    Blimey. That's a lot.

    Heck, that's nearly @TSE's budget for a new pair of trainers.
  • GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 22,984
    Merry Christmas PB.

    Have a lovely day everyone
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 8,083
    ydoethur said:

    MattW said:

    MattW said:

    Your reading matter for during the boring bits of the film this afternoon.

    A review of a £525 per person 4 hour 5 course Christmas Dinner trip around the Kent Countryside on the British Pullman, with bells and whistles. By Gary of Youtube.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw1KM9qTK4o

    (Nicely done, but I'm slightly struggling to see the point TBH. I would do something else with my £525 per person.)

    Checking, Gary had the First Class version, which is £1080 per person.
    Blimey. That's a lot.

    Heck, that's nearly @TSE's budget for a new pair of trainers.
    I'm always thankful for avid train enthusiasts, because they fund all the stuff casual train admirers like me then get to see for free.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 53,629
    Waiting for the Xmas Day ferry to North Island; the wind is *****y freezing this morning.

    Merry Xmas everyone!
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 4,346
    Merry Christmas all, hope everyone has a great day.
  • SandraMcSandraMc Posts: 820
    21 down inside
  • stjohnstjohn Posts: 1,935
    Yes! INSIDE meaning Secret.

    IN (Home) + S (Secretary’s initial) + IDE(A) (plan, not keeping A)

  • SandraMcSandraMc Posts: 820
    Thanks for the crossword . Great fun.
    .
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,891
    stjohn said:

    So that's a wrap!

    Much better communal solving this year than last year. Many thanks to all who contributed. It's greatly appreciated.

    Thanks once again to TSE, Robert and Mike for allowing me to continue this annual tradition. Until next year then.

    That's all folks!

    Damn, some of us have only just woken up!
  • stjohnstjohn Posts: 1,935

    Gave two moving pictures (6)

    Just got it.

    GIFTED (GIF and TED). Very nice.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 34,396
    The Secret System That WON England The World Cup | 1966 World Cup Final Tactical Analysis
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBK5GlXk00k

    Now the crossword is over, here is a tactical analysis of the 1966 World Cup.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,348
    Happy Christmas one and all
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 57,040
    A reminder that Father Christmas travels by train when in the UK...

    realtimetrains.co.uk

    1X01 23:45
    North Pole International to North Pole International
    24/12/2025
  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 7,712
    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    Merry Christmas to all PBers, left, right and centre.

    I won't even attempt the crossword as I'm hopeless at them.

    I'm looking forward to eating some sprouts, but not to having to peel them.

    Pro tip: frozen sprouts.
    Further pro tip - say the dog ate them and then you don't need to prepare or eat them.
    Sprouts do seem a bit bitter this year (maybe not enough frosts?) when i boiled them for our early Christmas dinner on Saturday, so I roasted the remaining sprouts with some chopped streaky bacon , a few mixed herbs and a drizzle of olive oil for 30 min or so with the Christmas Eve ham. They were much nicer and noticeably sweeter by being mildly caramalised.

    Happy Christmas to all!
    I'm going down the Riverside Night Market and having oysters, and them what takes my fancy for a main course
  • Penddu2Penddu2 Posts: 817

    Pro tip for you all.


    With AI it is much easier to remove people on the inside as well...
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 57,040
    It's Christmas, TSE. It's the time of miracles :lol:
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 57,040
    stjohn said:

    So that's a wrap!

    Much better communal solving this year than last year. Many thanks to all who contributed. It's greatly appreciated.

    Thanks once again to TSE, Robert and Mike for allowing me to continue this annual tradition. Until next year then.

    That's all folks!

    Finished already? I only just (re-)joined the thread!

    Hope everyone has a Wonderful Christmas Day!

    Earlier on, my 5 y.o. Nephew already had a temper tantrum after Sister-in-law told him to hurry up with breakfast - but now that he's opened his presents he's in a more playful mood :lol:
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,348

    stjohn said:

    So that's a wrap!

    Much better communal solving this year than last year. Many thanks to all who contributed. It's greatly appreciated.

    Thanks once again to TSE, Robert and Mike for allowing me to continue this annual tradition. Until next year then.

    That's all folks!

    Finished already? I only just (re-)joined the thread!

    Hope everyone has a Wonderful Christmas Day!

    Earlier on, my 5 y.o. Nephew already had a temper tantrum after Sister-in-law told him to hurry up with breakfast - but now that he's opened his presents he's in a more playful mood :lol:
    Ah, temper tantrums. The true spirit of a family Christmas...
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 24,057
    Sprouts prepared.

    Next on the agenda - dog walk.

    Well done to those who solved the crossword. My brain doesn't work in the right way.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 46,114
    Scott_xP said:

    Happy Christmas one and all

    Except ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and all who sail in him.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 34,396
    edited 11:46AM
    How to do the annual St John/PB crossword if you don't know how to do crosswords (like me):-
    1. Start early while there is still low-hanging fruit
    2. Look for anything that might be an anagram
    3. Sleep while the pro's get on with the hard 80 per cent
    4. Look for clues where half the letters are already there, and guess the rest
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 57,040

    A reminder that Father Christmas travels by train when in the UK...

    realtimetrains.co.uk

    1X01 23:45
    North Pole International to North Pole International
    24/12/2025

    https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:S73184/2025-12-24/detailed
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 34,396
    Are We Using the Wrong Kind Of Electricity?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFA4hyVpCQ4

    The recent rise of DC.
  • sladeslade Posts: 2,311
    Felicitations to all.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,348

    Scott_xP said:

    Happy Christmas one and all

    Except ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and all who sail in him.
    https://x.com/Heccles94/status/2003733479000080848?s=20
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 31,034
    Thanks for the crossword St John. Merry Christmas to all.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 13,429
    So we should have a competition of who got the worst present. I start with an advantage as we have a tradition in our household of buying duff presents. My best was a duck shaped toilet bush and holder for my wife and a step ladder.

    This year my wife won. One of my presents was clearly a pair of bottles of red. She has often bought me a Barolo , so I opened in anticipation. It was 2 commercial sized (wine bottle size) bottles of Lea and Perrin's. I love L&P, but I was gutted.

    Bravo Mrs kjh.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 31,532
    Merry Thing everyone!
  • BlancheLivermoreBlancheLivermore Posts: 7,184
    Do we thank Saint John, or Sinjun?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 47,226
    Back from walkies and local pond. Visiting water rail popping out and in of the reeds to collect its Christmas lunch of escargot sauvage, supervised 10 yards away by a birdwatcher with a camera almost as long.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 34,396
    kjh said:

    So we should have a competition of who got the worst present. I start with an advantage as we have a tradition in our household of buying duff presents. My best was a duck shaped toilet bush and holder for my wife and a step ladder.

    This year my wife won. One of my presents was clearly a pair of bottles of red. She has often bought me a Barolo , so I opened in anticipation. It was 2 commercial sized (wine bottle size) bottles of Lea and Perrin's. I love L&P, but I was gutted.

    Bravo Mrs kjh.

    I got a bar of soap.

    They might be trying to tell me something. Actually, in order to describe it on PB, I've taken a closer look and it is soap-free soap.

    So I've got a tiny bar of soap-free soap whose “invigorating aroma” is making me cough.
    https://www.rituals.com/en-gb/rituals-sport-shampoo-body-bar-1115513.html
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 47,226

    kjh said:

    So we should have a competition of who got the worst present. I start with an advantage as we have a tradition in our household of buying duff presents. My best was a duck shaped toilet bush and holder for my wife and a step ladder.

    This year my wife won. One of my presents was clearly a pair of bottles of red. She has often bought me a Barolo , so I opened in anticipation. It was 2 commercial sized (wine bottle size) bottles of Lea and Perrin's. I love L&P, but I was gutted.

    Bravo Mrs kjh.

    I got a bar of soap.

    They might be trying to tell me something. Actually, in order to describe it on PB, I've taken a closer look and it is soap-free soap.

    So I've got a tiny bar of soap-free soap whose “invigorating aroma” is making me cough.
    https://www.rituals.com/en-gb/rituals-sport-shampoo-body-bar-1115513.html
    Activated charcoal? That's the sort of stuff they put in MOPP-3 gasmasks and NBC body suits. Sure dropping a hint?
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