The puzzle marked the bicentenary of Charles Kingsley, born on 12 June 1819. The extra letters from wordplay spelt out the full title of his children’s novel, The Water-Babies, a Fairy Tale for a Land Baby. The characters in the perimeter of the grid were Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid, Mother Carey, Ellie, Grimes and Tom.
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation [extra letter] |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 8 | EMPTION | ([T]EMPT + ON) around I |
| 9 | PAOLI | [H]O in PALI |
| 11 | ODOUR | OD[E] + OUR |
| 12 | SANIES | IE in S[W]ANS |
| 13 | PRAM | P[A]RA + M |
| 14 | RHEIN | (IN [T]HE + R) * |
| 15 | STOP-GO | STOOG[E] * around P |
| 16 | MEANT | [R]ANT after ME |
| 18 | GAUNT | [B]UN in GAT |
| 21 | DRIES | DI[A]RIES − I(slamic) |
| 23 | AMISH | AM + [B]ISH |
| 24 | OEDEMA | ((v)[I]DEO (g)AME) * |
| 27 | LADLE | ((personn)EL D[E]AL(s)) < |
| 29 | TRAD | [S]TRAD |
| 30 | NEEDER | (ED + E) in NE[A]R |
| 32 | VILLA | (ci)VIL [F]LA(g) |
| 33 | ETENS | E[A]T + ENS |
| 34 | OVERSEA | (A VERS[I]ON) * with E for N |
| Down | ||
| 1 | OMRAH | (p)O(g)[R](o)M(s) R(e)A(c)H |
| 2 | ÉTUI | [Y]ETI around U |
| 3 | BIDENT | BID + [T]ENT |
| 4 | ANDES | AND + SE[A] < |
| 5 | SPOUT | SP + [L]OUT |
| 6 | YAUPON | P[E]ONY * around AU |
| 7 | ULLAGES | [F]ULL + AGES |
| 10 | KNEAD | DAK < around [O]NE |
| 11 | OSAGE | [R]OSE around AG |
| 17 | EMERITI | MERIT in ([A]IDE − D) < |
| 19 | ASANA | (he)A[L]S AN A(ilment) |
| 20 | TIDDY | DIT < + D[A]Y |
| 22 | REDING | RE[N]DING |
| 23 | A LEVEL | (LEVE + LA[D]) < |
| 25 | MULSE | MULE around S[B] |
| 26 | AULOI | OI in AUL[A] |
| 28 | LEVEE | [B]EVEL < + E |
| 31 | ÉIRE | I in E[Y]RE |