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Puzzle 57 


I recently asked my friend Alex to buy me some ribbon for my child's bonnet.

Alex went to the haberdashery shop for the required length, but accidentally swapped the feet and inches.

When I measured the resulting ribbon, I only had 5/8 of the length I required.

How much ribbon did I originally ask for?

Remember that there are 12 inches in a foot.

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

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Puzzle 58 


I am a 10-letter word.

My 9, 6, 1, 2 is something a swimmer might do.
My 5, 4, 4, 3 is not that hot really.
My 7, 4, 3, 2 is a long piece of wood.
My 7, 6, 8, 5, 10 is a small part of something.
My 3, 4, 1, 10 is a deep affection.
My 7, 6, 8 is something you can eat.
My whole is an old form of transport.

What am I?

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

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Puzzle 59 


Santa's Little Helpersall logic puzzles

Santa is getting ready, sorting presents, filling sacks and working out his route to make sure he can deliver all his wonderful presents. The trouble is, every year just before Christmas, the reindeer have nothing to do and mostly stand around getting rather bored. They are always asking if they can help but there's nothing they can do until Santa's ready to go.

This year, Santa is prepared for them and he's set them a little challenge to help keep them busy. He's given them the following problem:

Five children from five different families living in five different counties of England have asked for a different gift each. From the clues, the reindeer have to work out who's who, where each child lives and what present each has asked for. The first reindeer to solve the problem gets an extra portion of Christmas pudding on Christmas Day!

Neither Cliff, nor Jennifer Feather (who does not live in Yorkshire), lives in Kent.
Young Crawford, who is neither Sarah nor Cliff, asked for the pony (a gift that Santa would have particular difficulty getting down the Crawford family's chimney!).
Young Rowlands is neither the child who lives in Yorkshire nor the child who has asked for a bicycle.
The gift due for delivery to Cornwall, which is not for the child surnamed Rowlands, is a computer.
Liz, who has asked for the painting set, is not from Kent. Her surname is not Jamison.
The child who lives in Essex has asked for a guitar. Alan lives in Cumbria. First names: Alan, Cliff, Jennifer, Liz, Sarah
Last names : Crawford, Feather, Jamison, Northey, Rowlands
Counties   : Cornwall, Cumbria, Essex, Kent, Yorkshire
Presents   : Bicycle, Computer, Guitar, Painting Set, Pony

Puzzle Copyright © Rodins Ltd

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Puzzle 60 


Place letters into the grid such that every row, column, and 2 x 2 block has letters (in any order) that form a common word. Each letter is only used once, and no letter is repeated in the rows / cols / blocks.

Letters allowed: S C H O O L

Note: this puzzle is not interactive, and the squares cannot be clicked.

Puzzle Copyright © Alan Stillson and Frank Longo

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