TV Cream is in the middle of its biggest competition yet: a puzzle trail set in Television Centre to find a mysterious valuable object.

Each day a new clue will be posted on the site that reveals the grid reference of a square in which the treasure is not hidden.

As the days go by you’ll be able to cross off squares on our special map until there are just two left – at which point the final clue will be revealed, and you’ll be in with a chance of winning a slew of prizes, including a complete set of TV Cream tie-in books.

Rather than offer up a brand new Puzzle Trail clue today, instead we’re pausing for breath and recapping all that we’ve learned so far, so you can check to see you’ve crossed off all the right squares.

On day 1 we met Howard Stableford, who revealed the treasure was not in the square that contained the fire escape.

On day 2 Simon Bates told us the treasure was not in the square that shared its grid reference with the name of a single by the Pet Shop Boys.

Des Lynam provided us with the clue on day 3, disclosing that the treasure was not in the square whose grid reference shares its name with a prestigious sporting event that used to be on the BBC, was televised for a few years by ITV, but is now back on the Beeb.

On day 4 Little and Large explained the treasure was not in the square just to the left of the ornate sculpture in the middle of Television Centre’s circular courtyard.

An entry from the diary of Kenneth Williams supplied us with the clue on day 5, revealing that the treasure was not in the square just to the left of the stairwell by the doors at the far end of the first floor of TV Centre.

On day 6 we learned that the treasure was not to be found in the square that shares its grid reference with the first half of the postcode belonging to the London borough of the Big Breakfast house.

Day 7 presented us with the most complex clue so far. The treasure was not in the square that shared a grid reference with the episode in the second series of A Bit of Fry and Laurie that featured a guest appearance from Paul Eddington. For example, if it appeared in the first show of the second series (which it didn’t), the square we’d cross off the map would be A2 (A= first episode, 2 = second series).

The clue for day 8 was rather more straightforward: the treasure was not in the square that had a clock in it.

On day 9 we discovered the treasure was not in the square whose grid reference could be found by taking the first letter of the surname of Bruce Forsyth’s female assistant during his return stint on the Generation Game, and coupling that with the number of times Brucie has left ITV to work for the BBC.

To get the grid reference for day 10‘s square, we had to take the first letter of the only show Lenny Henry has done that has an exclamation mark in the title, and add that to the number of the Style Council album for which Lenny contributed spoken word vocals.

Finally, on day 11 the clue took the form of a sound clip. The name of the band performing the song in question was also the grid reference we had to cross off the map.

It’s not too late to start playing along. You can download and print off your own TV Cream Puzzle Trail map, either as a jpg or pdf. And keep visiting the site every day for more clues.

Happy puzzling!

For the next few weeks TV Cream is running its biggest competition yet: a puzzle trail set in Television Centre to find a mysterious valuable object.

Each day a new clue will be posted on the site that reveals the grid reference of a square on our map in which the treasure is not hidden. As the days go by you’ll be able to cross off squares until there are just two left – at which point the final clue will be revealed, and you’ll be in with a chance of winning a slew of prizes, including a complete set of TV Cream tie-in books.

Today’s clue is of a sporting bent, so who better to deliver it than Desmond Lynam, photographed exclusively for TV Cream earlier today.

CLUE 3

“Hello. So you’ve heard there’s a puzzle trail on?

“Well, let me tell you, I don’t know where the treasure is, but I do know it’s not to be found in the square the shares its name with a very prestigious sporting event – one, moreover, that used to be on the BBC year in year out, then went over to the other side, but is now safely back where it belongs.

“Unlike yours truly, but hey, what’s another year?”

Read clue 2

Read clue 1 and download your own TV Cream Puzzle Trail map

We’ve lined up a Boyd-sized slice of summer entertainment to run on the site over the next few weeks.

Welcome to TV Cream’s Puzzle Trail: a doff of the hat to Clive Doig’s school holiday staple of the early 80s, but also a salute to the greatest building in the world, which turned 50 last month: BBC Television Centre.

Yup, something of immense importance has gone missing within its hallowed walls.

And it’s up to you to find it.

Here’s how the Puzzle Trail works.

Below you’ll see a grid superimposed on Television Centre. The missing object is in one of its 32 squares.

Each day for the next few weeks, a clue will be posted here on the TVC website revealing details of a square in which the object is not to be found.

This information might be in the form of a riddle, an allusion, or simply (like today) as a bit of gossip.

As the Puzzle Trail unfolds and you solve the clues, you’ll be able to cross off one of the squares each day, until there are just two remaining.

At this point the final clue will be posted on the site. The first person to email the correct location of the missing object will win a TV Cream goody bag containing – at the very least – a copy of every single TVC tie-in book (such as this and this… and even this!).

Details of where to email your answer won’t be given until the day of the final clue.

Along the way, clues will also be given as to the nature of the missing object. There’ll be an additional prize for the first person to correctly guess what the object is.

Anyway, that should all be pretty straightforward. All the clues will stay up here on the site, so if you miss one you’ll be able to check back and find it.

So why not print out your TV Cream Puzzle Trail map (jpg and pdf downloads below) and cross off your first square, because here comes…

CLUE ONE

And it’s the form of a piece of correspondence from host of 1983′s Puzzle Trail adventure The Puzzleton Plans, Howard Stableford:

“Hello Puzzlers. Thought I’d help you get started by dropping you a quick line to say there’s no point looking up on the metal fire escape. I tried to hide up there once from an enraged Bruno Brookes, when he discovered Beat The Teacher had been axed. He thought I’d been dropping words of poison in the ear of the DG. I thought the fire escape was a good place to lie low. Bloody hell, you better believe me when I say that’s the last place to try and keep anything hidden. When I got there I found Paul Jones, Simon Bates and Guy Michelmore already there, having an almighty bitching session! Anyway, good luck with the puzzling!”

DOWNLOAD THE TV CREAM PUZZLE TRAIL MAP:

- as a jpg

- as a pdf