The *Oldie* said our idea was rubbish and that what the world needed was to lose a letter rather than gain one. Despite this, 2,500 people agreed with us, giving the judges a really hard time. Some of the entries were foolish, some audacious and some wildly and splendidly original. Thank you all for your ingenuity and for the very considerable use of your time. When the winning entry, David Guthrie’s ‘lol’, becomes established in the language, we can all say we had a hand in it. I cannot step down without mentioning the entry from a person from Wick, in the far north of Scotland, who wrote to say that what was really needed was a letter to represent the ‘ch’ in ‘loch’ as Scots pronounce it. But then he said no more — which was a pity.
My thanks and best wishes,
Prof. Phil Cleaver Chairman of the Judges
The Winner - David Guthrie from Manchester
© David Guthrie
The following were short-listed by the judges
M+R from Didcot
© M+R
Alessia Mazzarella from Reading
© Alessia Mazzarella
Lyubov Jarvie from Stroud
© Lyubov Jarvie