‘Never eat an oyster unless there’s an R in the month’ (Brewer). Eight unclued lights (in appropriate order) start with abbreviations of the months said to be safe for OSTREOPHAGES (1): SEPTIME (18), OCTANDRIA (26), NOVICE (34), DECELERATING (43), JANIFORM (11), FEBRIFACIENT (13), MARION (19D) and APRICOT (28).
 
First prize Dennis Cotterell, Carlisle
Runners-up Peter Tanner, Hertford; Neville Twickel, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire