Reinterred: A Celebration Cryptic Crossword Clue

A little while back we got an unusual request on TimesforTheTimes....

"I am a recent convert to the Times' cryptic crossword - and am an enthusiastic (although not yet very good!) cruciverbalist. My boyfriend turned me on to your crosswords and he is a huge fan.

We are coming up to our one year anniversary and I want to get him something special to celebrate. I have been trying to work out how I might create a cryptic clue which would lead him to the word 'anniversary' to go on the present I am making him, but as I mentioned I am pretty hopeless.

I know this is a very cheeky ask, but I wondered if you might be able to help with a cryptic clue that I could pass to him to solve? He would be so pleased, it would really make his summer!

Kind regards,

Mari Burton"

I got some clue writing friends to see what they could come up with and then replied to Mari...

"ANNIVERSARY is not an answer that comes up in cryptic crosswords much – it doesn’t appear at all in a database of over ½ million cryptic crossword clues. It has come up twice in Times crosswords in the last couple of years, the pick of them being

Do for admiral’s first five years in RN? (11) This is an &lit clue, meaning the whole clue is both a definition and wordplay. The anagram is indicated by “do for”, and the fodder is Admiral’s first A plus five V, plus YEARS IN RN.

And from my crossword pals (with their TimesforTheTimes pseudonyms)

From Sawbill (one of my fellow Weekend Quick Cryptic compilers)

Unexpectedly arrive, say, with news of celebration (11) Anagram of ARRIVE+SAY +NN ( new twice; news).

From Astonvilla1

Year after three girls cut short a celebration (11). The three girls being ANNI{e} VER{a} and SAR{a}, followed by YR (year).

From Galspray in Australia

Promiscuous Nirvana years? Not a time to commemorate (11) An anagram of NIRVANA YE{a}RS without the A. Mind you he does qualify it with “Not an ideal clue given the context of this context. Lol.

From Johninterred (i.e. me) thinking about where you might celebrate…

Celebration in a retro hostelry with utter charm right inside (11) - A, INN reversed -> NNI, SA (sex appeal; charm) R (right) in VERY (utter)

I hope you find one you like. Do let us know what you choose and whether your boyfriend manages to solve it… and a photo of the two of you would be nice".

Mari's reply was...

"Hi John,

Thank you so much for coming back to me so quickly and with so many options! These are all really brilliant - I had no idea 'anniversary' was such a rare word in crosswords.

I have to say I like the Nirvana one, although Galspray may be right in terms of suitability...! I'm having an LP pressed for him with a number of different songs that mean something to him, and I think the one you've created would make an excellent album cover (I particularly like the 'utter charm' clue), so this one feels like the one for me. Once I've got the album made up I will certainly send you a photo and let you know whether he works it out. Our one year isn't until July, so I have a few weeks to get everything sorted.

Sorry for my delayed reply - I am a campaigns manager at a trade union so yesterday's general election news made it impossible to check my email...!

Thank you again for your help with this, I hugely appreciate it and Rob will be absolutely thrilled. Please do pass on my thanks to the rest of your crossword pals for their excellent suggestions.

All the best,

Mari"

Yesterday I got a further reply from Mari.

"Dear John,

I wanted to get in touch to thank you again for all your help with my boyfriend’s one year anniversary present. He was delighted with his album and absolutely loved working out the clue- which he did manage! I’ve shown him the other suggestions too and he’s really enjoyed going through them.

I’ve attached a photo of the album I had made up for him where you’ll be able to see your clue on display! I’ve also attached a photo from our holiday to Greece last week- where we got engaged!

It’s all very exciting and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your help with making our first anniversary so special.

Thanks again,

Mari"