British intelligence organisation GCHQ poses a holiday code breaking problem

Britain's GCHQ challenges you to put your skills to the test in their latest decipher competition.

Do you have what it takes to be a spy?

Just to make things a little more interesting, GCHQ will be offering copies of 'Big Bang' the latest book by Simon Singh, the well known mathematician and code expert, to six successful solvers whose names will be drawn from a hat.

Answers should be emailed to pressoffice@gchq.gsi.gov.uk and must be received by Thursday 27 January 2005. After that cut-off date, we will publish a hint to guide those who need some extra help on the understanding that they will not be allowed to submit their solutions for the prize draw.

There are three parts to the solution. What is the connection between the men in the first list and the women in the second list? Which man pairs with which woman? And what is the hidden quotation?

Visit the GCHQ website for the poser.

Thanks to `Seb` for the alert.

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