Hi barrycat. I hadn't noticed that the Daily Record £500 crossword is now only £200 until I read your posting!! I don't recall seeing anything mentioned in the paper last Saturday and I haven't seen anything in this week's either.
Last April when 2nd class postage went up from 36 pence to 45 pence, I e-mailed the Daily Record to ask if it would be possible to post all the Saturday grids for any given month at the end of that month....i.e using 12 stamps per annum rather than 52 as at present. This would have benefited all 'crossers' during the current recession (and cut down handling at their end) but I was told that all prize money had to be paid out within 28 days for legal reasons, so posting once per month was not an option....aye right!
The D.R. is only intent on saving themselves money in the current recession but when it comes to cutting costs for their readers, they're simply not interested!
Of course the £200 prize money listed in today's edition may just be a typo!