Dear Armchair Treasure Hunt Club,

After 10 long years, we have decided to bring The Ultimate Quest to an end. Many thousands have embarked upon it and a few have come close to completing it.

The Quest will, therefore, come to an end on 30 June 2011. Assuming it is not completed in the meantime, some time during July we will try to put people out of their misery; or at least confirm whether they were on the right track.

We will be left with a rather valuable chalice and oak case. If, in these difficult times, there is anyone out there who would like the satisfaction of owning it (having struggled so long to find it) we might consider selling it. More about that in July.

Kind regards, Paul Stevens (Roland Oliver Ltd - Publishers) (13 June 2011)

In December 2006, the publishers issued the following statement:

"Unless The Ultimate Quest is completed in the manner prescribed in the book by May 2007, we intend to offer an alternative method for completing it. This may or may not produce an outcome, but it will provide an opportunity for those who believe they are close to answering the five questions posed in the book.

A few weeks before the Feast of Pentecost (a time associated with the quest for the Grail) we will post these variations to the rules on our website and also advise any forums that we are aware of. In order to submit a valid entry, it will be essential to have a copy of the book. So, if The Ultimate Quest has been relegated to the attic, now is the time to find it again. If, in frustration, you have given or thrown it away – you will not be able to enter.

Roland Oliver Ltd (Dec ’06)"

In the last week of May 2007, with the hunt still unsolved, the publishers issued the following update:

"Last December, we promised an alternative route for those who still wished to try to complete The Ultimate Quest.
At the beginning of this week, to coincide with Pentecost (the traditional time for questing), a new website went live to offer this alternative. As most of the main search engines are unlikely yet to have it, here is the address: http://thegrailkeeper.co.uk"

Roland Oliver Ltd (May ’07)"

In July 2010, the publishers wrote:

"There are still quite a few people out there trying to complete this hunt and new ones still embarking on the Quest. It has been noticed, however, that some of the 'old hands' have driven themselves into a cul-de-sac; with some correct answers and a few wayward guesses!

In order to try to unblock this log-jam, it has been decided to offer a little assistance; without divulging actual answers, as this would give newcomers an unfair advantage. In general, questions 1, 2, & 5 appear to have been correctly solved by those who have submitted answers. Answers to questions 3 & 4 are usually incorrect. As to question 6 (the 'new' question), no-one seems to have fathomed this cryptic clue.

Roland Oliver Ltd (July ’10)"