Possible Clues:

• Doors, gates
• Items listed in book put in sequence, omitting the first
• Room ingresses
• Diary items; competitors accepted
• The things you put in for the competition are not way-out
• Middle of bend makes severe demands on competitors
• Guards losing head finding gates, perhaps
• 'The souls of many Kings are vulgar -- ' (Peter Pindar, Odes to Kien Long)
• Contest mail-ins
• Contestants