ONLY politicians relish having the last word with as much gusto as Otley woman Joyce Cansfield.

But it is not rounding off a good debate that puts a smile on her face - but using her language skills to beat off opponents in word games such as Scrabble.

Word wizard Joyce, of Whiteley Croft Road, is one of the top-ranking Scrabble players in the country.

Her way with words has landed her an entry in the Guinness Book of Records and a place in the World Scrabble Championships.

But Joyce was not always a language lover - and initially had a head for figures.

After graduating from London University Joyce, who is a member of MENSA, started work as a statistician for the Health Service.

It was her passion for crosswords in her spare time, which eventually launched her career as a wordsmith.

Joyce said: "A friend of mine became editor of the MENSA journal and he said you like doing crosswords, how about making some up for us. I did and people liked them and it went from there."

It was not long before Joyce's talents were spotted by a national newspaper, which was keen to take her on

board.

Joyce said: "The Times started having a crossword championship in the 1960's and I used to enter that. When I was taking part in another championship the editor of The Times was one of the judges. The next time I met him he said how would you like to compile for The Times. I said nothing like starting at the top and agreed straight away."

Joyce hasn't looked back since and has now been compiling four crosswords a month for many years.

Becoming a professional compiler has not abated Joyce's appetite for the word puzzles and filling in crosswords remains one of her favourite pastimes.

She said: "I like to do the cross word in The Times in the morning with a cup of tea in bed. The ones I really enjoy doing are the listening cross words. They print them from anyone who sends one in. Those are the ones I do for fun on holiday."

Joyce's way with words does not end there. She also enters into the surprisingly competitive fray of Scrabble championships.

The 70-year-old began playing Scrabble nearly forty years ago - and is well known as a strong contender on the Scrabble circuit.

Joyce, who is a member of Guiseley Scrabble Club, says she does not play the game for fun - she plays to win.

She said: "Anyone who comes thinking they are going to learn Scrabble might be put off. However hard we try to welcome people the new members who stay are those who have played at other clubs and are new to the area but not to Scrabble. We are a competitive club."

Banking on their competitive spirit the club plays in regular tournaments - and last year carried home a national trophy.

Wordsmith Joyce also enters the individual Scrabble championships.

In 1995 she earned herself not only the title of Association of Premier Scrabble Players Matchplay champion but also a place in the Guinness Book of Records with the highest ever recorded triple word score of 301.

Joyce said: "It was at that time the highest score - and it won me the match."

In 1991 Joyce also secured a place in the World Championships, held in London - and came sixth after an intense knock-out round.

She said: "I was quite pleased because there was myself and another female player who were in the last eight. People thought it was ridiculous that we should be playing in this when higher rated players had been knocked out. So when I came fifth and she came sixth we were really pleased. I was also the oldest player there."

Training for Scrabble championships is taken as seriously as world class football and to be in with a chance of pitting her linguistic wits against world class opponents Joyce digests lists of words.

Her bookshelves are covered in dictionaries and Scrabble guides and she keeps abreast of any new words entering not only the English dictionary but the World Dictionary.

Joyce said: "I am regarded as somewhat silly because I can't remember words unless I know what they mean.

"In the early days you made out your own lists of two and three letter words. They finally published them so other people can have the lists without getting them out of the dictionary.

"In 1991 I read lists when I did the washing up and in the bath. At the moment I am learning American words from the World Dictionary as they say this is going to be the official dictionary."

Joyce, lists her favourite word as levo, which means to the left.

She said: "I was left with the letters qoph in a match at the world championship and my opponent knew there was no way I could play it. The first thing he played was lev, which is the currency of a country, and I was able to play my o and win the match."

Joyce's linguistic abilities have also earned her regular spots on the small screen as a contestant on word-based game shows. She was the first champion of Channel Four's Countdown and is regularly invited back onto the show.

Joyce has also carried off prizes in shows, such as and Turn About and Winner Takes All.

Joyce, who is originally from Brighton, in Sussex, settled in Yorkshire after her marriage to her husband Michael.

She said: "I lived in Sussex for 45 years. Apart from coming up here during the war I had not been to Yorkshire. It was difficult during the war. Huddersfield was a very sooty place at that time. I didn't like it at that time.

"I was quite surprised when I came back up here and found what beautiful countryside there was just outside. I love it here now." And who would argue - as usual Joyce's last word is spot on.

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