A WORDSMITH from East Lancashire is to join 70 Scrabble supremos from all over the country, who will be playing to win in a grand national final in London at the end of this month.

Retired civil servant Norman Smith, 64, of Boulsworth Crescent, Nelson, will be testing his word knowledge against the best in the country during the National Scrabble Championship, which celebrates its Silver Jubilee this year.

A veteran of the championships, it will be the seventh time he has made it through to the final and his top placing so far has been 11th.

Mr Smith, who worked in Edinburgh as the deputy director for Monuments in the Scottish equivalent of English Heritage, is a member of Pendle Scrabble Club, which meets weekly at his home.

"I started playing Scrabble in 1966 when someone at work brought the game in to play at lunchtimes," he explained. "I've always been interested in words and it looked a good game, so I got involved and I've been hooked ever since."

Mr Smith is in training for the November 29 event at the Forte Crest Hotel, Regents Park. "It's a matter of trying to store as many words in my mind as possible and playing a lot of games," he added.

Among those taking part will be reigning champion Mike Willis from Milton Keynes, five other previous holders and a former world champion.

The winner will receive a range of prizes, including a gold-plated Classic Collector's edition of Scrabble, a gold-blocked leather-bound edition of Chambers Dictionary and a specially engraved Royal Doulton crystal vase.

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