Word game addict wins at last

Every Saturday morning, Doreen Mangion gears up to mull over The Times Word Game - now she is reaping the benefits after her name was drawn for the prize last week.

"The Word Game is my Saturday morning ritual. I usually have a good look at the letters and try to guess the nine-letter word immediately," Mrs Mangion said.

Mrs Mangion is the lucky winner of a relaxing Mondial eight-day Mediterranean cruise on board the ss Oceanic which includes visits to Taormina, Rome, Florence, Monaco and Barcelona.

Leaving Malta in the evening on October 1, the Oceanic will return to Pinto Wharf a week later.

Mrs Mangion was incredulous when she learnt that she had won the game, initially thinking that her family was playing a joke on her.

"I did not recognise the telephone number and I thought it was all a joke orchestrated by someone in the family. I had to call back The Times newsroom to confirm I really had won," she said.

Mrs Mangion has been playing the word game for the past 10 years and she had given up on the thought that she would ever win.

"This time round I was almost late in sending my answers, posting the envelope just a couple days ahead of the draw - I guess it was meant to be," she said in delight.

"Winning will be the perfect present for my 57th birthday - I plan to go on the cruise with a friend," Mrs Mangion, who celebrates her birthday tomorrow, said.

Mrs Mangion, who lives in St Julian's, has correctly deciphered the following nine-letter words: savourily, whaleboat, galvanise, propeller, workforce and deprecate.

"The word 'whaleboat' was a tough one to crack, but I finally guessed it. Whenever I'm stuck I get out the Scrabble board and put the letters on the rack, which makes it easier to play around with them," she said.

The prize for the present word game is an Albertours' tour of the Costa Amalfitana between October 14-21 with visits to Vico Equense, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Capri, Naples, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Caserta and Monte Cassino.

It comes complete with a Lm50 voucher to spend at the Malta International Airport's tax fee shopping centre and a one-year scrabble club membership.