Deserving winner: Great-grandmother Patsy Ford wins Hilton Garden Inn Albany accommodation and dining package

Albany woman Patsy Ford will enjoy a romantic staycation on the waterfront with her husband of 67 years after winning the Advertiser’s Hilton Garden Inn Albany giveaway. Mrs Ford, 87, and husband John, 91, will enjoy a one-night stay in one of the hotel’s king ocean view guest rooms, along with complimentary breakfast and $100 to spend on food and beverages. The great-grandmother, who has been a loyal Advertiser reader since she moved to Albany in 1961, was drawn as the winner of the accommodation and dining package from hundreds of entrants. Mrs Ford said she had not been on a holiday since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and she was looking forward to having a night off from cooking. “It was such a surprise, it’s wonderful,” she said. “We were talking a couple of weeks ago because both our birthdays are in May and when you get to our age it’s hard to know what to give each other for a present, so we thought we’d shout each other a night at the Hilton. “And lo and behold this came up, so that was perfect timing.” The Hilton Garden Inn Albany giveaway was the first of an ongoing series of competitions set to run in partnership with local businesses in the Advertiser’s revamped Tuesday edition. The bigger Tuesday edition was launched on February 22, with two new sections and more sports coverage.