Pub landlady Pauline Ward has kicked her 30-a-day smoking habit while raising cash for a cancer ward at a London hospital.
Pauline's fight to quit the weed following the deaths of her father and a close friend was supported by her customers at the Hind's Head in Kingston Bagpuize, near Abingdon.
Regulars pledged weekly amounts if she managed to go for a minimum of 30 weeks without taking a puff. By July last year, she was holding out so well that the sponsorship was extended.
Steve and Pauline Ward
Pauline said: "The money built up to £300, and if I gave in, I would have to forfeit £300, so that in itself was big incentive."
Her husband, Steve, still smokes, but not in their living quarters. The newly refurbished public bar has also been converted into a non-smoking restaurant.
On Monday, Pauline presented a cheque for £705 to Mellisa Blamey, the daughter of her late friend Linda Blamey. This will be passed on to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London where Linda spent her last days.
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