Pubs have a vital role to play in every community. To many they offer a warm, friendly environment in which to spend an hour or two and pass the time of day with other people. To some they are a place for an occasional drink with friends or a partner, and often they are a refuge in times of woe. For a few people, however, the pub is more than that. The building is a second home and its staff and patrons an extended family who will take pains to help those in need. Helen Mead found out how very special one pub is to a Shipley woman.

WHEN BARBARA Baldwin found out she had cancer, she didn't want anyone other than her family, very close friends and bosses at work to know. But she couldn't keep it secret for long.

"When she went on sick leave, everyone was asking where she was - it was difficult knowing what to say to them," says Chris Pope, manager of The Branch pub in Shipley where Barbara worked as a barmaid

"People asked whether she'd gone on holiday and was she okay, and when was she coming back. They just didn't stop asking."

Barbara's daughter Rhoda and son-in-law Victor were also subjected to the same barrage of questions when they left their home in Selborne Terrace, just a stone's throw from the pub.

Says Barbara: "People were ringing up and asking how I was, and when Rhoda and Chris were out, folk were asking them if I was all right."

Eventually, Barbara, 55, who has worked at The Branch for 15 years and is their longest-serving employee, was forced to bow to pressure and tell people why she was off.

The news stunned other staff and regulars, as it had Chris and his wife Maggie. "We were shocked because Barbara is so energetic. Even after she was diagnosed, she carried on working for a while - cleaning the pub in the morning and working behind the bar in the afternoon.

"She wanted to continue working - that's the sort of person she is. She was so sorry that she could not come and help out at Christmas."

Barbara was reluctant to leave the pub where she is - in every sense of the word - part of the family. Says Chris, who has run the pub for seven years: "She is so popular here. After so long she's made so many friends. She's lovely to talk to and she's the one the younger staff turn to for advice."

Adds pub management trainee Janette Leigh, 29: "Barbara is everybody's mum - really easy to talk to. Everyone misses her."

Despite her serious illness, Barbara continues to pop to the pub for a drink and chat. It is the one place where she feels as comfortable as she does in the living room at home. Says Chris: "Even when she lost her hair through chemotherapy, she came in, sat down and talked about it. She never allows herself to get low."

Says assistant manager Lottie Buck: "When Barbara comes in, it really is like her second home. She fits in so well and gets on with everyone."

But it's not only an endless supply of friendly faces and cheery chats that have given The Branch, in Bradford Road, a special place in Barbara's heart.

Inspired by her battle against cancer - which affected Barbara's lung and facial nerves - staff and regulars have dug deep in their pockets to raise £2,500 for Bradford Royal Infirmary's Ward 15, where she was treated last year.

"They were brilliant on the ward. The treatment was fantastic and I wanted to help give something back so I asked Chris if we could make a donation," she says. "I thought they would raise between £100 and £500, and when they told me they had raised such a large amount, I didn't know what to say."

And she was moved to tears when told what else her friends at the pub had achieved through their charity fundraising bid. They had bought a guide dog for the blind, which they named Babs, in her honour.

"When I heard about the dog, that did it - I was overcome with emotion. It was a wonderful thing to do."

A dog-lover herself, Barbara is due to attend a special presentation where she will receive a framed photograph of Babs and a certificate which she can keep.

The Branch regularly raises cash for charity - so far £16,352 has been amassed for good causes - and has in the past helped various local groups and organisations including Shipley Hospital, youth clubs, schools and a residential home.

Barbara, who last year underwent a five-hour operation on the side of her face and had treatment on her lung, feels better than she did, but is now experiencing pain in her right shoulder. She is awaiting an MRI scan to find out whether the cancer has spread.

With the help of her family and friends at the pub, she manages to keep a smile on her face and stay optimistic.

"If it was not for them helping me through it, I would have given up. I have my off days like everyone, but you have to fight it. Every time I go in the pub, it cheers me up - people are always asking after me and showing they care. I've been in sometimes and not spent a penny."

Barbara intends to return to work as soon as possible. "I can't wait to get back," she says, and she knows there will always be a place for her - whether working or otherwise - at The Branch.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.