WHEN friends at her local pub bet Sharon Irvine that she could not stop smoking she readily took up the challenge.
The bet was that they would have to make a donation to the breast cancer unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital if she managed six months without a cigarette.
Sharon, of Melsonby, near Richmond, completed the challenge and presented £655 to the unit.
However, she admitted that now the challenge is over she has started smoking again.
"It was knowing it was only until November which kept me going a lot of the time,'' she said.
"That first cigarette in the pub on Saturday was horrible - but I suppose you just get used to them again,'' she said.
Sharon estimates she has put on more than a stone in weight after she stopped smoking, because she nibbled biscuits and snacks to stifle the withdrawal symptoms
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article