Before any of the staff had time to react, the culprit was out fetching tools from his van to fix it up again.

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When a pipe burst under the floorboards, another of the regulars did a running repair before coming back with his gear the next day to complete the job, for no more than a thanks and a pint on the house.
These might not add up to much in the grand scheme of things, but speak plenty about the community spirit of the Owl, a pub which has been utterly transformed in the last 18 months.

Licensees are a mixed bunch. They've come into it for different reasons, at different times of their lives and they have different views on how to succeed. For every bad one, I reckon I meet at least ten good ones – but the truly outstanding are few and far between.

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And I don't think I've ever found one as obviously inspirational as Gina Howard. She's a mother of four, a businesswoman and a hands-on landlady who has somehow managed to juggle childminding duties for her grandson with pulling her pub up by the bootstraps and turning it into a great little local, right at the heart of Rodley life.

Gina was with HBOS for years, supplementing her income as a barmaid at the Abbey in Horsforth. It was there she began the love for real ale and live music – the twin pillars which have revitalised the Owl.

"When we came here there were four handpumps – but none of them were connected. We had to fit a whole new set of beer engines." They're connected now, to a dizzying range of real ales which change almost daily. Tetley and John Smith's are the only fixed points, though there's always a Leeds Brewery ale too.

I tried two, the first a sharp, thirst-quenching refresher from Copper Dragon, the second a smooth and soothing Leeds best. I can't guarantee either will still be on sale by the time you read this, but I'm sure there will be a great choice nonetheless.

Gina's son Steve is in charge of the beer; her other son Scott is the chef. Daughters Sarah and Samantha both help out too and grandson George is usually around the place too, entertaining the customers.
This is a real family affair.

It was Wednesday evening when we called in, and this being the last Wednesday in the month, it was curry night. The rest of the menu – steaks, fish, stews, pies – was all running, but we were seduced by the wafting aroma of the curries. My wife had the rich, mild, chicken tikka, though better was the really spicy swamp of lamb in a dark balti sauce which I chose. Both are served with rice, naan breads, popadoms and relish.

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It turned out that Gina had made both, and she was rather proud of them. "That's what I've been doing today, cutting the meat, mixing the spices." It was a good day's work, and typical of a landlady who is involved in every area of her business.

The pub serves food every day, with a carvery on Sundays. A mark of its appeal is the fact that they are already fully booked for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The pub has two quite distinct areas. There's a games room with pool table and dartboard to the right of the main door. "It's for the working men, the lads who like a pint and a game of pool," said Gina. "The language can get quite colourful in there sometimes."

Front the left of the main door you enter a long lounge which opens onto a dining room which doubles as a concert room on music nights.
Maracas, drums, and pan pipes are arranged into a musical decoration around the walls, while sepia photographs tell the tale of Rodley in ages past.

After 24 years in Leeds, Gina's Parkhead vowels still trip easily out, and she reckons it's the family values she learned at home in Scotland – from her Polish parents – that have shaped her attitude to life. "My dad always said to treat people how you would hope to be treated yourself, and that's always been my outlook. There were a lot of Poles in Glasgow, back then. When I was a kid we'd get the whole community coming together, everyone would bring a dish of something and it was just the way we did things."

Gina has brought a little of that Eastern European community spirit to west Leeds, making a real mark on Rodley by getting together with nearby rival The Barge to launch the suburb's first community day in summer.

Just as we're leaving, Gina scurries off to the kitchen to fetch something. She hands a bag of potatoes to a regular who beams his thanks before heading off home. "He forgot to go to Tesco's," she explains. "His wife would've gone mad!"

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