Barbara began her writing career in 1974 when she went to work as a reporter on NewsShopper, a ‘free’ weekly newspaper series in the North Kent/South London area, quickly stepping up to look after all the editorial content. She then moved on to realise her ambition to work on consumer magazines, working on Prima, Home Improvements Journal and Ideal Home magazine – mixing sub-editing with feature writing. Following this she moved to B2B publishing, working on a number of successful market-leading titles in the construction industry, covering the heating, ventilating, plumbing, bathrooms and kitchens markets, first as an Assistant Editor and then Editor. During this time she was the launch editor for Bathrooms magazine (1986), as well as a number of supplements on specialised topics.

After 25 years in the B2B marketplace, Barbara moved into PR for three years before taking a six month career break at the beginning of 2009 to adopt her son. Barbara set up her own company, Bigg-In Words Ltd in September 2009 and offers a mix of public relations and editorial services. Clients have included some prestigious manufacturers/suppliers from the heating and plumbing industry, and now mainly comprise smaller, local companies and two steadily growing cancer support charities, The Chartwell Cancer Trust and the CCT Tiger Ward. Barbara has been an SWWJ member since 2011, joining Council in 2012 as Editor of The Journal. She became the Vice Chairman in 2014/15, and subsequently served as Chair for four years, stepping down in September 2019.