There will be diamond wedding anniversary celebrations for popular Tenby couple, Brian and Beryl Flavin, on Monday.

The couple, who live at Flat 3, 6 High Street, were married on December 9, 1942, at St, Mary's Church, Tenby, where they will be marking their anniversary with a special blessing on Sunday.

Brian was born in India while his father Michael, an RSM with the Welch Regiment, was serving there.

On his father's death, his mother, Mabel, married James Salisbury, and the family moved to live at Cogmill Cottage, The Green, Tenby, when Brian was 14.

It was here that he met Beryl, one of the 12 children of former County Club steward, Frank Rolfe and his wife Agnes.

Going to work for Mr. E. J. Evans at The China Shop in Tudor Square from her home at 18 The Maudlins, Beryl used to walk with Brian, who was an apprentice in gents outfitting at Stephen Davies in the town's High Street.

And the rest they say is history. On returning from their three-day honeymoon in Cardiff, they made their home in Nottingham, where Brian was stationed with the RAF.

Beryl later returned to Tenby, while Brian saw out the rest of his war service, which took him all over Europe and included taking part in the Normandy landings in 1944 and the famous Battle of the Bulge in Belgium.

When he was demobbed as a senior aircraftsman in 1946, Brian returned to Tenby and he and Beryl moved to Pembroke to open a branch of Stephen Davies at 83 Main Street.

After 12 years, they returned to the Tenby branch and on their retirement 11 years ago handed the business over to their daughter, Judith.

Judith, now a registrar, lives in Tenby with her husband Norman, while the couple's eldest son, Christopher, lives at Portishead, where he is head of art in a Bristol school, and younger son Paul works for Consignia in London.

The couple, who are looking forward to celebrating their anniversary with friends and family this weekend, also have three grandsons, Daniel, Joe and Sam.

When asked for their recipe for a long and happy marriage, both Brian, an honorary member of Tenby Rotary, and Beryl agreed it was 'being very good friends'.

"We've had our ups and downs like anyone else and if we did anything wrong we'd always say sorry," smiled Brian, who is also a member of the Normandy Veterans Association.

"We share the same interests and have had three smashing children," he added.