Today (Friday) promises to be a golden day for well-known Tenby couple, Pauline and Bert Barnikel, who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Pauline (nee Franklin) and Bert were married on June 23, 1956. Pauline, a Londoner, started her working life as a clerk in the United Dairy Offices, London. However, during the war, the family were bombed out of the capital and they settled in Tenby, her mother being Lily Upham, of Tenby. Pauline worked in several shops in the town, before returning to London, working in Swan and Edgars. She later returned to Tenby as millinery buyer for T. P. Hughes, which was then one of the biggest employers in the Tenby area. Bert's family can be traced back to 1648 in the Pembroke area. He was born in Weisbaden, first son of Welsh Fusilier Bert Barnikel. The family returned to Pembroke Dock in 1938 and Bert fell in love with Tenby during day trips to the town before the war and was destined to marry a Tenby girl. Pauline and Bert met at the 'in place' in Tenby at the time, the local hop at De Valence Pavilion, one of the few places girls and boys could meet. They married in 1956 and lived in a flat over Stephen and Davies, clothes shop in the town's High Street, which has a magnificent panoramic view of North Beach Bay. Both were eternally grateful for being granted the tenancy of their present home in Knowling Mead in 1958, just in time for the arrival of their first child Sara. Two years later they were further blessed with the birth of their son Guy. Bert learnt his trade in the famous RAF Apprentice School at Halton Bucks. He was accepted for aircrew training in 1951, gaining his Wings and reaching the dizzy heights of Pilot Officer. Bert returned to his trade of fitter and soon after marrying, joined the sub-station staff of SWEB who, were carrying out the mammoth task of rural electrification of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire. He ended his working life working for himself. Pauline started work again as soon as she could, with the children in tow, and after various jobs, moved into the Tenby Market, initially selling a huge range of cheeses at her little stall aptly named 'The Mousetrap'. She eventually took over the pet shop which she developed into a viable business, deriving great pleasure from it and the most friendly atmosphere which is still going strong. When the children flew the nest and the work load subsided, Pauline and Bert took up the sport of lawn green bowling which they still thoroughly enjoy. Bert got involved in the Tenby club's administration in various capacities over many years, and not to be out done, Pauline got involved in the ladies' section. She progressed to become the first lady chairman in the club's history, a post she held for three years. Pauline and Bert felt extremely honoured when the members made them both life members for services rendered. Pauline's interests are now divided between bowling and gardening, while Bert keeps his body fit with bowling and his brain active with duplicate bridge. They are also proud grandparents, having six grandsons. They celebrated the end of their working life with a holiday of a lifetime when they spent a month in the Hawaiian Islands. Now they are celebrating their golden wedding in London's theatre land. When asked for their recipe for a long happy relationship, both agreed it was 'plenty of give and take'.
