NEVER going to bed on an argument is the secret to a long and happy marriage, according to a New Forest couple celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary.

Keith and Pat Davis, who spent their working lives running a well-known New Forest drapery business, marked the sparkling occasion with a party at Colten Care’s Brook View home in West Moors.

Surrounded by friends, family and former employees, the couple enjoyed a sing-along and cake.

Asked for the secret of a happy marriage, Pat said: “Don’t go to bed on an argument”.

Smiling in agreement, Keith added: “We haven’t had many arguments. We each chose the right partner and we’ve had a very happy time.”

The couple, who met on a tennis court in their younger years, were synonymous with the Cox and Hicks shop in Market Place, Ringwood, which traded for nearly 200 years until the late 1980s.

Keith’s family’s involvement in the shop began when his grandfather Jesse Davis was taken on as an apprentice around the year 1900.

As a young boy in the 1930s, Keith recalls sweeping the pavement outside for his dad every morning. He was already working full-time in the business when he met Pat.

The pair married in spring 1955, timing the wedding for a Thursday afternoon, the traditional half-day for retailers.

Keith finished his morning shift and travelled to Southampton, where Pat’s family lived, to tie the knot.

Over the following decades, the couple supported Keith’s parents to help manage the shop and together the team maintained a loyal clientele for clothes, fabrics and sewing materials, retaining several members of staff for many years.

Today the premises are occupied by an estate agent, kitchen designer and hairdressers.

Keith said: “We were always very fortunate with our staff who we still see as part of the family.

“The business came to a natural end when I retired. I remember the last day.

“The shelves were empty as we had run down the stock. I locked the door for the last time and took the keys over to the solicitors. It was sad. The people of Ringwood were always very kind. We knew everyone’s names.”

Colten Care activities organiser Monique Brady said: “Keith and Pat are a lovely couple who have settled in well and been welcomed by everyone. They come to lots of our activities including minibus trips and events at the home. They are very popular at Brook View.”