TWO high school sweethearts, who worked together for more than 40 years, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary yesterday (March 26).

Pam and Barrie Moore, of Winchester Park Road, Sandown, met each other at Sandown High School when they were just 15 ­— studying hairdressing and catering respectively.

Barrie later studied at Portsmouth College, and cooked on the Queen Elizabeth, while Pam trained at John's Hairdressers in Shanklin, before moving to Hunters in Sandown.

Barrie proposed to Pam in 1959 ­— outside a cinema in Ryde, as they were queuing to watch the aptly titled film, Love Story.

The pair married a year later, and the wedding had to be brought forward, as Barrie was called up for national service.

They both took up catering in 1962, when Barrie returned from the army, and worked together and ran various establishments across a 40 year period, including The Golden Platter in Sandown, now called Bellamy's Bistro ­— retiring in 2011.

Speaking before the landmark occasion, Pam said: "Our family can't be here, so we've had to put it all on hold, with everything that's going on.

"But we'll still have a nice time with just the two of us.

"We're going to have a meal together, and we've got plenty of prosecco, as we were expecting lots of guests ­— they're a lot more to go round.

"We hope to celebrate properly with everyone at a later date."

The couple have two children in Rachel and Kevin, who both worked with them at The Golden Platter, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

On the secret to a long marriage, Pam said: "It's all about give and take, really ­— on both sides."