A DEDICATED woman has never had the opportunity to see if distance makes the heart grow fonder, as for the last 44 years she has been working for the same company as her husband.

However, this relationship ended on Friday when Pat Sherwood retired from Dents Gloves in Fairfield Road, Warminster.

Mrs Sherwood joined the company in 1956 after leaving school, aged 15.

She worked from 7.30am to 5.30pm weekdays, 8am to midday on a Saturday and always on a New Year's Day. Mrs Sherwood used to think she was lucky to be given two weeks holiday a year.

She was trained for six months to hand-make gloves, and then joined 40 others in a Nissen hut sitting at rows of tables.

Mrs Sherwood met her husband Michael at Dents in 1957 while he was home on leave from National Service, and their relationship continued when he rejoined the firm.

They were married in 1962 and have worked together and gone home for lunch together every day since.

She said: "Of course things have changed; there is so much more traffic and the Nissen huts are now covered with housing. But Dents still make beautiful handmade gloves so, despite computers and modern technology, some things haven't changed at all."

Mr Sherwood is also retiring in six months and his wife is looking forward to spending some more time together.