“WE don’t forget about love, but friendship gets more important.”

Those were the words of Raymond Denyer, who celebrates his diamond wedding anniversary with wife Patricia this week.

The couple, who moved to Royal Wootton Bassett nine years ago, were married at St Dunstan’s Church in North Cheam, Surrey, 60 years ago, after meeting on a shooting range when they were both members of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

Patricia, 85, said: “It’s been 60 years and I haven’t shot him yet.

“It was a showery day and I can’t remember much but what I do remember is that we were married by quite a junior cleric, and underneath his clothes all you could see was grey flannel and muddy plimsolls.

“The dress was made by my aunt. That’s just how things were in those days.”

After the couple were married they moved into a house in Cheam not far from Patricia’s parents, and Raymond, 83, worked in the shipping business with Lloyds of London.

Before their marriage Patricia had trained in Harrods before working in the family’s shop.

Five years after they married in 1959 they had their first daughter, Liz, and they later had Hilary, before moving to Twyford, near Reading.

Raymond, 83, said: “We’ve always had an interest in English waterways restoration. Now a lot of people are aware of it and it’s a pretty big thing, but back then it wasn’t so much.

“We moved to Twyford because we were heavily involved with the restoration of the Kennet and Avon Canal, and just wanted to be a bit closer. But when I took early retirement aged 55 we moved to Dauntsey.”

Raymond decided to retire following an operation after a rare condition which saw him grow an extra pancreas on his heart wall.

But he continued to work as a consultant to many firms in London, until in 1990 the couple, who have three grandchildren, fulfilled their lifelong dream of running their own farm when they bought Scots Smith Farm in Sodom Lane.

“It was a bit like The Good Life,” said Patricia.

“We had lambs in boxes by the fire in the kitchen and things like that. We both took agricultural courses too.

“I don’t think we realised when we took it on how much hard work it was going to be. We really only wanted a small little farm but we ended up with 25 acres.

“We started with two goats, and eventually we took on newborn calves and reared them. We later did the same with pigs and orphaned lambs.”

The pair will celebrate their big day with a quiet lunch at La Flambe in Sutton Benger.