Couples can get along in jobs as well as at home

Anne has worked at the same place as Tim for almost ten years, but the couple didn't get together until two-and-a-half years ago.

Even so, viewers are used to seeing the pair on their screens on Central News South and assume they work closely together.

"People tend to think that, but often I hand over to Tim when he's out on location. We work on the same programme, but it's almost like being in the same industry but working for different stations," said Anne, who is 40.

And they like it that way. Working at the same place, even if it is often at different times, means the couple see each other occasionally.

Even if they only meet up for a cup of tea or one lunch during the working week, they can catch up with what is going on at home.

The most important thing at home, which is in Swinbrook, is Anne and Tim's 15-month-old daughter, Georgina. Anne is expecting their second baby mid-June.

That will mean a long break from appearing on the programme together.

Anne said: "Tim has been off for seven weeks now because he's had a hip operation. Just when he's back at work I'm off on maternity leave for a few months."

The couple have a golden rule about working together. "It's a five minute rule," explained 44-year-old Tim. "That's how long each of us is allowed to talk about work before the subject has to change."

That is unless Tim or Anne feel there is a particularly special reason.

"If, for instance, Tim goes to see a champion jockey, we might chat about it all evening, but office politics or anything like that is limited to five minutes.

"When we're at home together, our time is for Georgina and each other, it's not about work," said Anne.

Her recollection of her first meeting with Tim is out of the ordinary. He couldn't even shake her hand.

At the time, Tim was running the Oxford office for Central, before switching back to his first love, sport, when it began transmitting from Abingdon. "I first met him in the King's Arms in Oxford," recalled Anne. "I'd come down to look for somewhere to live and knew the others I'd be working with were in the pub.

"He had both arms in plaster because he'd had a nasty car accident," she explained. "I can remember being in awe of him."

For years the pair worked together on and off before love blossomed.

"The first time Tim and I worked together was nine years ago when we did a programme from Cowes.

"I knew a bit about sailing and he asked me to co-present the programme.

"Tim was the producer. I hardly knew him then and I was rather frightened of him because he's so good. I just did what I was told," joked Anne. Other features the pair have worked on together include a racing programme from Cheltenham.

"Tim has to cover a lot of sporting events and I don't often go along but if it's something to do with horses, I will."

Likewise, Tim will fit in with Anne's filming schedule.

Anne does feature pieces for the Central programme Heart of the Country and loves it when Tim and Georgina come along.

"Tim and I both have our strengths and weaknesses. Tim is a great producer and can suggest things to me which work well. I respect his judgement," said Anne.

And that, agreed Tim, works at home too. "We both respect each other. We've never had an argument, about work or anything else," said Tim. "We do have heated discussions, but if I, say, bring up a touchy subject and it's not right, I'll leave it and we will discuss it another time."

The couple are currently building a home in Weston-on-the-Green and are designing it themselves, giving way to each other's ideas and reaching compromises.

"It's even fun working together on that," said Anne.

"Working together is great. We have discussed the possibility of, one day, perhaps working on something together.

"I think it would work well," said Anne and Tim nodded his head in perfect agreement. Ali's the boss MALCOLM and Alison Bromhall have heated rows, both at work and home, but they never last longer than a few minutes.

The couple have been together for almost 20 years and have worked together for the past 17.

"I can't imagine working with anyone other than Ali," said 47-year-old Malcolm, who is known affectionately as Malc.

Ask who's the boss and Malc looks skyward as Ali shoots straight back with the answer: "I am," she said.

When tiffs and rows do occur, it's always about work.

"We're both quite firey, but Ali usually wins," said Malc. "I always say to myself that I'm simply not going to speak to her until she sees my point of view, but that lasts all of two minutes before we're talking again," he added.

Ali agreed, both with this and the fact that neither of them could envisage working without each other.

"We talk everything through. It's quite nice not having to ask each other about what kind of day we've had in the office or try to gauge each other's mood when we get home because we both know what kind of mood each other is in before we turn the key in the door," she said.

Together the couple run a public relations company, LPS, from offices in North Bar, Banbury.

The pair met while they were working on the same free newspaper paper but it was Ali, 37, who left first to set up in business.

"In the early days, back in 1981, it was just me. I had to get the business going and earn enough so both Malc and I could have company cars," laughed Ali. "He wouldn't join until I'd earned his car!" Malc joined Ali in 1982, although the couple had been working closely together since they fist met in 1979.

They've built up their business, which was originally a freelance agency for subbing and layouts for various publications, into a public relations company, which also produces business publications.

"In the beginning, we even used to go to meet clients together. Nowadays, we each go on our own but it's always a case of us both knowing what the other is doing," said Malc.

"We work well together. I might come up with a great idea but I rely on Ali to help me with the fine detail and turn it into a reality. I think that works both ways," he added.

And although their 13-year-old daughter Keely might not agree, the couple do try to steer clear of discussing work when they get home, which is in St Mary's Close, Adderbury.

"Keely's been known to tell us off and say we've had all day to discuss business. That usually tells us," said Ali.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.