So when Debby Matthew was offered the chance to work with her boyfriend Peter Henery, she thought they had found the perfect solution.

"We never thought about how it would affect our relationship," said Debby, 32.

"We were just really looking forward to working together because our separate jobs meant we spent a lot of time apart."

The couple moved to Knutsford in September to take charge of the Royal George Hotel in King Street but have worked together for three years.

They met 10 years ago while Debby was in charge of an old boys' club on the Wirral where Peter was a member.

After two years of being 'just friends', they shared their first kiss under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve in 1992.

Peter has worked in the hotel industry for 19 years and was manager of the Hotel Victoria in New Brighton on the Wirral when he met Debby.

But the long hours made it difficult for him to see her regularly.

"On the rare occasions I was off you could guarantee that Debby was working," he said. "So I ended up just seeing her in the old boys' club."

In 1997 he was offered the job as manager at the Premier Lodge in Preston and Debby was asked to join him.

"It was a big job and too much of a handful for one person," said Peter, 41.

"It made sense to take it on together and I wasn't worried about it putting pressure on our relationship."

They each have their own skills to offer and the combination makes them a strong team.

But Peter believes the key to their success is having a common goal.

"We both want the business to do well so we can understand the pressures each of us is under," he said. "And it makes it all the more rewarding to be able to share our achievements."

Like any couple Debby and Peter argue, but they believe it is important to air any disagreements so that they can be quickly resolved.

"We don't have blazing rows," said Peter. "They are more heated debates - usually about work - so the sooner they are sorted out the better."

Despite working in the same building and sharing a home, the couple never feel like they are 'living in each other's pockets' because their jobs are so demanding.

"Some days we can be so busy that we don't see each other all day," said Peter. "So spending too much time together just isn't an issue."

Over the past three years the couple feel they have let themselves down by not making the most of their time off.

"If we do get a day off together we tend to just waste it by having a lie in and talking about work," said Debby.

"But we've made a pact to spend more time together as a couple and I think it's important that we stick to it."

The pair enjoy fishing trips together as the traquillity is a far cry from the hustle of hotel life.

"I never thought I'd like fishing but after one trip I was mesmerised," said Debby. "It's wonderful to just sit there for eight hours in the quiet but we don't get the chance to go as often as we'd like."

Peter says that their working life together has now become part of their relationship and he hopes it will continue for a long time to come.

"The work and the relationship have just rolled into one now," he said. "And I can't imagine it any other way."

THE FAMILY

LIKE any mum Nerys Mooney believes she knows best.

And when her sons became involved in the family business she didn't expect that to change.

"For years I ran the business my way," she said. "And now they tell me how bad I am at everything."

"But looking back I'm amazed I survived so long without them."

She runs The Belle Epoque in King Street with her two sons David and Matthew.

Both are now in their 30s but their interest in the business started when they were teenagers.

"They used to wash the dishes and clean up when they were younger," said Nerys. "I never pushed them into getting involved but we were always glad of the help."

These days the pressures of running a business would take their toll on many families, but not the Mooneys.

Nerys believes the ingredients to their success are respect and honesty.

"Sometimes I'll just go into the kitchen and shout at David and then it's forgotten," said Nerys. "Other times we'll all go for a walk to discuss the problems away from the workplace but we never let issues drag on."