STOCK TAKERS Richard and Mandy Grafton celebrated the 21st anniversary of their business by entertaining clients at the Riverhouse Inn.

The couple, who run Grafton and Company, took Vanessa and Michael Harding from the Foresters Arms in the New Forrest to the restaurant and pub at Upwey.

Mr Grafton was a stock taker with Eldridge Pope in Dorchester but left to set up his own company specialising in valuations and stock taking to the licensed trade.

He met and married wife Mandy, who is also a stocktaker, and the company has become known as Grafton and Company.

Their business has now grown to cover the south west and London area. They recently undertook a valuation of stock the for O2 Arena. Richard has supplied stock valuation services for Mr and Mrs Harding for 21 years in various businesses around the south coast.

Bob D’agostino, who runs the Riverhouse with wife Lorraine, joked that he had only used the services of Grafton and Company for 16 years and that he hoped Richard and Mandy would take them to lunch when they reached their 21st year of stocktaking.