With the tragic death of Liz McKillop earlier in the year, Rosie and Bruce agreed that it would be good for Bruce to go to Ross McKillop’s wedding in New York and support Merv during this time.
Bruce left Margaret River at 11:30 am on Monday, 22nd November. After an amazingly long flight, with delays in Singapore, Bruce managed to arrive at New York’s Penn Station with 10 minutes to spare and met up with Merv, Danni and Jo. It was really strange and surreal, I was looking everywhere for Merv and the girls when Aaron Holben comes up to me and says hello (I didn’t recognise him at the time, or realise immediately how amazing it was to meet him here, I was too distracted trying to find Merv, with only minutes to spare before the train left). While talking to Aaron my phone rang, Merv was trying to track me down, he was at the ticket counter and couldn’t get my ticket with me (photo id and all that security rubbish), I looked around and found him 30 metres away. Total relief for me since this meant I no longer had to think of anything or organise anything. I was now on holidays. While on the train, Kirk found us, he was roaming up and down the aisle looking for an old man (Merv) and two good looking girls (Danni and Jo). Ross rang to tell us that Kirk was on the train so we recognised this guy, who appeared to be looking for someone and this meant we had this eclectric group, sitting together on the train, who had all just flown in from all over the world. Merv and the girls had just arrived from Australia, via Japan (1 hour before). I had arrived from Australia, via Singapore (ten minute before), Kirk from Dublin and Aaron from London.
We arrived at Stamford at 2am on Thursday, 25th November after 50 hours of travelling by car, plane, train and automobile. It was an epic journey but the eventual goal was to attend Ross and Val’s wedding, which made the whole event well and truelly worth while.
The next day was a whirlwind of meeting people and going out for pre wedding lunch, wedding rehearsal and pre-wedding dinner. Bruce’s head was spinning by the end of this day, I think jet lag was well and truly setting in for all of us, we nearly all collapsed.
Ross and Val’s apartment, at the back of this house in Stamford
Dirk, Luke, Aaron, Ryan, Merv and Ross.
On the morning of the wedding, all the boys got together for breakfast. Dirk, Luke, Aaron, Ryan, Merv and Ross. We chose this diner because of the encouraging sign out the front. It was hunting season at the time of the wedding and you couldn’t go walking anywhere safely. You would pass cars on the side of the road and see hunters standing off the edge in the bush with rifles at the ready.
Back the (Dead) Deer Run Lodge, we had the lovely sight of deer hanging before being strapped to the roof racks of the cars to be taken back home to be dressed for the kitchen table. Fritz and everyone else we met would have been out hunting, if it wasn’t for the wedding.
The Wedding day started perfectly with fresh snow (there was none before). Initial photos were taken on the balcony of our unit at the Deer Run Lodge.
Everywhere you looked in Stamford, you would see the most beautiful New England architecture. This is the church that Ros and Val were married in.
Ross, Dannielle, Joanne and Merv
Ross, Dannielle, Joanne and Merv
Ross, Dannielle, Joanne and Merv
Bruce, Ross and Merv (as the snow comes down)
Bruce, Ross and Merv (as the snow comes down)
Bruce, Ross and Merv (as the snow comes down)
Ross and Merv
Ross and Merv
Ross and Merv
The boys from Margaret River, Aaron Holben, Luke Johnson (Best Man) and Ross
The boys from Margaret River, Aaron Holben, Luke Johnson (Best Man) and Ross
The boys from Margaret River, Aaron Holben, Luke Johnson (Best Man) and Ross
Jo and Danni (a pleasant 25°F or -2°C, but they looked great)
Jo and Danni (a pleasant 25°F or -2°C, but they looked great)
Jo and Danni (a pleasant 25°F or -2°C, but they looked great)
All the boys, Dirk (worked with Ross, came over from Dublin), Luke (Perth), John (Val’s Brother), Aaron (London) and Ryan (NY, Bride’s Man)
All the boys, Dirk (worked with Ross, came over from Dublin), Luke (Perth), John (Val’s Brother), Aaron (London) and Ryan (NY, Bride’s Man)
All the boys, Dirk (worked with Ross, came over from Dublin), Luke (Perth), John (Val’s Brother), Aaron (London) and Ryan (NY, Bride’s Man)
Ross and Ryan
Ross and Ryan
Ross and Ryan
Walking down the isle (the Fiona Johnson, Luke’s wife and matron of honour, with Ryan)
Walking down the isle (the Fiona Johnson, Luke’s wife and matron of honour, with Ryan)
Walking down the isle (the Fiona Johnson, Luke’s wife and matron of honour, with Ryan)
Fritz (Val’s Dad) and Val entering the church
Fritz (Val’s Dad) and Val entering the church
Fritz (Val’s Dad) and Val entering the church
Getting closer to the hand over
Getting closer to the hand over
Getting closer to the hand over
Exchanging of vows, overseen by Judi Gage (Lay Preacher) and Pastor Rev. Bert More
Exchanging of vows, overseen by Judi Gage (Lay Preacher) and Pastor Rev. Bert More
Exchanging of vows, overseen by Judi Gage (Lay Preacher) and Pastor Rev. Bert More
Mr and Mrs Ross McKillop (waiting patiently in the presentation line after the ceremony)
Mr and Mrs Ross McKillop (waiting patiently in the presentation line after the ceremony)
Mr and Mrs Ross McKillop (waiting patiently in the presentation line after the ceremony)
Luke and Fiona Johnson
Luke and Fiona Johnson
Luke and Fiona Johnson
Still waiting for someone to come and talk to them.
Still waiting for someone to come and talk to them.
Still waiting for someone to come and talk to them.
Val’s family – Mother Chris, Val, Ross, Father Fritz and Bother John
Val’s family – Mother Chris, Val, Ross, Father Fritz and Bother John
Val’s family – Mother Chris, Val, Ross, Father Fritz and Bother John
Gerry (Grandfather, Chris’s Dad), Chris, Val, Ross, Fritz and Thelma (Grandmother, Fritz’s mother)
Gerry (Grandfather, Chris’s Dad), Chris, Val, Ross, Fritz and Thelma (Grandmother, Fritz’s mother)
Gerry (Grandfather, Chris’s Dad), Chris, Val, Ross, Fritz and Thelma (Grandmother, Fritz’s mother)
Merv gave his speech first (which he wasn’t expecting). It was the first time Bruce had seen a nervous and shaking Merv, good to see that he can lose his composure at times.
Fritz gave a very emotional speech welcoming Ross into the family. He reflected on the losses that both families had suffered during the past year and the joy of seeing everyone coming together to celebrate the joining of the two families.
Luke and Fi read out the messages from friends who couldn’t attend. Luke gave a very abridged version of Mike Caudles message, failing to mention the famous strength and vitality of the McKillop family (he was referring to hair colour and hoping Ross could follow in his father’s footsteps). I read out the full version to our table later and explained all the cryptic references throughout the message.
Ross and Val responded happily, they both really enjoyed the reception, looking radiant throughout.
The official table
All the wedding party had to go to dancing lessons with grandpa the day before the wedding. It nearly paid off.
And what does every mother of the bride do at the end of the night, go home and have a good drink. The magnum was given to Ross and Val by a good friend of Ross’s (whose name escapes me). The wine was from Pemberton I think.
After the wedding, we all went on the honeymoon (strange traditions in the US). We drove to Killington (not the weight of the dead deer), Vermont. This was a large resort on the East Coast of America. Unfortunately it was a bit early in the season and they had no natural snow. Since the temperatures were generally below freezing they were able to pump out an enormous amount of man made snow which made skiing very viable.
Luke organised a great condominium in Killington, so we all got to stay together on the honeymoon.
On the Wednesday, it rained all day so we went out to lunch. From the left, you have Merv, Danni Jo, Fi and Luke, Val, Bruce and Ross. The food in the US was all very good, though usually too much and very fattening. Rosie reckons I look like the Michelin man since I have come home.
(Right) Joanne in my Redgate hat on the balcony of our condo. The Redgate hat doesn’t look so good on me, but the scenery is nice.
From the base lift we took the gondola to the top of the mountain and then had the choice of three or four enormous runs to get to the bottom. We could also take a couple of chair lifts and a poma if we didn’t want to come all the way down.Jo, Danni and Val. As you can see on the ground, not much snow if it hadn’t been made.
This was taken on our last day, it had snowed all night and the conditions were great. Fresh snow made the trees look fantastic. From the left you have Merv, Jo, John, Ross, Val, Fi, Luke and Danni. The temperature was -5°C and you still had snow guns blasting you on the way down the track. This is how I managed to ski off the mountain the previous day. The snow guns tended to cover your goggles in snow and hence reduce visability. John is a New Zealand friend of mine, who I met 9 years ago while travelling around the world. He has since married a girl from New York and is living in an apartment on Broadway, in Manhattan.
After the ski trip, John took me back to New York, where I stayed with him and his wife Cheryl. They live within walking distance of Central Park and we took a good walk around this famous landmark. This is the boatshed.
The park is extremely large, with playing fields and lakes through out.
This is the boatshed.
John and Cheryl outside MONH, Cheryl is a typical New York girl and I found her to be very open and friendly.
On the Sunday, we walked to the Museum of Natural History where I went to view the dinosaurs display. I thought Liam would be interested in the pictures and a present that had something to do with dinosaurs.
The MONH has a great dinosaur display and also features in one of Liam’s videos, where the dinosaurs are trying to get there so that children everywhere could come along and see them. After the museum we went to a matinee performance of a Broadway production by Craig Lucas, called Reckless. It starred Mary-Louise Parker (Boys on the Side, Fried Green Tomatoes and several other movies) and Rosie Perez (Fearless, White Men Can’t Jump, It Could Happen to You and others). The play was very quirky and interesting. the experience was fantastic. After the play we went to a New York pizza restaurant and met up with David, a friend of Cheryl’s.
The evening ended with John and Cheryl driving me to the airport and me catching a plane home. It was another surreal experience to think that one day I was at a play on Broadway in New York and effectively the next day (only 40 hours of traveIling this time) I was back in Margaret River taking a relief lesson in a Year 9 class trying to teach Pythagorus to a group with several foul mouthed girls who only wanted to talk about their sex lives (I wasn’t too focused during the lesson, which explains the language and topic of conversation that they were participating in. The next day I tracked down a couple of the main offenders and after a long discussion, while giving them detention, I did gain a much better impression of them.)
Overall I had a great holiday and felt that the whole event was very worthwhile. I had to suck up to Rosie by buying her a Calloway Fusion Driver, which she proceeded to go out and use on the day after I got home and won the competition. I missed my son Liam enormously and have thoroughly enjoyed being back home and bonding with him. Now life is pretty well back to normal. I thoroughly recommend the use of sleeping pills on long flights. I have had virtually no effects from jet lag and was able to go out to Vasse Felix on Thursday night and enjoy a great night with friends from the accommodation industry. My ribs are sore as hell from my ski accident and I can not laugh, sneeze or turn over at night without feeling immense pain.
