On the 24th of March 1973 Patricia Kay Lloyd the Catholic and Kerry John Bree the heathen were married at the tender age of 20 in the Catholic church in Oratia after gaining permission from the Bishop of Auckland for a mixed marriage.....
Trish had asked me some time in 1972 what I was doing on the 24th... I checked there was no football etc on and said" Nothing" that was when I was told we were getting married, a week before the end of the tax year which meant my tax code changed from S to M mmmmm $420 tax refund
My recollections of the day are a bit cloudy but this is pretty much how it went... Trish the beautiful bride hobbled down the aisle with a very swollen foot thanks to a bee.. the "Bree string later" joke wore thin by the end of the night.
As her Dad Mick lead her down the aisle he was thinking " Didn't I do this a year ago" yep mate that was Anne's wedding.....
My Dad (clutching his transistor radio) and Jack the Bus Driver were both thinking " I hope this does not carry on too long because we will miss the 6th race at Ellerslie." Most of the other guests were thinking "shit I could do with a smoke"
As I stood there within the splendid walls of the church admiring the stained glass windows and the religious trappings the two questions of great religious significance that had puzzled me for months after meeting the priest kept going through my head... How the hell could that bloody priest afford a brand new Bathhurst Monaro?? AND was he bonking the little honey of a blond house keeper?? According to my bride "Priest did not do that sort of thing" MMMmmmmmm
We exited the church arm in arm as the new Mr & Mrs Bree and here we are 35 years on. My Dad often stated that he had been married for 25 years but did not seem to grasp the fact that to qualify it had to be to the same woman... not 3 of them!!
35 years, 3 great kids, 1.8 grandchildren, numerous houses, some tears but lots of laughs. We are not trained for this sort of thing, Trish and I have no real interests that we share apart from the family, I have looked for words to sum it up, I guess the dictionary is full of them but there is one word that sum up our successful marriage.... Trish.
The greatest moment in my life happens every morning that I am lucky enough to wake up beside her..... Love you my little Cherub
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