Image by Hanging House Photography

Hamish and I first set eyes on each other when he was nine and I was just seven. It seems like more than a lifetime ago, when the wide-eyed boy with great anticipation and some foreboding began life at Tudor House (a Preparatory Boys Boarding School in NSW), a life of challenges in the classrooms and in the paddocks.

We grew up making mischief together and Hamish was always the crazy rambunctious boy convincing me to partake in ‘boy’ activities and stealing my ‘homework time’ to play tennis, ride bikes, go swimming or play in the various paddocks the school had.

One day not long after Hamish started attending Tudor House the two of us, with a few ‘tag-along’s’ decided to go trudging through one of the paddocks when we found ourselves suddenly stuck in the mud. The mud claimed twelve gumboots and two bikes. This wasn’t the end, however, and a couple of us thought that seeing as they were already ‘dirty’, a little more mud wouldn’t hurt. One mud ball soon turned into fifty and before too long we were well and truly caked in mud. Imagine our fear and trepidation when after the skylarking was over, we headed back to the main part of the school bare-footed, caked in mud and presented ourselves to my Dad who was also The Deputy Headmaster. More the point, we were late for Dinner. What a sight! Life at Tudor House for this ‘boy’ had begun.

The adventures followed week after week; with me, ‘Miss Cassie’ often being the ‘ring leader’. Hamish soon learnt the art of returning from the paddocks just in the nick of time to change his clothes and be the last in line for the 4.45pm afternoon bus. By the time my tenth birthday arrived I was sporting a broken arm from a pillow fight having taken on a group of boys as the opposition. My horse riding lessons were brought to a halt as were my Tennis and Piano lessons. Never-the-less I continued with my outdoor adventures sporting pink gumboots and a plastic bag over the cast. Nothing was going to stop me.

Our lives took different directions when Hamish left for Secondary School and my family moved to the Mid North Coast of NSW. We remained in contact and were reacquainted a few years later when Hamish invited me to his 21st Birthday. All of a sudden I realized that he wasn’t ‘SO’ crazy anymore. He had grown into a man with great dreams and a HUGE smile. He was handsome, smart, passionate and talented! We wrote voraciously, and on Hamish’s birthday we officially started dating. As the saying goes: When I fell in love….. Hamish was there to catch me.

Ms Gingham says: The smile is on my face and the lump is in my throat. Such a beautiful story!

Cassandra says: “My name is Cassandra. I am 22 about to turn 23. I got married just after my 21st Birthday to the man who had been my best friend since I was eight. I am the owner of Jillian Boyd Weddings & Events, based in The Hills District of Sydney, NSW”