BACK TO LOVE: The Ballad of Kit and Tim

Fourth in our BACK TO LOVE series, where we hear from engaged couples on where this last year has taken them, is the totally perfect pairing of Kit and Tim. Their loved-up-ness just jumps out from the words and pics and it’s clear that they are pleased as punch to have found each other and they know how to enjoy all the good things in life. And most importantly enjoy it all together.

A very content and can-do attitude to life, from setting up an urban farm store in lockdown (yup) to overcoming a super stressful sounding proposal, being dads to their fur baby Rufus, to just having a lovely time on the day that was meant to be their wedding last July. I think we all need to be more Kit and Tim! Thanks guys and can’t wait to see the big day finally in 2022! Oh and peeps - if you’re in Edinburgh be sure to check out The Bears Larder as of the 24th April!

Who are you both and what do you do?

My name is Kit. I'm Scottish, fuzzy, a bit squishy, partial to a snack and never found without a cup of tea close at hand. My obsessions include flannel shirts, properly seasoned food and starting craft projects that I'll never finish. I built my career as a Head of People and Culture for some big brands down in London before giving it all up in the middle of a global pandemic to open The Bears Larder in Edinburgh.

My other half is Tim. He is equally as fuzzy but just of the English variety. He has super powers of organisation and troubleshooting and is probably the more level headed out of the two of us. Got a problem? He can probably fix it. Providing you pay him in Haribo. He is a stage manager by trade and has worked on musicals and plays that have toured across the UK and most recently across the London West End. He’s now face first into our new business.

How did you meet?

We met when Tim was on tour with a show called The Producers. I moved down to London about a month after we first met and so most weekends for the first year or so were spent travelling to see each other. We clocked up a lot of travel miles! After his last tour ended Tim joined a show in the London West End and so it was perfect timing to move into our first home together and we haven't looked back since.

Fave things about each other?

I have many favourite things about Tim but if I had to pick I would probably say how inherently kind and giving he is. I usually joke that he is a grumpy old man but he is genuinely one of the kindest people I have ever met. Plus he embraces my weirdness and comes along on adventures with me. His favourite thing about me? I suspect it would be something like my ability to whip up a snack out of nothing and my complete inability to cook just enough for two people. There is always an inordinate amount of treats in the house when I'm left to my own devices.

How did the proposal go ?

So, when I tell the story from my perspective it was perfect. Tim however is the one that had to deal with the stress of actually proposing and he had a few hurdles to overcome on the day.

Every year we would travel to Edinburgh for our anniversary and visit The Stockbridge restaurant. It was where we had one of our first dates so it's always been somewhere special for us. Tim had initially planned to propose at the restaurant on our anniversary and had been hiding the ring in his pocket all night. Not an easy task when the box it comes in is carved from wood. As it got to the end of the meal there were still too many people around still dining and so he decided to find somewhere more private. After dinner he suggested we take a walk up to the castle to see it lit up at night. We got there and the scaffolding had gone up for trooping the Edinburgh Tattoo and so he decided that wasn't the right place either.

The next day Tim suggested we go up and visit the castle as the last time we had visited it had been torrential rain and we'd gotten soaked to the bone. I thought it was a bit odd because usually Tim isn't a fan of touristy places but we decided to go explore the castle and take a tour. Now on this particular day there was a coach load of spanish school students visiting and they were everywhere. Literally everywhere. Not a quiet spot to be found. The castle proposal went straight out the window.

Tim then suggested we take a walk and go climb Arthur's Seat. Now I am not one to voluntarily climb a large hill but we'd been meaning to go for a while and I was tempted by a visit to Black Medicine on route. As we arrived at Arthurs Seat, the same coach load of Spanish school students disembarked and started the climb. Not ideal and by this point I think Tim was starting to give up hope of ever finding the right spot.

We decided to break away from the pack and take a bit of an alternative route up the hill. We eventually scrambled up a bit of a rock face and found ourselves on a ledge that looked out over Edinburgh. We sat down to catch our breath for a minute and that was where he chose to propose. It was perfect and private and I wouldn't have changed a single thing. We then went to a cocktail bar and ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate and help Tim relax after what ended up being quite a stressful day.

What was your original wedding date and what did you do to mark the day that should have been your wedding day?

Our original date was July 18 2020.

We actually had a wonderful time. We got lucky in that restrictions had been lifted enough to allow hotels to reopen and so we took ourselves off for a long weekend to The Pig Hotel in the New Forest. We had a little cottage on the grounds, the sun shone all weekend and we spent it drinking fizz and eating amazing food. The team at The Pig took fantastic care of us and made the whole weekend feel really special. Whilst we were sad we couldn't spend it with others, it didn't feel like a sad occasion at all.

What is the current plan now? And how are you feeling?

We made the decision in February to postpone our date until July 2022. There is still a lot of uncertainty and I'm sure there will be more shifts and changes to guidance over the coming months (hopefully for the better!). For our day, we felt like we wanted the focus to be on celebrating with our friends and family opposed to the ceremony and signing our names in a book. We think we've a better chance of that being a reality next year. I also didn't want people to be talking about COVID all day at the wedding. It's just not what you want the focus to be. Plus I am going to need that extra time to shift this lockdown body because there is no way I'd be fitting into my kilt this year.

Have their been any the wins from the situations?

Absolutely. We’ve been able to spend more time together. We used to work opposite schedules so time together was reserved for the occasional day or evening off. We’ve also made the move out of London to Edinburgh and we couldn’t be happier. Plus we’ve started a business which has always been the dream.

Any advice or words for other couples going through the same thing?

I think our biggest piece of advice would be to try to set aside the stress and pressure of making it happen. Remember that it is your day and so if you need to postpone or make a change the only people that need to be happy and comfortable with it is you. Speak to your suppliers and talk through any concerns that you have because they are fountains of knowledge and can genuinely make a real difference. The team at Gloam really helped us. Not only were they massively supportive but they gave us insight into what other couples in our position were thinking.

Thanks Kit and Tim, can’t wait to see the big day in 2022 and also The Bears Larder opening on the 24th April!!