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A passionate kiss at the stroke of midnight is the perfect way to celebrate the start of a

new year. For Brad and Hilary Lauder, it was the start of a perfect partnership.

It was a typical London New Year’s Eve for event manager Hilary Lauder, who had casual plans to ring in 1999 with a small group of friends. In fact, she was so sure it would be nothing special that she almost didn’t bother going out. “I had arranged to go and spend New Year’s with Rachel, one of my best friends from uni – she lived in a large share house in Richmond. I was actually thinking, ‘I can’t be bothered to go.’ Then I looked at my horoscope and it said something along the lines of ‘you should go out tonight.’”

Little did Hilary know she would meet the future father of her children as she stepped through the door of the boisterous London home, inhabited by six Brits and one Aussie. “I thought I would just have another typical New Year’s Eve,” remembers Hilary. The first person she laid eyes on was a strapping Australian rugby player named Brad, who had recently moved into one of the rooms. “I was one of the first to arrive,” recalls Hilary. “Brad was sitting at the table. He was big, loud and confident and when I walked in, he said, ‘So, young Hilary, what do you do?’

I was a bit cheeky back to him. I think he quite liked that I wasn’t shy or taken aback.”

Brad, who had recently moved from Brisbane to work in a marketing position in London, wasn’t looking for love that night, but was struck by Hilary’s cool demeanour and intelligence. “We were at opposite ends of the room for a while,” remembers Brad.  “There was a kitchen, with about 20 of us packed in there. One of my mates was in her ear, talking to her about physics. Another girl had taken quite a liking to me, so I was being crowded into a corner.” Hilary and Brad managed to sneak in some conversation throughout the night. Discovering they shared a background in event management meant they had plenty to talk about. “I thought she was very attractive,” says Brad.  “To be honest, I thought she was out of my league.”

As the new year arrived, it became clear Hilary had been quietly won over by Brad’s relaxed Aussie charm and sense of humour. “It’s a very English thing to kiss everyone at the pub or party at the stroke of midnight,” Hilary says. As ‘Auld Lang Syne’ played, Hilary took the opportunity to plant what she now describes as “more than a friendly peck” on Brad. “When we kissed at midnight, it came as a little bit of a surprise to me,” Brad confides, “I didn’t realise she was interested.” Brad was also surprised when Hilary talked to his brother on the phone and gushed about the impression he had made. “My brother and family called from Australia,” says Brad. “Hilary got on the phone in the middle of the pub, telling them how lovely I was. I thought, ‘Hang on, what’s going on here?’”

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After their New Year’s kiss, Hilary left the city to attend a work conference for a week. Intrigued, Brad asked Hilary’s friend, Rachel, for her phone number. “I knew he could get my number from Rachel, if he needed it,” says Hilary. “And I did hope he’d ring. I was in the kitchen at work when he called and the girls in my office rushed to find me. There was much excitement.” Hilary says she had a strange premonition prior to meeting Brad. “Funnily enough, I had just been sent some postcards from Queensland Tourism, where Brad used to work,” says Hilary. “Normally that stuff goes straight in the bin or in a file, but I liked the look of them so much I had pinned them up at my desk, which was a bit spooky.”

Brad took Hilary to the cinema for their first date, which turned into a weekend together, chatting and laughing, and before long, they were seeing each other a lot. Although the pair had an instant connection, Hilary had ended a long-term relationship nine months prior and was a little more cautious in matters of the heart than Brad, who admits he simply fell head over heels. “I’m a big softie; I’m absolutely the overt romantic and after three or four weeks I was smitten. I thought she was just awesome and I pretty much haven’t changed my opinion since,” explains Brad. “Hilary was a bit harder than that. I had to convince her a little more.”

It wasn’t long before Hilary trusted her feelings for Brad, and the pair decided to move in together – just five months after they first met. It was a big step for the couple and showed their early commitment to each other. The next step was for Brad to introduce Hilary to his beloved hometown of Brisbane and his family. “I was dead keen on her, and my goal was for Hilary to fall for Brisbane because I really didn’t want to live in London long-term. But as my brother pointed out the other night, if she had really wanted to stay, then I’d probably still be in London.” Hilary knew falling in love with an Aussie meant she may have to pack up and fly across the world to set up a new life down under. “It felt right, but there was the issue of him being Australian, and knowing he would want to go back,” she admits. “I could tell he was never going to stay in England forever. He didn’t like the weather or the traffic. So we just took it as it came and went to Australia to meet his family.”

 

The BubHub website was set up by Brad and Hilary to help Australian parents and parents-to-be make informed choices. Features include parent product reviews, family travel, parenting blogs and an online auction for baby gear. It is the only parenting website endorsed by the Australian College of Midwives, the Australian Lactation Consultants Association and Playgroup Australia. To find out more, visit www.bubhub.com.au.

Words: Pip Harry. Photography: Scott Hawkins. Hair & make-up: Tania Travers

 

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