To celebrate Australian Love Stories at the National Portrait Gallery, we’ve chatted to Pop Inn regulars to discover more about each of their unique love stories.
THE PARENTS
“About ten years ago, we went out to Young for a weekend getaway when we still had kids at home. It was a bit of an escape work, escape the kids weekend. Geoff had promised that he would stop on the road, which is rare because he is usually a point A to point B kind of person. We stopped past a little, tiny winery called Grove Estate. They had an inexpensive quaff called Wherehaveyou Bin, and we’ve been loyal customers for 10 years since. The memories of this small but significant getaway are brought back to us when we enjoy a glass. The road trip, our love of exploring new places and the wine have become part of our love story.”
The parents of our very own founder Kimberley, Gai and Geoff Britt are one of the original love stories to grace the Pop Inn. The Britt’s have been married for 43 years and met each other right here in Canberra. They can regularly be found frequenting the Pop Inn or enjoying a glass of ‘Grovey’ at home. 🧡
THE URBAN FAMILY
“Most of us don’t have a lot of family here, so we established our own local family. We met through mutual friends and just connected. We’re totally diverse - different age groups, different professions, different ethnicities, different intellectual levels and attention spans,” they say with a laugh. “And we just clicked! Ever since we met, we’ve just been like little socialites hanging out together like teenagers.”
Wendy, Phillip, Theresa, Mikey, Ian, Kate, Mariella, Celia, Jo and Matthew are a modern-day urban family (and weekly Pop Inn regulars!). In a city where most have no blood relatives around, this eclectic group found each other years ago, and have held on tight ever since. They’re a true modern day Australia Love Story, bringing laughter to everyone in sight.
THE ENGAGED COUPLE
“Something that I got taught quite young by my parents is that if you’re going to sit down with your partner and have an uncomfortable or strong emotional argument, hold hands. Sit on the couch and make it a rule to hold hands during the conversation. It’s okay to be angry, it’s okay to talk with a lot of passion, but it’s important to choose to hold hands. When you’re touching somebody, you can’t get stupidly angry… you can’t say the hurtful things. It stops a person walking away from it. To this very day, almost twenty years later, whenever we discuss something we disagree on, we sit down and we choose to hold hands.”
An epic tale of love between Ian and Mikey culminated in a proposal, right here at the Pop Inn. Excuse us while we wipe away our tears! Together since 2002, Ian and Mikey have been through it all, and have plenty of wisdom to share as a result of their beautiful love story.
See more of Australian Loves Stories at the National Portrait Gallery from Saturday 20 March - Sunday 1 August 2021.
