6 minute read
Ian and Barry
IanBarr y AND KATOOMBA
EARLIER THIS YEAR, LEURA LOCALS BARRY JARROTT AND IAN FITCH CELEBRATED 22 YEARS AS A COUPLE. WE HAD A CHAT TO THE DYNAMIC PAIR AS THEY CLINKED GLASSES AND REFLECTED ON THEIR ENDURING LOVE AT KATOOMBA’S AVALON RESTAURANT.
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When Barry Jarrott met Ian Fitch in Sydney back in 1995, he was fobbed off twice before refusing to take no for an answer. “We were at the Imperial Hotel, in Erskineville, and we fi nally had a drink together,” Barry recalls. “I invited him for dinner at my place and we’ve been together ever since. I blame lamb.”
Ian admits that it didn’t exactly appear to be love at fi rst sight. “Barry had three goes at introducing himself, and the fi rst two times it looked like I was dismissing him with completely true but not very believable responses,” he says. “The third time was apparently my last chance. Lucky for me, I gave him the right answer.”
After spending seven years together in the city, where Barry was establishing his landscaping business and Ian was working in IT for a major insurance company, they decided to relocate.
“Barry woke up one morning and said he didn’t want to live in the city any more. This was a complete shock to me as he’d always been so urbane and there had been no hint that this complete change of outlook might be coming,” says Ian.
Being able to laugh riotously at the same things would have to be one of the most important factors contributing to the longevity of our relationship.“ “
PHOTOS: BRIGITTE GRANT PHOTOGRAPHY
For Barry, the desire for change had started to emerge after the 9/11 attacks on the US. “I also lost one of my closest friends in the 2002 Bali bombings and was growing increasingly unsettled,” he says. “I felt the world was going mad and I really wanted to live somewhere beautiful. I was also seeking more space for my expanding business.”
The regional city of Albury, Barry’s home town, was suggested but Ian wasn’t sold. “I decided that I couldn’t live in the country. The Blue Mountains then came up as the default compromise – there was enough space for it to be ‘not the city’ but it was close enough to Sydney to be able to commute for work and visit for leisure,” he says. “It was also affordable.”
Leura, in the upper mountains, became the frontrunner and the couple continues to live happily in this vibrant village with their Labrador cross, Freya. They both also own and operate small businesses in the mountains.
Ian co-owns Wyck Luxury Candles and spends his days hand-making candles from sustainable waxes and essential oils with his business partner, Robyn Vidler. Barry’s landscaping business, Arcadian Aspects, is responsible for the design of many local gardens and the maintenance of the lush garden beds that line Leura Mall.
“To me, Leura is one of the most beautiful places on Earth,” says Barry. “I love the way that it operates like a country town but has an urban sophistication. Our community is very supportive when called upon but we all have busy lives, so have no interest in living in each other’s pockets.”
As well as enjoying the strong sense of community in the village, Ian particularly likes the fact that Leura is “extremely diverse and extremely accepting” of anyone and everyone.
“There’s a sense of taking a step back from the pressure of city life; of escaping to something a bit more ‘real’, where people are more open and friendly. As a result, the atmosphere encourages you to focus on the more important things, like each other,” he elaborates.
“Generally speaking, no-one cares where you come from or what your background is. They accept you for who you are now,” adds Ian. “And being queer is largely irrelevant – I’ve always considered myself to be part of the Blue Mountains community as a whole, rather than part of some narrower LGBTIQ subset thereof.”
When it comes down to it, we are quite diff erent, so I think “ the whole yin/yang thing plays a role. But we also share a set of fundamental principles – we respect, promote and applaud each other’s sense of decency.“
On the subject of acceptance, both men say they strongly support marriage equality, despite not wanting to marry each other.
“As a gay man, my right to marry has no effect or impact on anyone else. There is no valid argument against it, yet to deny anyone the basic human right of equality has the potential to do great harm to a person’s emotional wellbeing,” says Ian. “If you’re told that you’re different and that you can’t participate in the ‘normal’ processes and rights of passage within your society, you can be pretty sure it will have some effect on how you think about yourself, whether overtly or subconsciously.”
Barry agrees: “I don’t want to get married but I would like the option to say, ‘No, it doesn’t suit me’. Marriage equality would make our commitment to who we choose to love as valid as anyone else’s.”
Having been together for over two decades, Ian and Barry believe there are several factors that help to keep their relationship on solid ground.
“When it comes down to it, we are quite different, so I think the whole yin/yang thing plays a role,” Barry explains. “But we also share a set of fundamental principles – we respect, promote and applaud each other’s sense of decency.”
A compatible sense of humour also helps. “Being able to laugh riotously at the same things would have to be one of the most important factors contributing to the longevity of our relationship,” Barry adds. “And probably most importantly, my heart still misses a beat whenever Ian walks into a room.”
Ian feels the same way: “Laughing together and laughing often is vital. Also, it certainly helps that he’s still hot – even after all these years!” BML
BEHIND THE SCENES
Stephen Harris, owner of Dappa Clothing, brought along a rack of clothes from his extensive upcycled range of clothes and accessories for our shoot. While photographer Brigitte Grant was setting up, Stephen, Barry and Ian had fun mixing and matching outfits. In the background, Dylan and the team at Avalon Restaurant created cocktails and kept the wine glasses filled. Cheers to everyone involved!
