ABC Classic Weekend Breakfast presenter, Ed, shares some news following his wedding last month.

It seems like the world has changed in the last days and weeks. Thousands and thousands of people on our East Coast have lost literally everything and had their lives changed for ever. So, considering all those troubles and beyond, I just wanted to say a quick thank you for your beautiful, kind, often hilarious, and always tender best wishes for Charlie’s and my wedding on the 20 February.

In 2011 Brisbane experienced the worst floods in living memory. I was living in Sydney at the time, but was so moved by the sight of people digging endless mud from their homes that I took my viola onto the streets of Sydney and busked for the flood recovery fund. For one of these concerts I played in a park in the inner-city suburb of Glebe. I set up underneath an enormous Morton Bay fig tree, opened my case for donations, and started to play the song “When I am Laid to Earth”, by Purcell. After some solitary notes the audience started to sing, very softly. After the volume had grown to support them enough, people began to let rip and sing with full operatic voices. It was completely unexpected. There we were, all strangers, and through a disaster we had come together; we held kindness and music in our hearts and together it became the perfect concert. And at the end, a small, bright-eyed woman came up and asked me a simple question, a meeting that would change my life.

That woman was Charlie.

And now, eleven years later and just before another catastrophic flood, we marry.

Who knows when love will walk in? After a tumultuous few years of transition, I am so happy to say that Charlie and I now walk hand in hand, and to let you know I will be taking her family name. From Emma Ayres to Ed Le Brocq, it has been quite the journey. And you helped make it possible.

But now it’s time to go sweep away some mud.