When our time in Oxford had just begun

I walked into Rhodes House, knowing no one

It was October 2013

We were so young, so green

But lucky me, I was seated next to Ben Hunn

At that point, Ben was in Oxford alone

Because his fairer half hadn’t yet flown

Little did we know

How our friend group would grow

When graced with the arrival of Katie Stone

At Royal Ascot we watched horses compete

We had parties and singalongs on Stockmore Street

We’d too often don gowns

For nights out on the town

With adventures, our lives were replete

As we got deeper into the Oxford grind

We got used to the dreaming spires’ shine

Katie nursing in otolaryngology

Ben researching in neurology

New entertainment we needed to find

Some of these were creative endeavors

Which particularly brought Katie and me pleasure

From ceilidhs to crafts

Or the occasional dance

Or making extreme numbers of gingerbread houses together

Other diversions took a more active steer

With Ben and Katie bringing both athleticism and cheer

From our half marathon feats

To climbing Arthur’s seat

To the rise and fall of my brief footy career

These memories now feel quite long ago

We’re all grown up, getting married, you know

But to have shared all those years

With such unforgettable peers

Forged a friendship we’ll never outgrow

Ben and Katie were anchors of our Oxford family

Ten years later, they remain a center of gravity

A foundation that, thenceforth,

Will remain a source of strength and warmth

Much like the heated concrete floors of their new house in Tassie

Now, I’m sure this is nothing new to this crew

Who from pretty much every continent flew

To this beautiful spot

To watch these two tie the knot

It’s the least either of them would do for you

So please raise your glass once again

To wish these two wonderful humans

Many more years in store

Beautiful as the ones that came before

A toast -- to dear Katie and Ben

— Nina Yancy