Father's Day and the man that is my idol

Before I start let me apologise for my blog turning into an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? I apologise to my new and old followers that I have done two posts in a row about my adoring family. I promise I'll be back to gushing about old Beetles and 20's dresses very soon.

On Sunday the country and a lot of the world clubbed together to celebrate Father's Day. Earlier in the year I blogged all about Mother's Day and the fabulous woman that is Mummy Second Hand Rose. You can read about it and see all her fabulous cake creations here. Now for this post it's Daddy Second Hand Rose's turn, get ready to learn more about the legend.

Father's Day isn't as old as Mother's Day and has only really been celebrated since 1916. It all began in Washington when a woman in 1908 called Sonora Smart Dodd decided to campaign for a day to honour Father's. Sonora and her five other siblings were raised only by her father. She campaigned relentlessly around Washinton finding support from shop keepers, churches and government officials.

Eventually it was made the first national statewide day in Washington to celebrate Father's on the 19th of July 1910. Slowly the holiday spread and in 1916 President Wilson marked the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Washington. In the 20's and the 30's there was a campaign to abolish the day in favour of a Parent's Day.

Every year on Mother's Day pro-Parents' Day groups rallied in New York's Central Park to protest, you can tell the TV hadn't been invented yet can't you. Then in 1929 when the Depression hit struggling retailers and advertisers doubled their efforts to make Father's Day a 'second Christmas' for men promoting gifts such as socks, hats, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods. Now they're lucky to get a 99p card from the Card Factory and a box of half price Thornton's chocolates. When World War II began advertisers argued that celebrating the day was a way to honour troops and the war effort. By the end of the war it was a national day, lucky old Daddy's.

Then in 1972 in the middle of an election campaign Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making the day a federal holiday at last. Over the years it has spread throughout the world and in a lot of countries ranging from the UK to Barbados and Zambia, it is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June. Lucky old Hallmark.

My dad is my number one man and compared to him Christian Louboutin would be way way down the list, well at least 4th. Like my Mum he is my rock and is always there for me when I need him. I honestly don't know how I'd be able to keep on smiling without my Dad's support and humour. I'm sure I'd probably be skint and scouring joke books just for some laughter. He is the funniest person I know and can always make me laugh even in the most awkward and terrifying times.

He retired recently, so I now have endless days of watching Only Fools and Horses and playing cards with him to look forward to. I swear that when I was a child he wanted another son. Whilst my brother was being dressed up as girl by my sister, I was being taught how to change a tyre, tile, do electrics and was the main goalie and wicket keeper. I had my very own Chelsea kit complete with scrunchies and socks. Whenever something goes wrong in the house or when something needs to be made up, I am his right hand woman. Well someones gotta stop him making a mess of it.

I've always been extremely close to him and when I was five I used to get up every morning at 6am to shave with my dad. I had my own razor and he taught me how to shave my 'beard' off, I'm just thankful I didn't actually start to grown one. We are both very alike and share mainly traits, including the same sense of humour and logical mind. Along with that we both adore old cars, so I have him to teach me all about Chevrolet's and Morris Miner's. Although he does have to physically restrain me from buying an old car every time I see one. He is a brilliant husband, father and all around fabulous bloke.


We have been on at my Dad to lose weight as none of us want to be wearing black anytime soon. As a joke present we made him a hamper up full of carrots, celery and Slim Fast snacks. As a less jokey present we got him a plaque for his retirement bench that he was given to by his lovely colleagues at work.
We deliberated for a long time about what to inscribe it with. We decided to go with 'Bunter's Bench', which I am sure has made you all have a slightly unattractive confused look on your face. Years ago he was nicknamed Billy Bunter, which has now been shortened to 'Bunter' by his three lovely adoring children. He was happy with his presents, even if they do make him grow some fluffy ears and a tail.

I bet you can guess which one is mine!

So happy Father's Day to the amazing Daddy Second Hand Rose. I'm so grateful he came home every night around 6pm and wasn't working away all the time, so I got to knew him throughout my life and we are now very close. Due to him being 'frugal' as he would put it, he has been able to retire in his mid fifties and has many years of wearing the same clothes he was wearing in my baby photos and using voucher codes for meals out to come. I look forward to spending more quality 'father daughter bonding' time with ie. him doing my nails and dying my hair, yes you did just read that right.


Our world would be a lot somber and very dysfunctional without him. I mean who else is going to teach me all those invaluable bits of trivia that I can't live without. By the way did you all know that there are no slums in Norway?

Second Hand Rose
XxxX