| Things your Dad did that you don't 18:15 - Apr 17 with 8914 views | MrSheen |
I have a list, which includes:
1) Driving with the doors open - admittedly easier to do in a 1970s Commer van than a Nissan Qashqai. Driving with the doors tied back turned a routine journey down Willesden Lane into a helicopter mission deep into Vietnam.
2) Burning rubbish - any excuse: branches, old window frames, cement sacks, plastic sheets. Impossible for me now I live in a flat, but even when I had a garden I would never have got away with leaving a scorched pile of nails embedded in plastic in the middle of the garden.
3) Boiling lemonade - he was convinced this would cure any cold. Not honey and lemon, but R Whites boiled in a milk pan with a chopped onion in it. He might be right as I've never tried it.
4) Fixing Cars and 5) Going to auctions - Dad was so determined not pay for any professional services that he convinced himself he could fix any engine - for a while at least - and if any vehicle resisted the cure, there were plenty more where they came from. His love of car auctions led on to property auctions, looking for bargains he could do up and sell, and in retirement, to livestock auctions in Ireland. He used to take me along for the day to inspect the goods for sale - all the same to me - listen to the bidding - couldn't make out a word, all the time terrified if I scratched my nose I would end up owning a derelict hotel in Hastings or a herd of pigs. Not been back.
6) Exterminating insects - his hatred of paying for expert help intersected with his righteous fury at hosting unwanted guests, so insects beware - wasps bludgeoned to death with a hurley as they left the air brick under the back bedroom, boiling up the kettle for flying ants climbing out onto the garden path. Although I have been shamed into swiping spiders with a belt, I generally try to direct flying invaders to an open window. |  | | |  |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 01:53 - Apr 18 with 2153 views | numptydumpty |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 01:51 - Apr 18 by Boston |
I had just popped back on to say, wore slippers. |
Did he smoke a pipe though, as well Boston ??? |  |
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| Things your Dad did that you don't on 02:00 - Apr 18 with 2141 views | HAYESBOY |
Gardening.
Smoking.
Constantly finding DIY stuff to do.
Would only deal in cash all the way up until he passed in 2021. |  |
| Smells like a trout farm in here |
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| Things your Dad did that you don't on 07:27 - Apr 18 with 2039 views | colinallcars |
There's a saying attributed to Mark Twain..
When I was 16 I thought my Dad knew absolutely nothing.
When I reached 21 I was amazed how much he'd learned. |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 08:39 - Apr 18 with 1951 views | 1BobbyHazell |
Stand in the middle of the sitting room with Classical music playing full blast conducting, with an actual baton, to a non existent orchestra. For committed periods of time too, not a couple of minutes just for the laughs. Serious business. |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 09:28 - Apr 18 with 1894 views | dmm |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 08:39 - Apr 18 by 1BobbyHazell |
Stand in the middle of the sitting room with Classical music playing full blast conducting, with an actual baton, to a non existent orchestra. For committed periods of time too, not a couple of minutes just for the laughs. Serious business. |
Lovely. My long gone dad did the same. |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 09:59 - Apr 18 with 1854 views | MrSheen |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 02:00 - Apr 18 by HAYESBOY |
Gardening.
Smoking.
Constantly finding DIY stuff to do.
Would only deal in cash all the way up until he passed in 2021. |
Mine was like that too, but he never used a wallet, though my Mum kept buying them. He’d reach into his pocket and dredge out a fistful of coins and scrunched up notes. | | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 10:04 - Apr 18 with 1839 views | SydneyRs |
Urinate in the bedroom wardrobe thinking it was the toilet when drunk.
Sing in public. Also when drunk but he was annoyingly quite good.
Be good at fixing car/house stuff. |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 10:20 - Apr 18 with 1819 views | Hayesender |
Supported Arsenal |  |
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| Things your Dad did that you don't on 10:29 - Apr 18 with 1808 views | hubble |
Wore a cravat. Played golf with Jimmy Hill. |  |
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| Things your Dad did that you don't on 18:52 - Apr 18 with 1608 views | BristolR |
A full Ralph Coates combover, tamed to within an inch of it’s life by half a can of Old Cossack hairspray
Coming home pissed on Christmas Day, trying to open the Blue Nun with am old corkscrew and giving himself a black eye in the process
Wearing his pub cardigan and Desert Boots to said pub
Going Wembley in 1967, arriving home via the Bush at midnight and slapping a rosette on my Mum’s heavily pregnant stomach |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 19:06 - Apr 18 with 1593 views | Jules4367 |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 20:38 - Apr 17 by loftboy |
Morris dancing! |
Mine had an Austin 7 | | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 19:52 - Apr 18 with 1529 views | stowmarketrange |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 07:27 - Apr 18 by colinallcars |
There's a saying attributed to Mark Twain..
When I was 16 I thought my Dad knew absolutely nothing.
When I reached 21 I was amazed how much he'd learned. |
I heard a similar version that went something like this.I always thought my dad was wrong until my own kids showed me how right he was. |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 20:35 - Apr 18 with 1463 views | Juzzie |
Did national service (air force)
Hit a lamppost head on after coming off his motorbike (Velocette MSS)
Session musician with John Lee Hooker
Performed on one of the first Ready, Steady, Go shows (with Rufus Thomas)
Played at the first ever Glastonbury festival
Turned down the chance to be the drummer for Yes, 18 months before they hit the big time |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 23:04 - Apr 18 with 1362 views | Myke |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 20:35 - Apr 18 by Juzzie |
Did national service (air force)
Hit a lamppost head on after coming off his motorbike (Velocette MSS)
Session musician with John Lee Hooker
Performed on one of the first Ready, Steady, Go shows (with Rufus Thomas)
Played at the first ever Glastonbury festival
Turned down the chance to be the drummer for Yes, 18 months before they hit the big time |
Went to both Old Trafford and Maine Road to support United post WWII
Knocked his best friend out cold after his friend had accidentally pierced his foot with a pitchfork
Crashed his scooter into a roundabout on a very foggy night somewhere near Windsor
Got a lift in a famous actor’s car when his broke down (can’t for the life of me remember the celeb’s name)
Got engaged three times before he met my mum and was still engaged to one of them when he and mum got married.
Hit a tree so hard in his van near Ballina that the tree died and he miraculously didn’t.
Survived Weil’s disease in the sixties.
Smoked 60 fags a day. | | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 23:14 - Apr 18 with 1350 views | HantsR |
Put his dentures in Steradent by his bedside.I remember when he had just one remaining tooth - and had toothache!
Smoked Woodbines and flicked the ash on to the carpet.
Used Brylcreem - 'fixes hair and imparts gloss' |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 23:21 - Apr 18 with 1341 views | Match82 |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 01:51 - Apr 18 by Boston |
I had just popped back on to say, wore slippers. |
Not having that Boston, I love a pair of slippers |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 07:38 - Apr 19 with 1210 views | colinallcars |
My Dad often took me grouse shooting.
We met Prince Philip one weekend, out shooting peasants (sic). | | | |
| Things your Dad did that you don't on 08:28 - Apr 19 with 1167 views | RamseyR |
He always had a hankerchief in every pocket.
By that I mean one for blowing your nose, not a dress one in a top jacket pocket. |  | | |
| Things your Dad did that you did. on 11:12 - Apr 19 with 1063 views | numptydumpty |
Dad completed six london marathons.
i only did one.
Thing was the one i did was his second.
i was 28 at the time, but he did six from the ages of 57 to 62.
i didnt realise at the time, how incredible his achievement was, and even after doing it myself and realising what an amazing achievement, it was, his age whilst doing it, now i am the age he was then, it was an incredible feat.
My dad was a mason and family and friends were invited to black tie.tux ladies night do's. And one of the other men there invited his mate and his partner/ wife there, who happened to be QPR's Simon Barker and at one point they said about high achievers at the time and got my dad, Simon Barker and one other man to stand up and everyone gave them a round of applause.
At the time, i thought why they got my old man standing up there as a high achiever in sport, but now i am the age he was when he did it, i can see it was quite incredible.
When people have found out i ran it , they are impressed, but i was 28 and it was incredibly tough then. i am not unfit for my age now. i am reasonably active, but crikey nowhere near being able to run 26 and a bit miles in a decent time too.
Now, i think back i think how the h*ll did he do that !!!
[Post edited 19 Apr 11:14]
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