Father's Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's fifteen years since my Dad died, so the fact that today is Father's Day hadn't registered with me. No nipping to the shops for a last-minute greetings card, no stopping at the off-licence for bottles of Bell's and lemonade. But always the thoughts of him in my head. I don't need a 'day' to remember my old man, but I wish he was here so I could tell him ..

Me and Abe Lincoln

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Father's Day, and yet another year without my old pop. Here we are in New York, well over half my lifetime ago. I fucking hated that 'Abraham Lincoln' beard he'd decided to grow, but now I'd give anything to give that bristly chin a cheeky scratch. Miss you Dad x

Father's Day ..

It's summer 1961, and a good-looking 28 year old proudly holds his one year old son for the camera, their smiles captured forever.

The 28 year old was my Dad. I'm the little nipper in his arms. I wish I could put my arms around him now .. 

To Dad!

Today's the day we think of our Dads .. not that I ever stop .. and there's no finer way of remembering mine than with this shot - circa 1980 - of his beloved Bell's whiskey and lemonade, served up in the kitchen we used to share in Eccles. I can still see his ice in the glass.

God bless ya, Dad. Nine years gone and still missed like buggery!

For Dad, and for David ..

Here's my Dad, messing about with my old Zenith EM, circa 1977. Father's Day has become a rather sad affair since he died just before it in 2009, but today was made even sadder with the news that a friend of mine, a proud Dad himself, lost his fight for life after a serious illness. If your old man's still knocking about then go and hug him right now. Hug him, buy him a pint, tease him about his crappy taste in shirts .. just love him whilst you still can ..

For Dad, and for David .. 

My Dad ..

This is me and my Dad having a pint at Manchester Airport, about 22 years ago. It's Father's Day here in the UK and, although it's now six years since he died, I think about my Dad all the time. It makes me happy to know we had a great relationship and, much as I hate these schmaltzy, blatantly commercial 'days', they do actually give people a chance, if you're not as close as we were, to dare to say 'I love you'..

Actually, I mostly used to say he was an 'Old Fart' but, in the close language of Father and son, that means the same thing!..


 

Best Dad in the world...

No blog today as I'm full of Man-Flu - ie: a slight cold - and I'm feeling yuck! That said, I didn't want to let Father's Day go by without a nod to me old Pop, who's been dead three years now and I miss him like hell! Happy Father's Day, Joe O'Neill !!