A Happy Father’s Day from the IDHL Group

Father’s Day is a mere two days away, and we’re sure you’re all extremely well-prepared (if not, best get yourself to Amazon pronto – you’re welcome) and ready to spoil them this Sunday. Sure, they may have embarrassed you many, many times over the years with their dad-dancing, terrible music taste and for their seemingly endless supply of truly awful jokes that they always saved for when your friends were around, but you can’t help but love them.

Whoever your father figure may be, there’s always that one person in your life who has really inspired you looked out for you and offered plenty of words of wisdom to you when you needed them the most. We asked the IDHL Group staff to share some of their Dad-themed stories with us to honour them in time for the big day.

Patrick Crier – WMG/ID

My Dad thinks he’s cool because he likes, ’modern music’. Chart-toppers, such as Keane, Snow Patrol, Take That, Elbow, Stereophonics, James Blunt and Stereophonics are amongst his favourites.

Terrible taste in music aside, he’s funny and usually in a cheerful mood!

Elle Reece – WMG/ID

I have no issues admitting I am a Daddy’s girl. I always have been and still am at 28! To me, he’s larger than life, and I’ll always look at him in the same way I did when I was a little girl. He keeps our family very close and always looks after us. It still amazes me that he can answer almost every question on University Challenge, but his love is the outdoors and now in his retirement (he’s 63 if you were thinking how youthful he looks ?) he keeps bees and makes wooden spoons!

I’ll never stop loving him, and he’ll never stop teaching me. Happy Father’s Day Richie. Love You xxx

Taryn Clegg – WMG/ID

My Pops aka Dangerous Dave! This man right here is my hero, and my go to! My husband sometimes refers to him as my partner in crime as we always back each other up (ALWAYS).

He’s taught me so many life lessons that I cannot pick one in particular. He truly is a great father in every single way! Firm but fair, kind, good company and quite often ridiculously funny (not always intentionally)!

Words don’t do these relationships that we have with someone so special, real justice.

I will only leave it in the words of my son ‘Pops you are AWESOME’!

Liz Beesley – NetConstruct 

My Dad has been an inspiration to me all my life.  His selfless, altruistic approach to everything makes him one of the ‘good people’ in the world.

He has been involved in the Knaresborough Lions Club for as long as I can remember.  Few people realise how much of their own time the Lions put into raising money and awareness for local charities and local families who’ve been through hard times and need to be thrown a lifeline.  As one of four, his work was cut out for him being a father, but he still managed to find endless amounts of his own time to give something of himself to the community.  The annual event of the Great Knaresborough Bed Race takes months and months of organising to make it the huge (and hugely popular!) event it has now become. I’ve always looked up to my Dad, for showing me & my siblings that it’s the little things in life that matter.

Michael Tilley – WMG/ID

My son is due in August, so I don’t have any Dad moments to share yet, but I’m making my stance on his career choices clear from the outset. Baby boxing gloves, and a hard drive full of the best matches ever for night time feeds. #FutureHeavyweightChamp #NoPressureSon #WorseThanADanceMom

Paula and Marta Espallargas – WMG/ID

This is Rubén, our father and the only man in our family.

As a father, he has taught us so many things such as respect, honesty and politeness. But that’s not all! He is also a cool hunter, a photography lover and an amazing artist! His sketch books and travel journals are such an inspiration for us. So, I’m sorry… but our father’s cooler than yours! Feliz día papá! Paula and Marta xx

Becky Davey – WMG/ID

Despite being a doting father to his own two children, my brother-in-law Tony gives my daughter Holly the love, support and encouragement she needs from a father-figure.  We thank you and love you, have a great day xx

 

Darren Navier – NetConstruct

Mine (in a professional capacity) was probably Eamonn Wilmott – boss at Online Magic in London who gave me my first chance as a creative in what was then the largest, most awarded and most innovative webshop in the UK.

Brave enough to give what were nothing more than kids a chance to shine in the first wave of the web (I started there in ’97) many of whom went on to have amazing careers all around the world or set up their own incredibly successful creative shops relying on what they learned while at Online Magic/Agency.com

Jenny Garrett – WMG/ID
My dad is my first love, my hero and someone I look up to.

An honest, hardworking man that never gives up, his motivation, dedication, and reliability are just a few of many of his lovely traits I have inherited.

As one of the most important people in my life that I love dearly, I’m fortunate to have a dad so special.

Mark Rushworth – WMG/ID

Here’s my son Flynn and I playing with my phone while on holiday.

Being a father has changed me dramatically as I have to put Flynn first in all things. As his second favourite person in the world (next to Grandad), I am constantly in demand, and my greatest joys are when he discovers the small things, like how to drink from a straw or that DVDs spin in their cases. It’s also made me really appreciate a bit of peace and quiet ?

Zina Arib – WMG/ID

This is a picture of my Dad and me in London.

My father has always impacted my life in so many ways, that ‘s hard to list them all! He’s a professor of philosophy, and he’s always spent a lot of time to teach me things gently.

He brought me into a world of philosophy, culture and history, and I owe him my curiosity and my eagerness to learn. He always taught me how to think and not what to think. I’ve learnt with him to love Aristotle, Socrates and Homer, as well as the Arabian civilisation (from the Middle East, North Africa to Andalusia) and the antic Egypt. Socrates wrote one of my favourite sayings: ‘I know one thing: that I know nothing’ referred to as the Socratic Paradox, which should be our mantra because life is a constant learning process.

I always remember our visits to the Louvre every month where we would admire the French and Italian paintings, as well as learning about the Persian world.

He’s adorable, gentle and proud. He’s a warrior because although he learnt to read and write at the age of thirteen (he’s from a poor village in Algeria which was a colony at that time); he ended up with a PhD in human science from La Sorbonne, Paris. He’s now writing books and managing a group of Bioethics research. This is why he’s a real inspiration for me. He lives in Algeria while my sister and I grew up in France but he’s always been in our lives, and this is why I love papa! ❤

Angela Hutchinson – WMG/ID

This is my Dad who I share many traits with, good and bad! He really amazed me in the way he looked after my Mum during her 10-year illness, right the way up to her death, now it’s my turn to take care of him. For Father’s Day, we’re heading up to Cow & Calf in Ilkley for a nice walk then to stuff our faces ?

Chris Shelbourn – WMG/ID

Here is me and my Dad enjoying the England vs South Africa cricket at sunny Headingley recently. Dad got me into cricket at a very young age and used to take me to watch Yorkshire with my family.

 Alexa Cobbold – WMG/ID

This is me and my Papabear, George Henry in one of our favourite places in the Lake District. Growing up, he was by far the best teller of stories and could imitate Donald Duck to a ridiculously good level – don’t ask.

He was one of the most positive people I ever knew, even through the most difficult times, and was also ridiculously tall. He gave me my height and my love of the countryside – especially if there’s a good pub halfway round. He was pretty great for a whole bunch of reasons, but he mostly inspired me (and continues to do so) because he could pretty much do anything he set his mind to, and he made me believe that I can do so too.

What can I say, I miss you and love you Papa x

David Shave – WMG/ID

Alan W Shave C.V.O O.B.E

From humble East End roots, my father has achieved many great things in his life. Leaving school with no qualifications, he rose to be a high-ranking diplomat and still works in Bolivia representing UK companies.

As you grow old, you hopefully become wiser to realise that some of the differences between you and your father, are in fact the similarities that you share.

I now understand that my dad taught me many things – a strong work ethic, a rigid moral backbone, altruism, money comes and goes but that the moment is now. My father has always done all he could for me, and that is something I hope to continue doing for my children. My greatest single learning from my dad is that “the sun always shines”. Not an easy one in the UK but at least once a day you will see a little glimmer of light through the clouds. If you don’t see it today, there’s always tomorrow.

He’s a great man.

Kari Munro – WMG/ID

My Dad’s work ethic has impacted me hugely; he’s ex-army, never been afraid of hard work, and still going strong in his late 60’s, and although retired, is still building his house! He also has a sense of adventure and likes the outdoors, which again has rubbed off somewhat onto me (although his love of red wine has not!) Oh, and he’s a ‘frugal’ Scot, making me a ½ Scot so make of that what you will!

Lesley Taylor – WMG/ID

My Dad, the sweetest, kindest, most hardworking, patient and loveable person EVER. He is my rock and clearly a rock star Grandad. We are his Number One Fan ❤

Wishing all you Dad’s a Happy Father’s Day for Sunday! What are you treating your Dad to this weekend?