A Tribute to my Dad
The wonderfully eccentric man who kickstarted my love for cars
My Dad (left) was an incredible man whose excitable, generous, and inquisitive soul touched the hearts of so many people. Our relationship as father and son was a journey filled with rich experiences that stemmed from his list of seemingly never-ending interests. He would always ensure that we made the most of any time spent together. My earliest memories were of weekends packed with football, be it practice, matches or Fulham, a passion that has united us ever since. Our evenings would be rounded off with some Doctor Who or a Whodunnit - Agatha Christie was his favourite, so he could hardly contain his excitement when we visited her country house in Devon.
We also spent ten glorious summers at Shell Cove, in Devon, a unique place that really embodied my Dad - a beautiful Georgian house with idyllic views enjoyed with great people. He loved the countryside and we covered a lot of it over the years, although we would have covered a lot more if we hadn’t stopped at every church and second-hand book shop. I had to set a limit of three each per day.
I have so many things to thank him for: he heavily influenced my interest in cars, music, clothes and culture, taking me to a load of gigs (mostly Beach Boys), some crazy adventures in New York and Japan, and countless National Trust visits for which - generous as he always was - he got me a lifetime membership on my eighteenth birthday.
One of the things I’ll miss the most about my Dad is sharing life’s mundane things with him only for his response to be full of enthusiasm and vigour. The next time I’d see him, he would quite often have researched the subject matter and relay all these wonderful titbits he’d discovered. Sometimes I find that I come out with the most obscure facts and wonder how on earth I knew it, and of course, it was from my Dad. He had the most incredible thirst for knowledge, more than anyone I’ve ever known.
One of his most admirable decisions was to leave the glitz and glamour of Condé Nast to pursue a career in heritage. A story he loved to tell was about the time I visited him at Vogue House. Outside, after seeing all the beautiful people in beautiful clothes, and I think more pertinently to the excitable thirteen year old me, him seemingly being the only man on his floor, I asked “But Dad, why would you ever want to leave this job”. Thankfully, that’s what he did, and it turned out to be the best decision he ever made. He pursued his passion, got a third degree, and had a wonderful second career that he loved and was proud of.
His best decision, however, was to take the step into the world of online dating, for if he hadn’t, he never would have met the love of his life. Sadly a brisk whirlwind of a relationship but one that I’m so glad happened. It was so good to see him finally be so happy. As my time with my father has come to an end, I am trying to stay positive and see the silver linings, and I’m happy to have found solace in new relationships that are blooming as a result of this tragic occurrence.
I’d like to take this moment as a reminder of how to live life the right way. My Dad showed us how it’s done. He lived every day to its fullest, bursting with energy to fill every minute of it with adventure and inquisition. He was never bored. He had far too much going on in his life to experience boredom. He was colourful, stylish and loud; kind, generous and so loving; and while I shall miss him so very much, I want to celebrate his wonderful life and carry forward all of his best qualities and the special things that he stood for.
