Father's Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day – the poor relation to its female equivalent? The fanfare for Mother’s Day seems to begin before we’ve even packed away the tinsel and polished off the turkey sandwiches. For weeks on end, we’re greeted with a sea of pink cards at the counter and bombarded with ‘Mother’s Day special’ email offers. Father’s Day on the other hand, has a rather unwelcome habit of sneaking up after Easter with barely a nudge from John Lewis or a whisper of a 2 for 1 Sunday Lunch deal down the local pub.

Suddenly, with less than a week to go you have to rustle up a gift that’s thoughtful, easy to procure and gives the impression that considerably more effort has gone into it than perhaps may be the case. There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to dads but if you’re looking for a sure-fire hit, Crombie is a good place to start. Purveyors of the best of British menswear and accessories since 1805, their illustrious roll call of admirers includes Winston Churchill, Cary Grant, The Beatles, Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson to name a few. Show me a man who wouldn’t like to be included in that list! If you’re trying to keep to a budget, one of their elegant silk handkerchiefs is a fail safe option. It’s something they can keep and carry with them forever and with a range of colour choices you’re sure to find a shade your dad will love – Bob’s your uncle! If you want to push the boat out, their handcrafted cufflinks are timeless while their made-to-measure coat service is an experience in itself and something you can enjoy together – with over 50 fabrics to choose from they’ll need all the help they can get!

If your dad is the man who has everything, a day out or membership may be the way to go. A high speed boat ride down the Thames or climbing the 02 will delight thrill seeking fathers. While for culture vultures, a membership to the National Trust or an Art Fund pass will give them free or reduced entry for a whole year into hundreds of museums, galleries and historic homes.

A print or artwork is also a good way to avoid falling into the ‘bottle of scotch and a box of chocolates’ trap. History buffs will go weak at the knees for this Spitfires at Dusk print from Josephine Home while the Royal Academy of Arts online shop has hundreds of prints by some of Britain’s best known artists to choose from.

So there you have it, this Father’s Day you have no excuse for turning up empty handed or clutching another boring golf themed card. They may be embarrassing, they may not even know how to use the remote control or when to retire that ‘zany’ tie from 1992, but most of the time, Dad’s are pretty great - and don’t you forget it!