Things We Learnt From Our Fathers

The following is an extract from my article for The Rake. Read it in full here.

At The Rake, we consider ourselves fortunate to have had fathers and father figures to look up to, who offered us advice which we carry to this very day. Some of us have even inherited parts of their wardrobes too, just in case we ever needed a slightly more tangible reminder of their wisdom. My two most cherished items of jewellery are prime examples of that. One of my earliest memories was of my father holding me, and me being obsessed with his gold plated tiger tooth necklace. It was a thing of absolute beauty. Fast forward to my 18th birthday — by this point my parents must have begrudgingly trusted me to look after something expensive — he had it replicated in its entirety for me. An equally cherished gold bracelet he owned and wore in the Seventies was passed down to me a few years ago. I seldom take it off, and every time someone sees it, it’s always the first thing they ask about.

With everything I do, I always ask myself ‘how would Dad approach it?’. He has a way of lighting up a room, and an unrelenting desire to make those around him happy. He’s had a lot of hardship growing up, moving from Tanzania in the ‘70s to an unknown country that was England. Yet he still put all those he loved, above all else, in the face of adversity. He never judges anyone and always tackles difficult situations in a calm and patient manner. Better still, he has this ability to appreciate everything for what it is and not take life too seriously. It’s a quality I love. I just wish I could pull off white cords as well as he did.