Hats and Caps

Father's Day, I wish happiness and joy to fathers everywhere, especially mine.

Here he is in his hey-day-sailing-days, this shot taken in 1991. He really loved that boat. And the hat. He still likes hats - and rarely leaves home without wearing some kind of headgear. His father , my Grandfather, was a Gentleman's milliner or Hatter, with his own shop in North London, who went broke during the war. Last year when I was home and we were still sorting out a couple of boxes of stuff from his move in August 2011 (leaving North London to be my brother's neighbour in Essex) I found his once precious bowler hat, still in pristine as-new condition, carefully stored from his days working in the City during the Sixties. I remember vividly his bowler-crombie-paisley scarf wearing + briefcase-Financial Times carrying days when he would go by train into Liverpool St each morning along with thousands of others. Ah, memories. Mother's Day and Father's Day are all about memories I guess, and being thankful and showing gratitude. A celebration of life and love. I am thankful for the childhood Mum and Dad gave me and for the life and love. I hope he knows it. I will be able to tell him tonight when we Skype.

I hope he has a peaceful Father's Day today, I wish I could be with him.