Father’s day is here and it’s time to show your dad how much he means to you.
For those of us from sunny Yorkshire, we reckon there’s a few things that set our good old Yorkshire dads apart from the rest. Whether he’s a flat-cap wearing, garden-loving, country dweller or a BBQ hogging, fixer-upper; there’s a few characteristics that they all have in common.
Here are ten things that make Yorkshire dads distinguishable. After all, you can take the dad out of Yorkshire but you most certainly can’t take the Yorkshire out of the dad.
Your dad can fix anything, or will at least try to
Broken boiler? No problem. Problem with your car? Sure, pass it over.
No matter what skill set (or lack there of) your Yorkshire dad has he will have a go at fixing absolutely anything and everything. Because after all, that’s a lot better than buying a brand new one, right?
We may roll our eyes at the thought and shake our heads, but we will always be grateful at them taking a crack at it. And let’s be honest, most of the time they do fix it and oh, they most definitely won’t let you forget it.
Your dad will find the best bargain for everything
Buying a new garden rake directly off the shelf? Absolutely no chance.
Your Yorkshire dad will only take that as a challenge to find the cheapest one from elsewhere whether that takes hours scrolling on Amazon or digging one out from the back of the garden shed and fixing it himself.
Your dad only cooks when the BBQ makes an appearance
Every single day of the week your dad isn’t bothered about the cooking. But boy oh boy when the barbecue comes out it’s a different story.
Of course the designated, novelty apron comes on and the obnoxiously large tongs come out. He will stand proud round the BBQ with a beer in hand whilst you’re all drooling over the sausages which were supposed to be ready an hour ago.
Yes your burger may come out like a burnt hockey puck but you’re never going to tell him that. Simple ‘mmms’ and ‘aaaahs’ will be heard round the table as your dad kicks up his feet and marvels at his brilliance.
He will only turn the heating on in the depths of winter
As soon as it gets chilly we all enter dangerous territory. Several glances are exchanged towards the thermostat and you ponder whether it’s time to ask your dad if you can turn the heating on. Common answers include ‘put another jumper on’ or ‘make a fire if you want’.
Only once snow settles on the driveway and icicles frame the windows is it finally time to crank up the heating. But only then is it one degree at a time and he will know from miles away if you’ve secretly swizzled that nozzle to the right one notch.
Your dad definitely has a dad drawer
The dad drawer, a staple in every Yorkshire household. It’s usually in the kitchen or in more severe cases there’s a whole filing cabinet in the study.
But what goes in this drawer you might ask? All the essentials. Bills, passports, superglue, permanent markers, spare car keys, random cables for different electronic devices from around the house which can never be matched together, you name it and it’s in there.
And be warned, whatever you do, do not go hunting unsupervised in the dad drawer, it’s got its name for a reason and should always be approached with caution.
Your dad is incredible in an emergency
I’m sure we can all recall numerous times where our dad has come to our rescue and acted as our own personal superhero.
Whether you’re at the side of the road with a flat tire or had one too many at the pub and need a lift home, your dad will be there in a flash and handle the situation in a calm and collected manner. Broken up with your boyfriend? He may be a man of few words but you bet there’ll be a cup of tea and a few biscuits on your doorstep to help ease the pain.
Your dad is the best at telling you off
Perhaps not the best of memories, but we have definitely all been there. Whereas our mums may rave and rant at us, once your dad gives you ‘the look’ you’re done for.
The look most commonly comes with a side of silence, or maybe a ‘I’m not angry, just disappointed’ if you’re lucky. He may then slam the door or stamp around the house for added affect, just to show you that you have in-fact made a huge mistake.
One things for sure, you’ll never make that mistake again and you’ll grovel for the foreseeable until you’ve made friends again. That will involve gallons of Yorkshire tea delivered and a few bags of liquorice thrown in for good measure.
Your dad absolutely loves Yorkshire
This one may be obvious, but whether your dad no longer lives in Yorkshire and has ventured down south or to sunnier climates, they will always have a special place in their heart for God’s Own Country and they won’t let you forget it.
And we don’t blame them, as we all know there’s truly nothing better than taking a long walk on the rolling dales enjoying the spectacular views which Yorkshire has in abundance.
Whether you and your dad are together in Yorkshire still or not, you’ll always have this special place we call home to bring your together, no matter where you are.
So here’s to the Yorkshire dads, grandad’s and dad’s to be. You’re truly something special.
Feature image: Unsplash, Juliane Lieberman
