Tag: Father’s Day

Celebrating Father’s Day with a story of Scottish heritage and connection

Father and daughter performers share their bond at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Ahead of Father’s Day, father and daughter duo Andrew and Lauren McLellan from New Zealand reflect on their special time spent together performing at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

As the Tattoo prepares to bring Stories to the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade this coming August, Andrew and Lauren’s story is a reminder of what the Tattoo represents. Bursting with talented performers like the family duo, the Tattoo brings families, friends, and audiences together to share in music, heritage and spectacle which is why the Show remains a beloved moment in the world’s calendar and every Show a must-see.

The pair live in the city of Tauranga on the North Island of New Zealand after relocating from Dunedin on the South Island, a city which shares heritage and culture with Edinburgh, even being classified as an official ‘sister-city’ of its Scottish counterpart.

The synergy of Scottish traditions and music has been a big part of both father and daughter’s lives, ultimately leading to the chance for them both to perform at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Lauren as a Side Drummer and Andrew as Drum Major with the Tattoo Pipes and Drums.

Retaining a sense of Scotland in his daughters’ lives was essential to Andrew, whose family moved from Scotland to New Zealand in the 1920s. Speaking about his Scottish heritage, Andrew said: “Despite my mother’s parents and her siblings being born in the Shotts and Bathgate area of Scotland and moving to New Zealand in the late 1920s, we weren’t brought up with any Scottish knowledge or heritage. Musically my mother’s family were very talented and involved in brass bands and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. So, it was important, to me, for my children to participate in their Scottish heritage.”

Andrew’s time performing with the Tattoo Pipes and Drums allowed him to fulfil a lifelong dream: “Since taking on the role of Drum Major I never dreamt of leading the Massed Pipes and Drums down Castlehill at all but getting that opportunity twice was absolutely thrilling! The whole experience of marching out across the drawbridge or marching off and hearing the roar and applause of 8,800 or so spectators, over the top of the massed pipes and drums, is intoxicating.”

Lauren, who will return to the Tattoo again this year, said. “I have performed twice at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo now, both times as a snare drummer, my first time in 2019, and last year being a part of the Tattoo Pipes and Drums.”

REMT

Jason Barrett, Chief Operating Officer of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “The Tattoo has always excelled at bringing families and friends together, and this year’s Show Stories is no exception.

“We are so fortunate to have family performers like Andrew and Lauren, along with such a gifted cast and crew to make Stories an unforgettable show. Families have played a special and memorable role throughout the Tattoo’s rich 73-year history. The family connection within the ranks of our performers continues to be a testament to how we bring people together through shared experiences, shared stories, and special memories.

“This August on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, our performers will get the opportunity to showcase their own unique stories and experiences from around the world that will leave audiences with lasting memories.”

Stories will run from 4-26 August 2023, featuring the military at the heart of the showcase. Audiences can expect performers from Norway, The United States, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Switzerland, alongside homegrown acts from across the UK and Ireland. As ever, the military will play a prominent role in the Show, with the Royal Air Force at the forefront as this year’s lead service.

These talented international acts will be accompanied by the magnificent sounds of the Massed Pipes and Drums filling up the Esplanade, alongside performances from the incredibly talented Tattoo Pipes and Drums and Tattoo Dancers.

To purchase tickets for the summer’s Show, visit edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or call 0131 225 1188.

Daddy of all Burgers: Morrisons launches giant burger in cafes for Father’s Week

– The Big Daddy Burger costs just £5 for More Card holders –

– Available for a limited time only from Monday 12th to Sunday 18th –

Meat your heart out! Morrisons has announced the launch of its latest meaty feast for Father’s Week – The Big Daddy Burger. 

The Big Daddy Burger will be available in Morrisons Cafés in the week leading up to Dads’ special day and costs £7.99 or just £5 for More Card customers – from Monday 12th to Sunday 18th June.   

As well as 100% British beef, the two Big Daddy Burger patties are layered with a double serving of cheese and bacon, a hash brown, burger sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and onion rings. The burger is served with a side of chips and portion of coleslaw making it the perfect way to treat the father figures in your life . 

The tasty treat is sure to make Dads across the UK feel full of love (and food) on their big day and those looking for a vegetarian option fear not as Morrisons has created The Big Daddy Veggie Burger too.

Served with chips and coleslaw, The Big Daddy Veggie Burger consists of three meat free patties, double cheese, a hashbrown, burger sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and onion rings for £7.99 or £5 for More Card Customers.

To make the celebration even better value, families can enjoy the Kids Eat Free offer including all-time favourites like Bangers and Mash and Fish and Chips, when purchasing The Big Daddy Burger or any meal costing £4.49 and over. 

Chris Strong, Morrisons Café Buying Manager, says: “We’re working hard to serve our customers great-value, tasty meals whether it’s a midweek lunch or a special occasion such as Father’s Day. 

“We’re confident that The Big Daddy Burger and The Big Daddy Veggie Burger will be a firm favourite with customers so we’re adding them to the menu for the whole week and More Card customers can grab it for just £5 while kids can eat for free when an adult meal is purchased.”

Both burgers are available to order for home delivery, through JustEat and Deliveroo* and are subject to availability.

For a limited time only, The Big Daddy Burger and The Big Daddy Veggie Burger is available in all Morrisons cafés nationwide.

To find your local café, visit: https://my.morrisons.com/storefinder/.

Healthy Heart Tip: Happy Healthy Father’s Day

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Happy Healthy Father’s Day

Whether you’re a father or taking on a fatherly role it’s time to celebrate you all this Sunday the 19th of June. Why not try making this a fun healthy day for all the family to remember? Here are a few of our tips to do just that.

Healthy gifts

Instead of the standard box of chocolates or bottle of beer why not buy your ‘father’ an activity day out, such as paintballing, or a set of cooking classes you can attend together or as a family.

Heart healthy breakfast in bed

Pull out all the stops and earn bonus points by providing a heart healthy breakfast in bed. Instead of a greasy fry-up why not provide a breakfast full of omega-3 for a healthy heart. A poached egg, smoked salmon and avocado on multi-seeded toast is easy to make, healthy and delicious!

Keep their memory alive

If you’re one of the many who have lost their father/father figure why not plan a walking route where you visit a meaningful place to reflect on happy memories. Get out in the fresh air and send that special person your love.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Veteran Dad shares words of wisdom ahead of Father’s Day

Residents at a care home have been sharing their favourite memories and most important piece of advice in advance of Father’s Day.

89-year-old Matthew Dunnigan, who resides at Cramond Residence in Edinburgh, has shared the advice he would like to pass to future generations of fathers is to treasure all of the time you have with your children and show them as much warmth, care and love as possible.

Matthew also shared one of the biggest perks of fatherhood is being able to socialise with his two children as they got older, adding: “When they were young, I was always Dad but when they grew up, I became a friend too, and that was very special”

Cramond Residence, where Matthew is currently a resident, will be putting on a dedicated Father’s Day spread, with tea, cakes and sandwiches, to help residents celebrate the special day in style, despite restrictions.

Dads go free at Conifox Adventure Park on Sunday 20th June

Stay and Play for Father’s Day!

 Family run, for family fun Conifox Adventure Park is waiting to welcome back all of our favourite dads, daddies and ‘you’re like a dad to me’ dudes, with an unmissable offer this Father’s Day – by gifting a FREE ticket for every ‘Dad’ entering the park with a purchased child ticket, families can save money, whilst making precious memories.   

As the weather starts to warm up for Summer and days seem much brighter again, what better way to spend priceless family time, than at Conifox Adventure Park? With its abundance of green outdoor space, awe-inducing attractions and delicious al fresco food, the park offers the whole family the opportunity to rediscover some of life’s simple pleasures.    

James Gammell, Managing Director at Conifox Adventure Park, said: “We are delighted to welcome families back to Conifox Adventure Park this Father’s Day, where groups can once again enjoy spending time together, laughing, playing and forgetting the difficulties of the past year.

“ Whether swinging on the rope bridge or letting dad show off his skills on the footgolf course, there is fun for everyone. With dads going free, there might even be a little extra to buy an ice cream!”   

Conifox Adventure Park is fully open for business, so kids, young and old will be able to enjoy the numerous attractions safely throughout Conifox Adventure Park including a: Nine-Hole Footgolf Course, Pedal Go-Karts, Off-Road Pedal Tractors, Giant Sand Pit, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Farm, Springers, Giant Jump Pillow, Trampolines, Swings, Balance Beams, Rope Bridge and so much more!  

Father’s Day tickets can be purchased in advance at www.conifox.co.uk . Getting booked up, tickets are selling fast!   

To find out more visit the Conifox Adventure Park Facebook page @conifoxadventurepark or www.conifox.co.uk.  

Dads in Lockdown: National Poll provides insight into new father-child relationships

  • One in three UK dads now closer to their children
  • Two in three UK dads take on new roles as teachers, head cooks or BFFs
  • Children teaching dads to be less impatient, more supportive and be better listeners
  • Half of dads committed to spending more time with their children after lockdown

 

DADS in LOCKDOWN ‘Human after all’

A new UK-wide poll conducted by retailer Menkind sheds light on how government-imposed lockdown measures have been impacting dads and their relationships with their children over the past couple of months.

Despite several challenges, many families are coming together, with dads not only spending more time at home with their children but also enjoying an improved relationship, making pleasant discoveries, teaching their children but also learning from them.

Challenging period a positive impact on father-children relationship

According to the poll, conducted between 14 and 19 May 2020, almost two thirds of dads (60%) have been spending more time with their kids than before, which contributed to strengthening the family bond significantly.

A third of dads say their relationship with their kids improved and that the isolation period brought them closer together.

There are, however, those who were less fortunate: a quarter of UK dads were forced to spend less time with their kids, as they are either empty nesters, their child is in the care of the other parent, or they were required to work long hours during the quarantine. Nevertheless, dads didn’t let physical distance stop them – 1 in 10 dads spent more time with their kids virtually, either by phone or video call. 

Games, gardening, films and baking to keep sane 

With more time on their hands, dads engaged in the simple pleasure of family activities as a means to overcome the difficulties of spending prolonged time inside: 2 in 5 played board games and computer games with the kids, the same number did gardening, over a third of dads took on DIY projects, while 1 in 10  fathers used sharing life stories with the kids for this purpose.

Among the lockdown activities dads engaged more in, over half admitted they were baking and cooking more than before, close to half said they exercised together with the family more, while a big proportion were playing more with the kids: 2 in 5 played more with toys, on par with dads who played video games, while almost half played board games, puzzles or other traditional games.

It was not all fun and games though, as half of dads say they helped out with coursework/homework more than before, as well as engaged in learning and educational activities.

Health, wellbeing and education as top challenges

The positive effects on the family bond didn’t come without difficulties. The top three challenges for fathers during lockdown with the kids were keeping the kids busy and engaged, the challenges of homeschooling and getting kids to spend less time on their phones/tablets.

Health and wellbeing challenges were also on the list, with a third of dads concerned about kids getting enough exercise and a fifth with cooking varied meals during the isolation period. Emotional wellbeing was a focus, with a quarter of respondents listing “giving each other space” as a challenge.

Dads more in tune with their emotions

When asked about the most important lessons learned from their kids during family quarantine, close to half of dads confessed that they want to spend more time with the kids moving forward, while two thirds want to be more supportive of them when they need it, and the same number said they learned to be less impatient from their kids.

Challenging male stereotypes, 1 in 14 dads said they learned to be more in tune with their feminine side. A significant number, 1 in 4, admitted they learned “that it’s okay to fail” and 1 in 5 confessed that “relationships take work”.

Lockdown funny moments were abundant

The lockdown didn’t come without its funny moments, with many dads experiencing their fair share of comical family situations. Among the most popular funny moments were kids crashing Zoom work calls on several occasions, pets crashing work calls, or dads themselves being the ones crashing their kids school/hobby Zoom classes.

The survey also collected some hilarious anecdotes from dads. While some dads admitted to “countless pranks pulled on each other” with the family and “passing air when online”, others found creative ways to cope with the quarantine: “I had a bit of a melt down and locked myself in our loft, my daughter and wife found this hilarious. Little do they know I have a chocolate stash up there.”

Commenting on the new survey findings, Fred Prego, Marketing Director at Menkind, said: “As kids we grow up with this idealised view of our dads as superheroes, which somehow fades away as we grow older and understand they are human, after all.

“These last few months have seen dads reclaim that superhero role as they’ve been spending more time at home with the family, forming closer bonds, getting more involved in their children’s education, activities and spare time.

“Despite the challenges of lockdown, it’s reassuring to see that most dads have cherished spending quality time with their kids to the point of wanting to be closer to them moving forward – being a father myself, I’m among them.”

To read more about the experiences and challenges UK dads faced during lockdown, please visit: www.menkind.co.uk/blog/lockdown-dad.

Father’s Day: We’re spending less quality time with loved ones than 5 years ago

Not spending enough quality time with family and friends is having a negative impact on our mental health, according to a new report from smart home service provider, Hive. Continue reading Father’s Day: We’re spending less quality time with loved ones than 5 years ago

Scotland stars kick off Father’s Day with Dad Joke Face Off

Steven Naismith and Russell Martin go head to head as they attempt to keep straight faces whilst telling terrible Dad jokes

To celebrate Father’s Day, Vauxhall Motors challenged Scotland football heroes Steven Naismith and Russell Martin to take each other on in a special ‘Dad Joke Face Off’. Continue reading Scotland stars kick off Father’s Day with Dad Joke Face Off

Join Dads Rock on Father’s Day

Our fourth free family event is coming! On Father’s day (Sunday 18th June). It’s for all the family.  We’re heading back to take over the Royal Botanic Garden for lots of fun, check out below what’s going on, the link to our Eventbrite page is:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-fathers-day-family-takeover-tickets-34690033825

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!