A Father’s Day Gift Guide 2014

In celebration of this year’s Father’s Day, Jorge and I were sent a bottle of a rich, full-bodied single malt Talisker whiskey from Alexander and James so we could toast to our dads and share a few of our favourite memories since neither of us will be there (US and Spain) to celebrate with them in person.

I have many great memories of my dad from childhood through now, but one of my recent favourites was from November last year when he showed up in London to surprise me for my first solo photography exhibition at The Chance Gallery in Chelsea. I had no idea he was coming, so it was an emotional moment. It was also funny because I had been in New York a few weeks earlier and was meant to bring a pair of shoes my dad left at my flat in London the last time they visited. He needed them for a “presentation” (which turned out to be my exhibition). In my rush to pack, I somehow managed to only bring one. So he joked at the time, he would have to come back and get it himself. So he showed up at the gallery with one of his nice shoes and one trainer saying he had come to collect it!

I picked Jorge’s brain for a memory of his dad too. He said: “I remember when my dad taught me how to dive into a pool back home in Tenerife when I was about seven years old. I was really bad at it, but he was very patient. Every time I tried on my own, I couldn’t do it. He had a technique that taught me how to dive properly. He would hold me in a certain position and say jump and then lift my legs at the same time forcing me to dive in. It took a few days, but I eventually learned!”

And here are a few gift ideas for Father’s Day this year:

1. A silk pocket square from Hackett; 2. A window solar charger from The Great Gift Company; 3. A rich, full-bodied single malt whiskey from Alexander & James; 4. A leather camera strap from Mesa Dreams on Etsy; 5. Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York book from Amazon; 6. A birdfeeder / birdhouse combo made by my dad from Sadler Garden Collections; 7. A mini olive tree from The Chelsea Gardener; 8. A case of 12 of the best British Beers from Not on the High Street; 9. A new leather wallet from Paul Smith; 10. A black and white print from Little Observationist

PS – There are more Father’s Day gift ideas for Alexander and James on their website if you’re looking to stock the bar!

This post is brought to you through collaboration between Little Observationist and Alexander & James. Even though our bottle was free, I’d definitely recommend the whiskey! Thanks for supporting the sponsors who make this blog possible.