To Dad, from Zak

Father’s Day · 2026

To Dad,

Happy Father’s Day. I made you a website because a Tesco card felt beneath you — and because making things is clearly a family trait. You do it in a factory. I do it in a browser. Same energy, wildly different tolerances.

Thanks for the holidays — that time we piled into a pedalo like we knew what we were doing (we didn’t), and Turkey. Ripping around on the jetski until you let me drive it and I flipped the bloody thing and we both went in. Then the pink boat car — you at the wheel, hat flying clean off into the water. Gone. Absolutely nowhere to be found. Not a trace.

When I was little we used to build Lego together. That massive police station. And most importantly the Ford GT — when we finally finished it I stuck flowers all over the roof and sides of the car and we just sat there for about half an hour laughing our arses off at it. Peak father-son engineering.

Thanks too for every time you turned up looking like you owned the place (even in shorts next to my three-piece at prom), and for spending your life literally making the nuts, bolts, and pretty much everything else the rest of us couldn’t even name properly.

And thanks for the bike rides when I was younger — me and you, far and wide. Down to Himley, through the Wordsley and Stourbridge canals, out to Kinver, pretty much everywhere. I know we haven’t done it in years, but I’d love to get back out there on a weekend like we used to. No rush. Just whenever.

I’ve finally learned what the hell you were on about in the factory. I understand pretty much everything now. (I absolutely still know nothing, but I nod along convincingly, so we’ll call it progress.)

You’re the reason I know how to show up for people. I’m a web developer now — building websites is my version of what you do on the shop floor. My bolts are divs. My tolerances are pixels. Don’t ask me to explain either of them properly.

Love you loads,

Zak

tap the card

01 Memories

Some good ones

Zak, Dad and family on a pedalo on holiday — 01 The pedalo holiday

Zak in his prom suit with Dad and family, year 11 age 16 — 02 Year 11 prom

Zak in his prom three-piece suit with his arm around Dad, age 16 — 03 Prom day, age 16

02 Manufacturing

Nuts & bolts

You don’t just use them. You make them.

You’ve spent your career in manufacturing — nuts, bolts, and pretty much everything in between. Whilst I’m over here struggling to tell a washer from a wing nut, you’re out there actually making the things that hold the world together.

Most people pick something up from a shelf and never think twice. You know exactly what went into it — the machines, the tolerances, the graft. I’ve sat through enough of it over the years to finally nod like I understand. (I don’t. But I’m getting there. Slowly. Very slowly.)

Makes nuts, bolts, and pretty much everything
Knows manufacturing like the back of his hand
Would’ve spotted a dodgy thread from across the room

03 Two wheels

Bikes

Me and you, far and wide.

When I was younger we’d be out on the bikes all the time. Down to Himley, along the Wordsley and Stourbridge canals, out to Kinver — pretty much everywhere. Just the two of us, no real plan, home before it got dark.

I know we haven’t done it in years. Life gets in the way. But I’d love to pick it back up — a weekend ride like we used to. Same routes, same nonsense, probably worse knees.

Some of the best miles I’ve ever done were with you. Let’s do a few more.