Ideas for my dad's birthday! (Please)

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I've missed it already and to make it look like I give at least 50% of a hoot about it, I need to get something for him. Especially as he gave me £100 for mine recently which allowed me to get a Wii.

It should be relatively light and compact to send up to him via post (300 miles away). Unless it's really so excellent that it can wait until I next see him. Anything up to around £25 I guess (yeah I know he gave me £100 but I'm a student and he's... well, see below) but as long as it's quality I'm not looking to fill up £25; it could be £10.

Really, truly I can't think of any ideas. PLEASE HELP ME!

Bio:
-UK managing director for the UK branch of a European hydraulics engineering company (Hauhinco if anyone's interested)
-54 years old
-Likes fishing, but I don't know what he does and doesn't do/have.
-He IS a smoker but on about giving up because he loves pubs too much
-Spends most of his time in the pub outside of work (Yorkshire, meh)
-Loves real ale, absolutely (can't blame him) - but dislikes bottled ale so that's out

Ready... GO!

Okay, so obviously, I don't know your Dad, so these ideas are just guesses and I can't guarantee they'll be any good, but I'd like to help, so I will try to suggest some things.

Some kind of book about fishing or a magazine subscription that is relevant to fising (there is less risk this way of buying equipment that he already has).

Some places do 'packages' of stop smoking treatments that you can pay for that included a couple of sessions with an advisor and some even offer things like massage etc. You could try looking for stop-smoking centres in his area and see what kind of services they offer.

Some other kind of stop-smoking stuff, like a stop-smoking hypnotherapy CD or some hypnotherapy sessions.

Vouchers for a plane flying lesson, or for a half day at Brans Hatch (I know the former can be bought for around £30).

Some kind of book about real ale? Or buy him membershop to a real ale organisation that does days out to tase ales in different places, or that visits the brewerys etc.

Is there any music he is into? A CD or some gig tickets to see his favourite band?

Are there any figures he admires? Perhaps you could get a book of their autoboigraphy? (e.g my bf likes Tony Benn, so I could get him an autobiography of Tony Benn or one of the Tony Benn diaries etc.)

Well, like I said, I don't know you Dad, so these suggestions might be useless, but I just wanted to at least try to help.

Good luck.

A bottle of a nice single malt.

Will a new wallet work?

Thanks guys...

A subscription is a thought but I think he's more into the sitting down and drinking beer part of fishing TBH.

I don;'t think it's a good idea to try and encourage him to stop smoking... he's not like that. He'll give up when he feels like it, if at all. He'll just see me as a preachy non smoker.

Flying lesson or something... good idea, will think about.

CDs - er, dunno really.

And no figures he admires, sadly.


iceb, he's not a whisky drinker.

Paula - wallet? Nah, he's got a nice leather one.

Thanks for the ideas so far - you can see why I'm having so much trouble! Please keep 'em coming though.

You could build him some stiens of mead, or a wooden keg of wine or ale?

you can never go wrong with money in a card

A wooden keg of ale. Heh... that's not a bad thought except for the postage issues.

I've been giving myparents gift cards to their favorite stores. My dad expecally likes the ones to "Home Improvement" stores. My mom likes anything re:clothes.

Go to a sporting goods store, put on a blindfold, spin around three times, and then pick something out.

Groovemeister, did you choose yet?

I have a few suggestions. Not to be totally depressing, but I'm female and my mum recently died (February). All those things that I'd wanted to do for her or with her, they are forever gone. I never had the time. I never had the money. It wasn't something she'd like. Blah blah blah.

I wanted to get her REAL lead crystals for the dining room chandelier, it only had a few and it wouldn't have cost THAT much, but I didn't. I wanted to take her for a drive up to the lovely autumnal foliage and beyond because she really seemed to like those nickel slot machines. Hah! Just a girl trip. Me and my mum. Something she might enjoy.

Time is the most precious thing you can give.

So here is my suggestion, even if it costs you a bit, and you have to take out a loan to do it. Or start saving, in earnest for it, now. Tell dad you have something really special planned for him later this year or next year.

LEARN FISHING. LEARN ALE. Take lessons, if you have to, so you can chat about fishing stuff. Bring along a sampling of ale. Plan a weekend away for the two of you, where you can wander off drunkenly and pee on things and not have to drive.

Something that really connects with your dad. Something your dad will talk about. As in "MY son took me to the ultimate fishing place and we fished and drank and peed and puked in the bushes." Or whatever guys do. Man stuff.

You don't have to do it every year. He might do the same the next year, and you will have the proper training in ale and fishing and puking by then. Yes, I'm being silly, but CONNECT with your dad while he's around.

I found a mother's day card that I never gave my mum. I put it off last year. And by the time mother's day rolled around this year, she was dead. I last saw her in October when she could easily out-walk me at 70+ years old with cancer. I just have a bad back. Next I saw her in January, and she was bed ridden. All the simple things we would do and enjoy, like crossword puzzles, she was no longer able to do.

A friend of mine and her sister went in on a day at a fancy spa for their mum. Their mum would appreciate it, and they knew it. You know what your dad would like. And what parents seem to want to know is that their kids are okay. Will be okay. And perhaps share in some of their interests, or make an effort. How many interests did you have as a child that your parents were interested in, ONLY because YOU were interested in them? Probably a lot.

Do the same for your dad. If you can. When you can. As soon as you can. Because if you wait, you may end up staring at a blank card for a dead mother on mother's day.

You have exactly the time you have...while talking or being around them. Nothing more is guaranteed.

How about a hot air balloon ride? Something neither of you has done before. That you could both talk about.