Hi there!
When I started writing on this site back in February 2021 I wasn’t entirely sure I’d still be writing by now but here I am! I have been genuinely surprised by the amount of people who have taken the time to read my words and more so, interact with me. Writing has become as important to my life as running, sobriety and family had already been before it.
So beyond my regular blog posts I wanted to give you a quick fire Q&A to help you get to know me more. Who is Happy Daddy and what makes him tick?
Over to er, me…
Real Name? – Barrie (I prefer Baz!)
Age? – 36 years old
Where do you live? – County Durham in England
Who do you live with? – On my own but with joint custody of my two daughters
Any pets? – Nope
Do you drive? – Yep. I have an Arctic White Kia Sportage which I love as it is both practical and nice on the eye. I’m not into my cars so all of the horse power bollocks means nothing to me
What phone do you have? – iPhone 11. I’ve had iPhones forever. I’m an Apple Sheep
Favourite sandwich? – I do like a bacon sarnie with no butter and a little brown sauce. I’m a food snob though so the bacon must be a good quality smoked meat
Religion? – Not for me. I’m an Atheist but if religious beliefs work for somebody good for them! I’m not even christened which is uncommon amongst my friendship circles
Favourite book? – “Post Office” by Charles Bukowski. I love reading and my latest reads are displayed on the Homepage of this site
Favourite film? – American History X. It’s a pretty dark film but the acting is phenomenal and the message is powerful
Favourite TV Show? – Sitcoms are my go-to and I love so many of them. Hard to choose between The Office, Peep Show, The Office (An American Workplace) and I’m Alan Partridge. I’m loving Ted Lasso on Apple TV at the moment
Favourite Quote? – “Don’t compare your progress to that of others. We all need our own time to travel our own distance” – I’m not sure if I made that quote up or if I read it somewhere but I find that it sums up me and my journey perfectly
Why did you start ‘Happy Daddy’? – I’ve always written in some form whether that be in a journal, scribbling or keeping diaries. Never in any kind of consistency or style. I have always used words as a comfort blanket because I often feel my head is too busy so I like to write it down. This is the first ‘blog’ I’ve started and the first time I’ve written anything public so it’s been a little daunting but seems to be going well!
Do you use social media? – Yes I use various social media channels. I use Linked In and Yammer frequently in a professional sense and I also like to use Instagram to share and look at photos within a group of ‘followers’ I’d consider friends, family and people I know. I use Twitter under an alias and more for light hearted debate, news and contacting companies I am a customer of. I stopped using Facebook in Summer 2020 as I felt it offered nothing to me and my mental health. P.S. Happy Daddy is on Twitter and Instagram if that’s your bag!
Favourite music? – I find this so hard to answer as it depends on my mood. I tend to sway towards Folk / Country and Americana because that is what I like to go and see live. I’d love to visit Nashville and see some real American music. I listen to traditional country and rock like Dolly, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson through to the modern stuff like Luke Bryan, Brothers Osborne and Kacey Musgraves. Some days I can listen to Classic FM for hours, plug in and listen to EDM on loud or even appreciate a bit of Linkin Park. Mood dictates my favourite music of that moment. My favourite band is actually the British rock band ‘Embrace’ though – I say rock but they’re probably more on the Indie end of the spectrum than ‘Rock, Rock’
What really annoys you? – Ignorance. It costs nothing to show manners or acknowledgement to a fellow human being. I’m not asking everybody in the World to hug and be friends but a smile or a ‘hello’ goes along way in passing. I know as both a recipient and giver of small tokens of friendliness how much it can mean within
Why did you give up alcohol? – If I continued to drink at the rate it was going I would have lost everything. And that is if I’d still been alive to lose everything
Could you see yourself drinking again? – Not if I have anything to do with it. It is not something I want in my life or body anymore
What did you want to be when you grew up? – At school I went through phases but generally it was a Policeman. I came close to fulfilling that through my Army admission but it wasn’t meant to be. I loved Geography at school too so a Teacher of that subject was often in my mindset. Graphic Designer was another thing I thought about studying further.
And what have you ended up doing? – After a stuttered start to adult life and University and Army routes cut short I have worked for a large electricity producer in the UK for nearly 15 years now. Initially as a stop gap job when I lived at home but now I’ve forged a career with the Company and have largely worked in both people development and training roles. I’m currently working within our Legal Department in the regulatory and compliance world which is both very boring and interesting in a blended hard to explain sense. It suits me.
Where do you like to holiday? – Me, my wife and little girls loved Center Parcs and went every year. We visited for the fifth time as a family in September 2021. It is great to pack up the car and drive off into the English wilderness and holiday in a place we know is both safe and relaxing. Vilamoura in Portugal is my favourite place abroad.
Do you like Sport? – I’m a keen runner but will never be winning races so it is nothing more than a fitness project on a personal level (as it is for most!). In terms of following sport I love Horse Racing, Cricket, Boxing, Athletics, Rugby Union and of course Football. I support Sunderland AFC who play in the Second tier of English football and I have a season ticket. It is my little escape from work and family life.
Favourite drink? – Coffee. I bought a Nespresso machine this year as a treat now that I don’t blow my wages on whisky!
Favourite Meal? – Beef Wellington with homemade chips (but I don’t have it very often!)
Favourite Podcast? – It was ‘Grounded’ by Louis Theroux during lockdown but I do love Rob Beckett & Josh Widdicombe’s “Parenting Hell’
(I asked my then 6 year old daughter to answer some quick fire questions about me. Here goes…)
What animal do I look like? – Pig
What is my favourite food? – Potato
What do I do that is funny? – Poo
What do you love about me? – That you cuddle me
What’s my job? – Work on your computer at home
What don’t you like about me? – That you pretend to poo on me
What do I like watching on TV? – Football or Horse Racing
What do I smell like? – Smelly and sweaty when you’ve just been for a run
I dispute some of those answers but it’s all about transparency here so there you go. Over to my then 2 year old daughter…
What animal do I look like? – Frog
What is my favourite food? – Grass
What do I do that is funny? – Your head
What do you love about me? – Because
What’s my job? – Playing on your computer
What don’t you like about me? – (didn’t answer)
What do I like watching on TV? – Peppa Pig
What do I smell like? – Horse poo
Thanks for reading if you got this far! That’s a little about me.
Happy Daddy x
Happy Daddy 