Goodies certain to make dads beam
DRAPER 40765 POWER DRILL £49.99
from amazon.co.uk
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a dad hasn’t come of age before he has his very own power drill. This cordless model from Draper Tools is a durable option with long-lasting, fast-charing and reliable batteries that won’t fail you when you’re away from a power supply. Despite working off a battery pack instead of mains power, the Draper 40765 offers excellent torque and speed as well as a hammer action option. It comes with six drill bits and a carry case as well as a spare battery.
AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm/1.8 LENS £166.99
from warehouseexpress.co.uk
Your father might already have his own digital camera, but he probably doesn’t have a slick, wide-angle lens to go with it. With a 35mm focal length and aperture range from 1.8 to 22, the AF-S DX Nikkor is great in low light conditions and its lightweight build makes it extremely portable. Its quiet motor is also useful for discreet wildlife or people shots. Overall, this high-quality, fixed zoom lens is perfect for an amateur photographer interested in learning how to use aperture, shutter speed and image sensitivity together before moving on to a more complex zoom lens.
PENTAX 8×42 DCF CS BINOCULARS £281.67
from amazon.co.uk
Whether your father is a budding bird watcher, a peeping Tom, or just likes to keep an eye on things, you can’t go wrong with a semi-pro, wide-angle pair of binoculars. This sleek, lightweight pair of eyes from Pentax offers a clear and bright field of view, with all of its prisms and lenses subject to multiple optical coatings for greater contrast and vivid colour. It is also tough on impact due to its rubber coating and water resistent up to a metre underwater (for when the weather breaks during that ambitious summer expedition). The comfortable eyepieces make them suitable for long use and the powerful lenses offer up to eight times magnification
BUFFALO CHIP FRYER £79.99
from nisbets.co.uk
Help your dad expand his BBQ skill set beyond the grill with this powerful 2.8 kilowatt chip fryer. With a massive five litre tank, metal basket and stainless steel chassis, this mean frying machine will deliver delicious crispy fries with minimal effort – its adjustable thermostatic control means that once you’ve set the correct temperature, all you have to do is time the frying sessions. In case the chef gets overzealous, it also comes with a one-year warrantee and when BBQ season is over, it can be used to deepfry almost anything, from churros to courgettes.
SONY DTV £1,999
from Marks and Spencer
With this year seeing the release of the world’s first major 3D blockbusters, it’s high time this new entertainment delight was brought into the home. Thankfully, technophile prayers have been answered with this brand new 40-inch 3DTV, available from Marks and Spencers for release the same weekend as Father’s Day. First showcased in Las Vegas in January, this family-friendly asset to the living room is now arriving just in time for the World Cup and offers full 1080i HD resolution as well as three dimensional viewing. It comes with two free pairs of 3D glasses, usually priced at £100, which are controlled by infra-red radio link from the TV. Bravia internet video enables access to online content, giving you the ability to stream YouTube straight through your cutting-edge TV. It’s sure to make the other fathers jealous.
LIEBHERR VINOTHEK SINGLE TEMPERATURE WINE COOLER £645
from wineware.co.uk
Much as they might want one, most pops sadly don’t have their own wine cellar. This single-temperature wine cooler is the next best thing. With space for 68 bottles held in perfect humidity and temperature conditions, this cooler ensures your high-quality wines will be stored in optimal conditons until you’re ready to crack it out. And despite its large capacity, it will fit neatly under a convenient counter-top – a rather more manageable prospect than clearing out the whole cellar.
PETZEL TIKKA PLUS HEADLAMP £24.99
from Cyclesportsuk.co.uk
Dorky it may be, but there are few things more useful than a good headlamp. For camping trips, late-night reading while one’s partner is asleep and adventurous expeditions in search of pilot lights, fuse boxes and outdoor rubbish bins, the Petzel Tikka Plus is bound to come in handy. It produces flood beam lighting from four LEDs with three brightness settings and, for night-time bike rides, can be set to flash mode. Petzel is so confident of its reliability – including water resistance – that it supplies the device with a three-year warrantee and its triple-A battery supply (included) means you don’t have to fork out for expensive lithium batteries. The camouflage-style elastic headband is adjustable and comes in two colours: dark grey and orange or light grey and green.