GREEN DAD’S DAY

Will you shower him with disposable gifts this Father’s Day or organise a sustainable family experience? Celia Gaynor looks at some of the eco-friendlier ways to treat the patriarch in your family.

Green Dad’s day

The Green Man is a popular figure in ancient British mythology and there’s no reason why families can’t channel a bit of his ethos into their own plans for Father’s Day. Famous as a symbol of renewal (and, goodness knows, don’t we all need a bit of renewal right now?), he represents spring and nature in full growth. So let’s not ruin it all by buying dad a petrol-guzzling F1 experience at the local racetrack or that shiny, new exercise gizmo he was so keen on, with a three day lifespan if you can get it working in the first place (she writes, ignoring the groans of disappointment emanating from the man-cave in our house).

As lockdown continues to relax, a range of new or rediscovered attractions are opening up in Gloucestershire, and Father’s Day is a great opportunity to explore them.

A new Kingfisher Trail opens in the Cotswolds on 31 May, taking a loop from Chipping Campden in the north, past Winchcombe, Cheltenham and Stroud to Chipping Sodbury (The Severn section of the path), with an eastern section (The Thames path) starting at Royal Wotton Bassett, winding up through Tetbury, Cricklade and Bibury up to Moreton-in-Marsh. Featuring 22 kingfisher-themed artworks by artists ranging from PJ Crook to Inkie, the trail takes in some of the area’s most breathtaking scenery. And when the project ends in October the artworks will be sold in aid of Cotswold National Landscape Projects.

More wonderful views can be discovered on the Canal Family Trail, which marks the start of the final stage of restoration connecting Stroudwater Canal to the national waterways network. The trail runs parallel to the Stonehouse to Stroud railway and although a celebratory programme of entertainment and attractions concludes on 31 May, there will be plenty of activity in the neighbourhood throughout June, including a warm welcome at such eateries as Stonehouse Court Hotel, Stroud Brewery and the Felt Café in Brimscombe, the Upper Lock Café in Stroud and many others.

Both trails make beautiful settings for a Father’s Day picnic or meal out.

Meanwhile, for those children who do want to present dad with a material gift, there’s nothing he’ll treasure more than a piece of pottery created by your own fair hand, perhaps with the help of Paint-a-Pot (www.paint-a-pot. co.uk) or Taurus Crafts in Lydney, Forest of Dean.

If he’s a cyclist, maybe he’d appreciate a UK-produced leather pannier bag by Hill & Ellis (www. hillandellis.com).

Of course, everyone loves chocolate on Father’s Day, so imagine his face when he opens a box from ChocFACE and sees edible colour prints of your own family scenes – perhaps even his own fizzog – etched into the surface of the delicious Belgian chocolate (www.chocface.com). If you wanted the ultimate marriage of consumerism and sustainability you might even think about imprinting an image of the Green Man on the chocolate. But maybe then it wouldn’t be green.