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Karolyn Darrell-Burgess pays tribute to her ‘Mr Fix It’ dad

(Photo by Mark Tatem)Mr Fix it: Why buy a new one when you can fix the old, is Ridgley Darrell's attitude, says his daughter Karolyn Darrell-Burgess.

Tributes were paid to fathers last weekend when Razors and Diapers partnered with The Chewstick Foundation for its third annual Celebrating Fatherhood Brunch and Scavenger Hunt.Karolyn Darrell-Burgess (20-plus category) and Pjon Wellman (13 to 19-year-old category) wrote winning submissions about their fathers and how they impacted their lives.“There are many great fathers in Bermuda,” said event organiser Pete Saunders. “They are present and involved in the lives of their kids. The fathers we see and know teach their children how to build and fix things and how to play sports.“They do a great job at teaching their children how to deal with frustration and are most often the one to encourage children to work out problems and address challenges themselves — from getting dressed to assembling a Lego toy.“Although Razors and Diapers celebrates fathers every day, we also join the rest of the world in letting dads know they are appreciated [on Father’s Day].”Razors and Diapers is a local company which started as a blog in 2009.It has evolved into a professional online resource portal offering fatherhood-related information, resources and products for sale. The company’s vision is “empowering fathers today, for tomorrow”.Useful websites: www.razorsanddiapers.com, www.chewstick.org.When Karolyn Darrell-Burgess was growing up, her father Ridgley Darrell was always her ‘Mr Fix It’.She said it was rare for anything new to come into their house as her father had a knack for repairing used goods.Mr Darrell, an appliance serviceman, taught his five daughters Sharnette, Jill, Joanne, Karolyn and Amy some important life lessons about being resourceful.Mrs Darrell-Burgess said it wasn’t until she and her sisters owned their own homes they realised the value of everything their father had taught them.“With regards to wanting to fix things I picked it up really quickly and kind of enjoyed it after awhile. The first time I bought anything new I think was when I got married.“I would say out of all of us I am probably the most handy and because of that I don’t buy anything brand new now. Second-hand stores are me, and I actually enjoy it. I think it’s fun.”Mr Darrell, the original drummer with the Bermuda Strollers, still believes in taking something and repairing it rather than buying something new.“I’m not a person to go to Hamilton and buy you a new bike,” he admits. “What I did was buy an old bike, you tell me what colour you want it and we put it in the centre of the floor and I get you to strip it.”The bucket of knots and bolts that never found their way back onto the bike are still around.He still keeps his prize Yamaha Twin and a Honda 50cc. He calls them antiques and has vowed to put them back on the road someday. Mrs Darrell-Burgess said her father fixed everything from her bike to her first car at age 21.