Heroic Dad spending five nights saving Pageant spot directly outside Wakefield Hotel

DAN SCHMIDT

FATHER’S CHRISTMAS: Adelaide dad of three and soon to be ex-husband to one, Pat Turnerty, is proving great devotion to his children by ensuring he saves a great Pageant spot for this weekend.

Pat had just spent a painstaking two or three minutes setting up a picnic rug directly next to an alfresco table before quickly popping into the hotel for some refreshments.

‘Gets earlier every year’ said Pat taking his first sip of whatever beer was on special ‘That’s why I got down a few nights early this time, make sure I got a good spot’.

‘The things we do for kids, hey? Sure, mine are particularly loud, energetic and take up a great deal of my time, but I thought the very least I could do is leave them at home with my wife for the week while I rough it out here on the streets’.

‘It’s not easy out here at all’, continued Pat as he took in the sunshine ‘Which is why I’ve asked some of the other school dads to come down here with me. Ah, here they come now, let’s get on it boys! Oh, and save some spots too, I guess’.

Within minutes the footpath was full of devoted Darrens, Dans and Devins in deck chairs doing their dadly duty.

Trying to now chime in between golf anecdotes and multibets that “nearly paid off except for…” Adelaide Mail reporters asked Pat how excited he thought his children would be with this great pageant spot.

‘Oh, I’m not saving it for my kids’ Pat replied ‘They have soccer and swimming practice on Saturday mornings, the wife is taking them to that, so mine won’t be here. I don’t care whose kids sit here’.