However, whereas most offspring will send flowers or go and visit on Mother's Day, this is not the case with Father's Day.

A recent survey found that 23 per cent of those asked snub the day altogether and do nothing at all to honour their dads.

To find out whether fathers are getting the love they deserve, we went to King Street, in South Shields, and asked three dads and three sons what their plans were tomorrow.

William Newton, 79, a retired bricklayer and father of three sons was looking forward to it.

He said: "They are all good boys. Sometimes they take me for a pint or buy me a bottle of whisky on Father's Day.

"It's a special day. I feel proud, as they are always working, and when they can come and see us it's a nice feeling."

He felt pleased Father's Day has begun to sink into the public consciousness, and that far from being a mere 'Hallmark holiday' to sell more cards, is now an established event in the calendar.

"It didn't get as much publicity as Mother's Day before, but they seem to have made it more of an issue. That's good."

Alan Bird, 70, a retired miner, from South Shields, has a son and two daughters. He too was looking forward to spending the day with his children.

"They always visit us on Father's Day. Sometimes I will go for Sunday lunch with them.

"Father's day is as important as Mother's Day –after all, they both brought the family up.

"A perfect day for me would be to see my family, together with all my seven grandchildren."

What did he think of the survey's 11 per cent who had no intention of doing anything for their patriarch?

"It's terrible. They should go and see them."

This sentiment was shared by Daniel Moyse, 18, an engineering student at South Tyneside College, from South Shields, who said: "It's a disgrace. He brought you into the world."

The 18-year-old, who has a younger sister, was looking forward to a true rites of passage day with his dad, Brian, now he is legally allowed to drink with him in pubs.

"I will take him for a few pints. It's the done thing when you are old enough to do it.

"I will get him a bottle of whisky as well. I'm a good son.

"Every now and then I show him the love, just to show him I care."

Carried away by emotion (or perhaps playing to the crowd), he added a statement which will probably get him a stern look when his mother reads this.

"Mams are over-rated. Dads are the way forward."

His course-mate Chris Watson, 19, from Whitburn, is one of three children, and had already targeted what he had in mind for his father, Andrew.

"I might buy his drinks for him when we go to the darts on Monday night," he said.

"I just buy him a few pints and he is happy with that. He always says he's not bothered, but I think he is really."

South Shields resident Daniel Amiss, 18, thought it important his dad Michael knew how he felt on the day.

He said: "I don't show him much love usually, so it's good to show my respect to the big man.

"Dads are cool. My dad's a fresh prince," he said.

"I'm trying to book a meal for him on Sunday and take him for a pint. He will bring it up if I don't do anything."

Though he wasn't sure what his two brothers and two sisters would buy him as a gift, it was unlikely to be a Garmin nuvi 1240 sat nav system, identified this year as T3 technology magazine's No1 coolest Father's Day gadget.

"The others will probably get him some tabs," Daniel added.

One of the seven million dads likely to get a card this year (compare this to 13 million sent on Mother's Day) was dad-of-one Steve Mitchell, 49.

The unemployed long-distance lorry driver, from South Shields, said of his daughter, Leanne, 24: "She buys us a card and all that.

"She never used to, but she does now. It's probably because of more advertising, it's become more like Mother's Day."

"It's good to get a bit of recognition for the dads. It brings families together.

"It makes us happy when I get something off my daughter. I see her once or twice a week, so I'll probably see her this Sunday.

"It will be nice to just have my daughter and grandson, Jacob, here."