Dads, Beer, Braids, Period Talk: London Pub Workshops

The Secret Life of Dads podcast, launched in 2024 by Matt Carter and Lawrence Price. In early February they hosted the first “Pints & Ponytails” workshop at Lucky Saints Pub, London, where three dozen fathers practiced braiding on mannequin heads while drinking beer. A March 8 TikTok promoted the session with the caption “35 dads in a pub, learning to braid their daughters’ hair.”

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The first workshop occurred in early February 2024. A March 8 TikTok went viral. NEXTA praised the event on X on March 16; the next day Andrew Tate reposted it with a slur. Carter and Price replied humorously on Instagram on April 29. On June 7 they announced a Fluxxbox partnership and later held a “Periods & Ponytails” session at The Prince pub, West London.

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The initiative is led by Matt Carter and Lawrence Price. Partner Fluxxbox provides first-period kits and education. NEXTA amplified the event; influencer Andrew Tate criticized it. Venues are Lucky Saints Pub and The Prince Pub, London.

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Attendance was reported as roughly three dozen fathers, with a TikTok caption noting 35 participants. Sessions last about two and a half hours; several events are planned for the summer.

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Carter and Price say fathers should be the first example of masculinity, willing to sit through uncomfortable moments. Their Instagram posts call the workshops judgment-free spaces for parenting discussion. NEXTA described the gatherings as a reinvention of a boys’ night out. Fluxxbox provided a presentation on menstrual cycles, period products and a pub-style quiz.

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Andrew Tate reposted NEXTA’s praise, belittling the workshops with a racial slur and calling them frivolous. Carter and Price issued a public rebuttal.

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A user wrote, “This is the kind of parenting we need,” after “Periods & Ponytails” session, highlighting period education and hairstyling.

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The workshops aim to normalize paternal involvement in grooming and menstrual health, challenging parenting norms and providing a space where fathers discuss topics reserved for mothers.

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Sources differ on attendance, citing “three dozen” versus “35 dads.” No data on long-term parenting outcomes is provided.

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• “How adorable! In London, dozens of men gather in a pub to learn how to braid their daughters’ hair,” — NEXTA.

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• “If being a more present dad and a better partner is your insult, we'll take it every time!” — Matt Carter & Lawrence Price.

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• “Periods shouldn't be a mum topic; they’re a parenting topic,” — The Secret Life of Dads.

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• “She’ll never forget it!” — The Secret Life of Dads.

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Carter and Price have announced additional “Pints & Ponytails” and “Periods & Ponytails” sessions across the UK summer, with plans to address mental-health awareness for fathers.

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