Having a haircut in the City

[PopT]

A long time ago when I was a young 'Larey' I used to go for my haircut at a place called McDonald's at the top of Howerd street next to Seiman's the photographers.

 

I was always satisfied with the service excepting when old Mr McDonald used o call in and insisted on having a go himself.

 

Apart from being old and frail he wore the worst ginger coloured wig that it was possible to find.

 

It sat on top of his bald head like a ginger coloured grass sod, for a hairdresser it was frightening to be approached by him holding a comb and scissors.

 

The staff were always embarassed when he took over their customers, I suppose they thought they would never come back again.

 

They would wait until he cut part of your hair then interrupt him by saying, "I'll finish that off now, Mr McDonald.

 

I often wondered if he was at all bitter about losing his own hair.

 

Has anybody else any hairdressing stories or favourite barbers in the city, past or present.

 

Happy Days!

[RoyalRegular]

I used to go to Kenyon's on Middlewood Road across from the library and next to Ron Starling's newsagents shop. I can remember being fascinated as Jack Kenyon used lighted tapers to burn the hair off old men's necks and ears!

He also used to put some green liquid onto my hair after cutting it, and it set like concrete. You could go out in a force 10 gale and not a hair would move!

[docmel]

For some strange reason when I was a teenager I always wanted to get my hair cut at the Haidressers above the Hole in the Road - was it Sherwoods? (just round the corner from Marples)

 

One day having had enough birthday money etc one Saturday morning I went in - I seem to remember a Wash, Cut and Blow Dry was 15/- (75p) when compared to my 4/- cut at the local barber was an absolute fortune.

 

So I had the 'works' and i thought I looked the coolest, until i met my mates in town - they all fell about laughing - Political Correctness nowadays forbids me to repeat what I was called - suffice it to say they suggested I should be going for a drink into the BarleyCorn on Cambridge Street.

[last orders]

My first memories are going to Hinchcliffes near the junction of Crookes valley road and Crookesmoor road. I recall sitting on a plank across the chair arms to bring me up to "cutting height". After that it was a very nice Polish chap,who's name escapes me, in Fawcett street.

Ah happy days...... when I still had hair worth cutting!

[SheffNiner]

If you lived at Handsworth in 60's or 70's as a kid, chances are you'd get dragged to 'Bozzy's.

 

Not so much a haircut, more like like having an angry Aussie sheep-shearer shave your bonce. "KEEP YOUR HEE-AD STILL"

 

tough, but cheap!

[docmel]

My first memories are going to Hinchcliffes near the junction of Crookes valley road and Crookesmoor road. I recall sitting on a plank across the chair arms to bring me up to "cutting height". After that it was a very nice Polish chap,who's name escapes me, in Fawcett street.

Ah happy days...... when I still had hair worth cutting!

 

Does anyone remember the barber on Upperthorpe? - if I recall he was Polish - he always had a fag permanently glued to his lip - as one finished, another was lit.

 

I recall that he was the first place I plucked courage to ask for 'something for the weekend'

[Highnote]

Many--really many years ago I used to go to Toms on Charles St, considered very posh in those days.

When I came out of the RAF after National Service, I was fed up with service haircuts,especiallywhen it was COs parade,and I did not want to go back to the back street Barbers,fag always on,ankle deep in hair,"one style-to suit all",so I took myself to Toms,all my workmates thought I was crazy,"That much for a haircut!!!"

Seven chairs,all expert stylists,Peter and Stephen Orio,Steve Badjala,I think that is right,he went on to manage the John Fantham salon on Division St, are some of the names I recall, I always had a man called Arthur Holmes to cut my hair for years,he was in the corner of the shop.

It was at Toms I first saw hot towels being administered after someone had had a shave,only seen on films up to then.

After having a haircut at Toms I felt really great,as you say PopT,Happy Days,very happy days!

[Puffin4]

The first barbers I remember using was Rustlings on Chapel Walk, run by a couple of old guys, although not so old as I am now. If I was feeling flush when I was at school, which was not very often, I used Gilbert Marsh on Union Road, Nether Edge, he had a small shop in a courtyard next to the pub (Cherry Tree) When I got a bit older and Ted styles were all the rage, I used Vic Burgon? on High Street just below Kemsley House. After leaving school I became a bohemian (Beatnick, Hippy or what you will) and didn't have a regular hairdresser until I joined the RAF in 1959. Oh happy days. I still don't have it cut very often nowadays but then I have very little to bother with.

[Texas]

When the 'Tony Curtis','D.A'., Chicano, call it what you will, first came out, I'd been left school about a year. One of the lads I'd gone to school with, who, always seemed to be light years in front of everybody else, turned up, one Saturday night, with a Kearney suit and THE haircut. Short on the top, with the 'duck's arse' sides.

It was like 'WOW'. When he eventually condescended to tell us where he had had IT done, everybody got the business as soon as possible.

Where was it? Like you say Harlan, TOMS, the only game in town.

[Jossman]

Shaws in town was the place to go for the "Semi Crew" haircut in the late

50's. Otherwise it was either Bayliss's or Tom's (Later Eric's) on Leppings Lane. Kenyons on Middlewood Rd was used when my mother insisted that Jack gave me a proper haircut.

 

Eric later became a personal friend of mine and is sadly missed.