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memories

Dad used to take me to Cartwights in George Street West, Brookfield's, and the singe? so I was told sealed the ends of the hairs and stopped you catching a cold LOL, in my teenage years went to the hairdressers opposite the Mint in Icknield Street for my Tony Curtis and DA
 
I remember one trip to the barbers when I was very young. It was in Sydenham Road, Sparkbrook and the "shop" was the front room of the barbers house. it had one chair with the plank of wood across the arm rests for the tiny kids, the usual posters for brylcreem and gillette razor blades and a very dull lamp in the middle of the room. I remember the leather strop for sharpening the cut throat razor, used to trim the hairline after the haircut, and the warm fug from the smokers waiting for the chair. This particular incident reinforces the old adage children should be seen and not heard. From the moment I entered the barbers with my father the barber never spoke to me or even acknowledged me, all conversation was directed to my dad. Here I am sat on the plank of wood the sheet round my neck and staring at myself in the mirror. My dads name was George. "What is to be today George", "just give him a short back and sides" while the haircut progressed dad and the barber chatted away and during a loss of concentration the barber nicked my ear with the scissors and drew blood. The immediate reaction was "sorry George" nothing said to me though and worse was to come when the barber took out the styptic pencil and applied it to the cut, boy did it sting. I was taken to that barber until I started secondary school and was able to get my hair cut at Shirley & Davids on the Stratford Road, Sparkhill.
 
Kcirmast: Ouch....thanks for posting your story about the Barber shop experience. I used to take my youngest brother to the barber and the set up was very similar. This would be on Saturday's when the shop was busy. The haircuts back in the l950's were very short back and sides and boys eyes got caught by the scissors quite regularly...hence the stinging pencil. I know my brother had his ears nipped a few times and boys at school appeared with plasters on their ears which meant they had been clipped by the barbers also.
 
My dad always used to take me to the same barber's all through my infant and junior years. It was situated in Lodge Road, opposite the top of Goode Street (or was it Abbey St?).

One Easter, during the 60s, the barber was shut for the holiday.... so my dad had to take me to another, which was the other end of Lodge Road, somewhere opposite the gates to the hospital.

The barber at this particular shop used the old manual clippers.... but his hands shook like mad, which resulted in him pulling half my hair out, instead of cutting it. :crying:

To this day, I've never forgotten the ordeal. :shock:
 
dennis said:
Funny how little things of life come back to you,
I was lying in bed last night,and out of the blue came.‚.. this little
piece of nostalgia,For the men among us,
How many remember going to the barber's for an haircut
and the barber used to give you a "singe" as well ? :)
Click to expand...
Does anyone rember Dante's the Italian Hairdresser on Gooch ST. Balsall Heath, where the girls used to go for the D.A. later the Italian cut. it would have been the late 50s and early 60s.
 
The Barber I went to on Kingstanding Circle always had a queue outside, so to make sure everyone got their haircut in turn, they used to issue raffle tickets to everyone in the queue. Short back and sides was what you got then.
 
I once turned up at my local barbers just as my friend was being finished off in one chair and his brother was about to take his place. As I sat in the chair the barber asked how I wanted it cut? Before I opened my mouth my friend's mother (a close neighbour) said 'short back and sides' (which I never had) - I was about 13 at the time and my mother went mad at me for having been shorn. I used to have wavy hair back then but it waved goodbye:(
 
My hair was not that curly but I was often accused of having had it permed:angry:
 
Me too Patty. Michael's friend had his done for his wedding while I wad doing it he took a photo. He had loads printed and handed them out at the reception..............men!:shocked:
 
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