p_p_man
The 'Euro' European
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2001
- Posts
- 24,253
There are still a few around and I came upon the one I use 20 years ago. Run by Tony, a Greek Cypriot. He's the 'guvner', head barber and chief bottle washer all encompassed in one small, chubby package.
Popular place is Tony's. Long before he unlocks his doors the queue to get in can be as many as 10 deep on busy days. There is a reason. And that is Tony loves his work...
He loves his customers, he loves his non-stop chatting with them, he loves his soccer (a few famous footballers use his place and he has signed photographs covering his walls) and he loves reminiscing over the 'old days' when he had a hairdressing palace in the West End of London.
All this talking takes time and the average haircut, even for a pensioner with one or two grey hairs can take up to 20-25 minutes. So a queue of 10 means you won't sit down in The Chair for two and a half hours.
But we don't mind because we don't use Tony's just to get a haircut. It's our social club, our gambling fraternity, our debating society and our 'Mens' Club'. Sorry ladies but Tony has never learnt how to talk to a woman so they just don't use the place.
Smoking is allowed and often the waiting area (separated from The Chair by a four foot high wooden partition) can get a bit thick with smoke but by common consent, when this happens, smoking is put on hold for a while whilst we open the door to let it out.
Two and a half hours to wait for haircut isn't long when you're having fun. Some of us leave to do some shopping or have a pint and the others save their places. When the person at the front of the queue (we all sit on old wooden upright chairs which have seen better days) takes his place in The Chair there's a general movement as we all shuffle along one.
Tony knows everyone. He knows their children and their grandchildren and once he knows your name he never forgets it, even if you don't visit him for a while.
He is the classic barber.
Last week to my shame I went to one of those hairdressing palaces Tony talks about. My thinning top was shampooed and blow dried against my will, but I didn't have the nerve to say 'no thanks' when asked. I was too intimidated by the tits on the good looking young girl who worked on my head. The flesh from her breasts kept pushing against my shoulder and before I could recover from the sensation I was being brushed down, sprayed by some clinging, toxic substance which made me smell like the proverbial and being relieved of money nearly five time higher than Tony ever charges. The whole operation from walking into the place took 10 minutes.
I think I'll leave that sort of establishment to the young who are still driving in the fast lane...
Tony I'll see you in three weeks...
ppman
Popular place is Tony's. Long before he unlocks his doors the queue to get in can be as many as 10 deep on busy days. There is a reason. And that is Tony loves his work...
He loves his customers, he loves his non-stop chatting with them, he loves his soccer (a few famous footballers use his place and he has signed photographs covering his walls) and he loves reminiscing over the 'old days' when he had a hairdressing palace in the West End of London.
All this talking takes time and the average haircut, even for a pensioner with one or two grey hairs can take up to 20-25 minutes. So a queue of 10 means you won't sit down in The Chair for two and a half hours.
But we don't mind because we don't use Tony's just to get a haircut. It's our social club, our gambling fraternity, our debating society and our 'Mens' Club'. Sorry ladies but Tony has never learnt how to talk to a woman so they just don't use the place.
Smoking is allowed and often the waiting area (separated from The Chair by a four foot high wooden partition) can get a bit thick with smoke but by common consent, when this happens, smoking is put on hold for a while whilst we open the door to let it out.
Two and a half hours to wait for haircut isn't long when you're having fun. Some of us leave to do some shopping or have a pint and the others save their places. When the person at the front of the queue (we all sit on old wooden upright chairs which have seen better days) takes his place in The Chair there's a general movement as we all shuffle along one.
Tony knows everyone. He knows their children and their grandchildren and once he knows your name he never forgets it, even if you don't visit him for a while.
He is the classic barber.
Last week to my shame I went to one of those hairdressing palaces Tony talks about. My thinning top was shampooed and blow dried against my will, but I didn't have the nerve to say 'no thanks' when asked. I was too intimidated by the tits on the good looking young girl who worked on my head. The flesh from her breasts kept pushing against my shoulder and before I could recover from the sensation I was being brushed down, sprayed by some clinging, toxic substance which made me smell like the proverbial and being relieved of money nearly five time higher than Tony ever charges. The whole operation from walking into the place took 10 minutes.
I think I'll leave that sort of establishment to the young who are still driving in the fast lane...
Tony I'll see you in three weeks...
ppman
