CARL

Thetford Bypass
21 July 2005

BD. What made you decide to become a barber?

Well I left school at 14 and my first employment was in a barbers shop. Most of the boys that I went to school with did paper rounds and I had a Saturday job working in the barbers shop on a Saturday morning. I used to sweep up. I used to get the hot towel machine up and ready. Put all the hot water for the shaves. A lot of people in those days used to have a shave so it was a regular Saturday morning thing. A lot of people used to have their own mugs with their names on them.

BD.  Did some of them have their own razors?

Well some of them did. But normally the barber would supply the razor. But my main job was to make sure I had a cup of tea for the barbers and the hot water and all the sides had to be clean and wiped down. I had the keys to the shop, the owner used to drop them round to my hose on a Friday so I could be there to open up on a Saturday, so I was there before anybody else. And that was my Saturday morning job. I got 10 shillings which was more money than I had ever seen in my life. Ten shillings was a lot of money. I saved up for a bike.
So of course when I left school I started my apprentiship at the barbers shop and I continued through there. That was in the Ladbrook grove. Just along the side of the station. That was where I did my apprentiship.

BD. So how long did you stay there as a barber? Did you qualify there?

Yes I qualified there. And I also went to this school of hairdressing for six months as a finishing to my apprentiship. They showed you all different methods of cutting but it was more to do with perms. For the teddy boys to do the quiff at the front. Some people tried to make it go naturally but it had to be permed really.

BD. So the Brylcream didn’t work?

No. You say Brylcream, a lot of people used to use margarine because it was cheaper. It used to go rancid.

BD. So, did you work at other barbers before you got this one going?

Oh, yeah. Around London. And then I went self employed and rented a chair. In a way I’m self employed here as well because I work at the American airbase at weekends.

BD.  When did you have the idea of doing this?

Well, I had the idea for along long time but couldn’t do anything about it because I had two young children and they were still in school so I couldn’t afford to take any chances you see. Then later I put all my money into it. All our savings to get this up and running. I’d actually drawn up the plans of what I’d need on a computer, worked out all the dimensions, and took that to a coach works and asked them if they’d give me a quote. They wanted about a hundred thousand. So I thought that was the end of that.
Then I found this. A second hand library coach. I searched for two years. The amount of searching I did was crazy. I went to auctions I looked in catalogues and never really found one that was suitable. This one came up for sale and the guy lived off the back of Heathrow. He bought it to convert to a horse box but there were problems so he got something else and decided to sell this on.

BD. And then how long did it take to do up?

It took me a year. A year of hard work to get it on the road. I was working weekends as a barber and through the week on this. Seven days a week for a year, literally to get this on the road.

BD. And did you know all the colour schemes you wanted.

Oh yeah. All that had been worked out way before. All the signs and stuff I did on a computer. I used to sit there and do all the design stuff on CAD 64. In the mid 80’s. The outside was painted by the coach works.

BD. Can you remember the first day you had it all done and you took it out?

Yes. It was a total disaster. I never saw a soul. It was Pump Lane in Hayes. First time I had ever taken the business down and it was outside a working men’s club. It was a bit lonely sitting there all day but I had to just grit my teeth and stick it out. It took a long time. Then I had a senior warrant officer came up from RAF Drayton, and he asked if I would like to work on a military base. So I took the van onto the base and that was my first experience of working on a military base.
I spent so many hours building this I had to stick with it. But the biggest problem a barbers has got is parking. All the towns have got the problem. Hardly any spaces and traffic wardens walking up and down so people just give up. So you end up losing your trade. And then I was working in Eling one day and a chap who used to live near me came by with one of those burger vans and I thought that was a brilliant idea. You just park up and people come to you. I couldn’t see what problem there would be with putting a barbers shop in a similar situation. So if you go somewhere where there’s a lot of people you will get the work. If you’re sat on the high street you won’t get it. Obviously on weekends everyone wants one and the shop is crowded out but during the week its very difficult. But I honestly can say that since I started this, apart from the first day, there has never been a day when I haven’t had a customer so it’s got to be a success.

BD. You mentioned before you used to do Harrow.

I did. I used to do Harrow School. They organised for me to take the van up. I used to park outside on the road that goes through the middle of the school. My biggest problem was when they changed the road. There were a lot of accident with the pupils so they made on section one way so I had to leave the coach at home and then started working in the 6th form centre and then eventually in the TV room in one of the boys houses.

BD. And how did you get the job at the air base?

Well the lady that lives across the road from me is American and she said that there was a job on the base for a barber and was I interested. I said I only wanted a bit of part time and that’s when it started. They go for an American cut called a High And Tight. Its like a scull cap. Shaved around the sides and a bit left on top.

BD. So what’s the best thing about being a barber?

The best thing? Well. I always enjoyed being a barber. I don’t know.

BD. What’s the worst thing?

The worst thing is when someone gets upset. When they don’t like it. You can try and adjust it but, you know.

BD. So who cuts your hair.

My son cuts my hair. A few people cut it. I get the others at the airbase to cut it.