AFTER 58 years of cutting hair in his town centre shop, Monmouth barber Dave Willett will retire at the end of the month.
Mr Willett, who turns 73 today (August 15) said “the time has come” for him to hang up his scissors and enjoy retirement, but he also said increased competition in the town had contributed to his decision.
“I made the decision to retire two months ago, but I’d been thinking about it for a couple of years”, he said.
“I’ve started cutting my workload down, taking Tuesdays and Thursdays off, so when I retire it’s only an extra few days then I’ve got to find something to do with myself.
“It was a difficult decision but the time has come. I shall be 73 on Wednesday.”
In this photograph, taken in 1966 or 1967, Mr Willett is working alongside his uncle, Sid Lee. "Two brothers were arguing over who would get their hair cut first, so my uncle put them both in the chair and cut their hair at the same time", Mr Willett said. Picture: Dave Willett
Mr Willett said his customers have been saddened by the news of his retirement.
“I’ve been in here 58 years, and I’ve got customers whose hair I’ve been cutting for 50-odd years.
“People are upset, they’re bound to be.
“They’ve been asking me, ‘Where can we go to have a haircut?’, and I don’t know – I’ve never had a haircut anywhere in Monmouth.
“My uncle, Sid Lee, started this business. I came in with him on August 15, 1960, so I’ve never had a haircut anywhere else.”
Mr Willett says trade has declined in recent years as people have turned to modern salons instead of traditional barbers.
“Another reason why I’m packing it in is because trade has dropped a lot.
“There are too many [hairdressers] in Monmouth – a small town and there are 13 places where a man can get his hair cut.
“All the ladies’ hairdressers are doing unisex now.
“I don’t do any schoolboys’ haircuts any more – they all want to go to these trendy places.
“The latest style now is people having it cut short on the back and sides and leaving it long on top. I used to do that in the 1970s, but they don’t think a traditional barber can do it."
Mr Willett outside his barber's shop on Monmouth's Agincourt Street Picture: Nicholas Thomas
Looking back on hairstyles over the years, Mr Willett says the Mohican haircut is one which stands out as one of his least favourite.
He remembers one group of young men coming into the shop in the 1970s.
“They were on a stag do, and they all wanted Mohicans”, he said.
After seeing all his friends have their heads shaved, the groom-to-be backed out at the last minute – no doubt saving himself some grief at the wedding.
Mr Willett plans to spend more time tending to his allotment in his retirement.
“The thing I’m going to miss is the people”, he said.
“From seeing, say, a dozen people a day to seeing nobody, that’s going to be a big challenge, but I’m sure I’ll get on with that.”
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