Dewsbury lad Gary Thomas took his father’s advice to ‘get a trade that won’t wear you out’ and now at 60 can look back on 40 years as a barber in Holbeck.
“I did a six-month placement organised by the MSC, the Manpower Services Commission. Anyone remember that?” queried Gary. “I passed and went to work with Alec Burnell in his shop on Front Row about where Bridgewater Place now stands. It was the autumn of 1985. Madness had done a video there I’m told, but that was before me. There was another trainee, David, who soon went and got his own shop in Wibsey I believe. I wonder what became of him?”
“After a few years we moved onto Water Lane and stayed there until about 2002. The shop then became a pub, and Alec decided it was time to retire, and I took over the business. I had ten years or so with a place in Fourth Court Holbeck under a disused railway viaduct. We’ve been here on Domestic Street near Holbeck Moor since 2013. Styles may have changed but men need haircuts. I think I’ve done about 80 thousand haircuts. As far as I know all my customers have survived.”
One loyal customer is Middleton’s Michael Priestley, 59, now living in East Ardsley.
“I’m a year younger than Gary and I guess we’ve gone through life together. He’s been cutting my hair all my adult life. He realised early on that men want to chat with their barber as much as women with their hairdresser. Gary’s a great conversationalist and draws people to him. You could say it’s therapeutic sitting in Gary’s chair.”
“There’s growing emphasis today on men’s mental health and talking things through can help,” concluded Gary. “Sitting in my chair provides a good opportunity. We get good reviews and I’ll be here for some time yet. Alec who taught me was a real character and is fondly remembered by lots of South Leeds people. A hard act to follow. Hopefully I’ve also built up a good reputation in this community I’m proud to serve.”
This post was written by James Bovington
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Remember Alec who gave my son his first proper haircut in 1978 when a friend took him to the salon with his two sons. My son was only five years. old and had been nervous about going but Alec worked his magic and my son had his hair cut there until he went to college.