David... I can confirm that it was the usual practice for a Barber to conclude the service with:

"A little Bay Rum sir?.... Aftershave?.... A pack of (name your brand here)... certainly Sir and something for the weekend perhaps?"

the latter referring to the condoms.. as my associate is often keen to point out in many Barbers' shops the customer would confirm the latter very quietly... today the young lads all buy their condoms from the Supermarket and very quietly ask the (usually female) cashier for .... a packet of (name your brand here)!!

How times have changed!

While not wishing to stray too far from the subject matter, Cuba Street is changing. Rent increases have driven out most of the small businesses that gave the area its charm and sense of community. An increase in rent from 20K to 52K in one jump saw me leave my premises... the second hand shop next door moved out and the guy in the takeaway sold out to someone who was prepared to pay the increase in rent he faced. Few of the landmark shops/businesses are left... Mr Smiles, Mr Munch Scoop 'N Save, the Comic Shop, 4 book shops, the electical repair shop, Silvios Records, the Market, the Recording Studios to name but a few. Some remain (Elmo's Mowers, Mr Munchener Coffee Bar, Jam Hair and Peter McLeavey's Art Gallery) but the area is now inundated with bars, Licenced Coffee Houses and Restaurants .. a number of who moved in when rents got too much in Courtney Place.

Even the Carnival has done little to bring the spark back to the area... its "quirkiness" was largely based on the small businesses and alternate lifestylers who inhabited the upstairs flats above the shops, etc.. now they are largely converted in to modern apartments that students and alternate lifestylers can't afford.

To bring us back on topic I might make this observation... barbers are a dying breed. I believe I had the last apprentice in Wellington and that was 10 years ago.. and he decided to go labouring after 2 months as it paid more (mind you he was only 15 years old). No amount of discussion, with his mother and I, on his future earnings capability would convince him to stay... an apprentice takes 3 years to qualify making almost nothing in the first year, average wage in the second, top wage in the third... this of course can change depending on the quality of the work and experience. If a hairdresser does both sexes and is capable of keeping up with the changing styles the sky's the limit. I know of a couple of hair stylists who work solely on commission and make over 3k a week... I really should go back to unisex styling!

Those of us still in the trade are getting older... Frank's retirement is only one of many in the last 3 years so its only a matter of time before you are all out there paying top dollar for a haircut... and that might be sooner rather than later if rents keep going up at the rate they are! :D

I'm surprised you have so few hairdressers reading... I'm a Barber - for those in Wellington I used to be THE BARBER based in Cuba Street (cybercafe at the rear of the shop)... I'm now in the Willis Street Village.

Pete, who works with me, is the last Barber in Wellington who will still use a cut-throat razor regularly - he will even do the full shave by appointment.

From a Barber's point of view I have to say I'm one who still asks "How would you like it cut"... after working Cuba Street and covering the whole spectrum of desired styles, it became a habit... so much so that I get really frustrated by young fellows who wander in, get in the chair and then proceed to tell me they don't know what they want! My now standard answer is "#1 all over then!" to which they inevitably reply "No - not that short"... but they then tell me what they had in mind in the first place. By working with the customer we can achieve the desired result!

My shop is the only Barber's where Sports is almost TABOO... neither of us is interested but we can converse if required (some men don't want to talk - they are just taking time out from a guelling life to relax and get a haircut) on a variety of subjects from politics to music, movies to computers, religion to PHP.... if one of us can't comment then the other usually can.. we're in our 50s and 60s and subscribe to the view that most men don't want to spend 30+ minutes having their hair done.. they want to nip in, get it cut and nip out as fast as possible... if the conversation's good that's a bonus!

So to those of you who have a good barber/hairdresser and intend to stick with them... on behalf of the working barber may I thank and commend you! You are my bread and butter... and if you call regularly the chances of Baked Beans for the kids' Birthdays diminishes...