School Regulation Haircut by NS

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During my schooldays back in the 1980's, I was at a school where it was a compulsory requirement for boys to have a haircut which must be above the ears and short above the collar. It was understood the haircut regime was brought in as result of an outbreak of headlice and following this the Nit Nurse does regular hair inspections and there was even a resident school barber who was actually the school secretary, Mrs Wilcox, who combined her administration duties, with providing short, sharp haircuts for the unfortunates.. This was a lady who was highly efficient in all of her work and was even feared by the teaching staff, if they failed to be organised in their own duties. Mrs Wilcox's own daughter had actually been teaching at my school in Physical Education, but had gone on maternity leave.. It was remarked she was mightily relieved to be out of the same working environment as her mother.. Therefore, it was a nervous time when the Nit Nurse did her monthly visit and following inspection, she decided that a boys hair was to long and was at risk of lice. If this was the case, a boy would be sent immediately to Mrs Wilcox for at least a short, back & sides. If a boy was so unfortunate enough to have any nits, which was the case now and again, she would go a stage furthur and deliver an unguarded all over clipper shave and follow up by wet shaving the remaining stubble to be rid of any lurking notion of nits or lice. The boy would then be bald and open to the wrath of the other pupils. To make matters worse, Mrs Wilcox made sure her victims were on full view in her school office whilst they were caped up, being scalped.. This haircut was used as a deterrant to make sure boys visited the barbers on a regular basis and not be subject to this fate.. I certainly took the care of my seriously, so it came a complete surprise to me when I was ordered to report to Mrs Wilcox as it had been decided that my standards had dropped.
It wasn't a case that I had been suspected of nits, it was that my form tutor had saw me keep messing with my hair which had very slightly grown onto my collar and had decided to act. Once reported, there was no going back.. It is straight to Mrs Wilcox at the school office who will be undoubtedly ready for me.I arrived at the office resigned to my fate. Mrs Wilcox wasn't on the desk but when I reported her assistant shouted across the room, "Barbara, the boy is here for his haircut" She replied I will not be too long, I am busy just getting ready for him. I was then instructed to enter the room leading from the office and there was Mrs Wilcox, standing in wait, dressed very efficiently in a blouse, over the knees skirt and medium height stilleto shoes. Very much the Secretary look.. She said, Take a seat and the first thing she did was place a pieceI of tissue round my neck and that that was then followed up with a traditional barbers sheet being thust over and then carefully tucked in over my shirt collar. She then placed her spectacles up to her eyes on her chain and said "it will just be a short back & sides for you" I then realised that my haircut was not taking place in full view of passers by. There was just a small window in this utility room which no one could see into. That was a relief to be spared any taunts during my haircut. I did feel quite relaxed as Mrs Wilcox (Barbara, as I now know) busily set about wetting my hair down and initially using her comb & scissors cutting the initial length down. I could feel the cold steel against my wet scalp as the hair started to fall onto the sheet which nearly covered my whole body. I knew this was going to be a short one. The clippers eventually came along, set at a number 2 grade and she started to clipper mestarting from the back upwards and then from the front and over. I could just about hear the clattering of her heels behind the buzzing of her clippers. My hair was getting shorter and shorter but knew it would stop at a military style crew cut. Then the best part of the haircut for me, the clippers becoming unguarded and then the feeling of the precision shaping above my ears and then the shaping of my nape line and removal of back of the neck hair. For this she lathered the back of my neck with shaving cream and then then with a barbers blade, gently shaved the hair. This was sensational. Whilst doing this she said, I am in a good mood today, I spoke to my daughter earlier and she is coming home today after having her baby. I said what did she have ?. Mrs Wilcox said I am a Grandmother to another grandson. She said her son had already got two boys. I then realised this good news was probably the reason I was spared having a Public Haircut on view to the school, which was normally the practice. Following the neck agave, she continued with the unguarded clippers and carried on with more shaping
The buzzing ceased and she then got her barbers brush ready as she removed the tisSue, loosened the Cape and brushed loose hair as she removed the Cape ad she instructed me to leave the seat. She then said look in that mirror and I could see the end result. A Military style short back & sides had been administered by the School Secretary.
After the experInce, I thought that wasn'the too bad after all and maybe if I can just let my hair a little longer next time, this will be repeated





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