Thompson and Son by Snipped Sam

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Mr Scales my headmaster was not someone who I would have wished to have bumped into during my school holidays. I don’t mean literally bump into him, but as I walked out of the dry cleaners he standing on the pavement outside. I had just taken my blazer to be dry cleaned before the start of the new term. He congratulated me on being so well organised although he suggested that it may be at my mother’s instigation.

"But, whoever made the suggestion of dry cleaning your blazer, it shows a commitment to looking smart."

"Yes Sir."

"And part of my commitment to my appearance means a visit to my barbers, in fact I am now on my way there."

Mr Scales hair was always cut very short, and it barely looked like it was in need of a barber’s attention. I acknowledged the information he had just shared with me with another "Yes Sir"

"Of course Drake, it goes without saying that you are very welcome to join me."

"Would that be for a haircut Sir?"

"Why else would I invite you? your hair could certainly do with cutting, and you would have the opportunity of an experienced barber taking care of your hair. Plus of course the benefit of my valuable input if required."

Since my father had died three years before when I was just twelve, I had rather missed our visits to the barbers. Unlike other lads then and now, I had rather enjoyed being taken to the barber’s. In 1974 being a headmaster of a grammar school was a challenge for someone like Mr Scales who favoured the old order of things. If I was to accept his invitation, I knew that I would be obliged to accept his valuable input as he put it, I hesitated a little.

"So Drake, do I hear a yes please to my invitation?"

"Yes Sir, it’s a yes please."

"This way old chap."

He said, smiling broadly and placing his hand on my shoulder to guide me in the direction of his barbers.

"I don’t suppose you go to Messrs Thompson for your haircuts, do you Drake?"

"No Sir."

"I thought not."

He replied giving me a knowing look, Thompson and Son had a reputation for their very short haircuts. In certain circumstances, Mr Scales would pay for a boy to have his haircut, usually when he had failed to get his haircut when reminded one was due. This was provided that it was done at Thompson’s.

"Not far now Drake, remind me what your first name is?"

"It’s James Sir."

"Yes of course."

We carried on walking and then turned the corner to the street where Thompson’s was, I could see the long striped red and white wooden pole. We arrived at the door and Mr Scales smiled and assured me that there was no need to feel nervous. He opened the door and indicated that I should go through and he followed closely behind. Both barbers were busy cutting hair, but looked up and greeted Mr Scales warmly, and the older barber said hello to me. Mr Scales said we should make ourselves comfortable on the wooden bench. The barber’s shop was very traditional, with its what I considered old fashioned looking brown leather and wooden barber’s chairs. The oak bench which we sat on was decades old, and the linoleum flooring was well worn. The shop smelt strongly of hair preparations.

It was just Mr Scales and I waiting, Mr Thompson senior must have been approaching his late fifties, and his son was perhaps mid-thirties. Both gentlemen were smartly dressed with black trousers, white shirt and ties and each wore a white nylon barber’s jacket. Mr Thompson junior wore black rimmed spectacles and had dark brown hair where as his father had white hair. Mr Scales glanced at the headlines on a folded newspaper whilst I just looked around taking everything in. It looked like Mr Thompson junior would be finishing first, he looked rather serious. It turned out that my prediction was correct, and a middle aged man emerged from Mr Thompson juniors chair with a very short haircut.

"I’m sending you up first Drake, best leave the discussions about your hair to me."

"Yes Sir."

"I’m sure you know the routine, but just to remind you Drake, it goes without saying that you are expected to cooperate fully with the barber. It would be better if conversation is kept to a polite minimum on your part."

"Very good Sir."

With my headmaster having advised me of what was expected of me, I felt both nervous and apprehensive, but there was no backing out. I was next in the vacant barber’s chair and after the man had paid for his haircut and left the shop the barber returned to his chair. He looked over at us and asked who was next, Mr Scales told me to stand up and go over to the chair. Normally I would have already stood up ready to go over to the chair, but that day I was under Mr Scales supervision. As I approached the chair, the barber looked even sterner, when I reached him he nodded for me to sit down on the chair. I sat down and without delay, he had fitted the white nylon cape along with some white tissue tucked in at the back, ready for my haircut. He looked over at Mr Scales.

"How would you like me to cut his hair Sir?"

"I think a traditional school boy’s haircut, if you please."

"Not a problem Sir."

"I have invited young James along here today to experience a taste of yours and your father’s excellent barbering. Whilst I have never had cause to reprimand James over the length of his hair, today I would like him to discover what a perfect haircut is."

After selecting a pair of scissors from the neat row in front of him, the barber started snipping at the back of my head. I was aware by what was being said that the haircut of the man in the next chair was finished. A few minutes later Mr Scales was installed in the barber’s chair next to the one which I was sitting in. I heard him tell his barber that he would like it cut very short.

"Take it up high at the back please Mr Thompson, and very short at the sides."

"Very good Sir."

"Having young James here with me today, presents the opportunity to set him a very good example."

"Oh I am sure you do that every day of the week when he is at school."

"One tries, Mr Thompson."

He replied jovially to his barber, now there were two lots of scissors snipping away. I had very mixed feelings about Mr Scales, today he was being friendly yet firm. But this was a man who was a strict disciplinarian and you could even say at times he was close to being a tyrant. Speaking of strict, Mr Thompson junior was also strict, with an authoritarian no nonsense approach, a pile of my chestnut brown hair now rested on the white cape. My sideburns had gone completely, as well as my floppy fringe both unceremoniously snipped off with long pointed scissors. During the haircut his instructions had been curt and there was no conversation from him, although I had been instructed that conversation should be kept to a minimum on my part. But some interaction would have been nice, but I suppose as far as he was concerned I was there to have my haircut, no need to bother with pleasantries.

Having cut an awful lot of my hair off, Mr Thompson junior set about thinning my hair with steel thinning shears. As he stood in front of me, chopping away he looked so stern, once the mission had been accomplished he brushed all the loose hairs away. He vigorously brushed from side to side, before combing my hair and making a severe parting. In the mirror I could see Mr Thompson senior looking at my haircut.

"Perhaps Mr Scales may want to take a look at the lad’s hair, Gary."

So Mr Scales was invited to take a look at my hair, Mr Thompson senior turned his chair to face me so he could see me. I was really embarrassed and knew had had gone bright red.

"That’s a great improvement, Drake turn your head for me so I can see the back."

I turned my head.

"Drop your head a bit Drake, then Mr Scales can see the back of your head better."

I did as Mr Thompson junior instructed, Mr Scales complimented him on not being afraid to get stuck in, and getting the job done.

"Thank you Mr Scales, and of course I haven’t finished yet."

"So there is more to be done?"

"Yes Sir, I can do some final edging and tidying up and he will have a very smart haircut, but as we have him in the chair, we might be a bit stricter with him."

"I must admit to liking the sound of stricter."

"My suggestion is that he has the back and sides shaved very short with the clippers, not done quite so often on boys Drakes age as a few years ago."

"Sadly even fewer juniors start with that haircut these days, but back to Drake, as you say we have him in the chair and it appears his barber is up for the task. So please go ahead."

"Very good Sir."

Mr Thompson junior replied, straightening my head so it faced forwards before reaching to take hold of his clippers.

"I hope you realise that this isn’t in anyway a punishment Drake, having you in the chair is a perfect opportunity to cut your hair very short. One which I am not going to pass on."

"Yes Sir."

I replied to my headmaster, whilst I did realise that this was not a punishment but it did feel like I was being dealt with severely. As for the clipping, my late father had always favoured clipping as part of my haircuts, and sometimes when we came home from the barber’s my mother would exclaim how short he’d had my hair cut. He would always reply it was for fathers to decide how short their son’s hair should be, but that had stopped after his death.

"Drop your head all the way down Drake."

I did as Mr Thompson junior instructed.

"A touch further for me Drake, if you please."

His instruction was crisp and I quickly positioned my head further down.

"That’s more like it."

He remarked, and I heard his father say to Mr Scales that Gary didn’t take any nonsense and a few of the father’s liked his approach when cutting their boys hair. Mr Scales warmly approved his methods.

"Keep your head down and completely still for me."

He ordered me, before starting to clip the back of my head, I heard Mr Scales remark that it was a very reassuring sound. Soon after his own barber was clipping his hair, but in his case it was edging and shaping. Mr Thompson junior having completed the clipping of the back of my head moved on to the sides.

"Keep looking down Drake, I’m sure you want to see what I’m doing, but that’s not allowed."

He said as he positioned my head to clip above my ears, and soon the hair was once again tumbling from my head. Once the clipping had finished he told me to keep my head down so he could use the razor on my neck. As he scraped away with the flat razor, Mr Scales was approving his own haircut.

"Shorter than you usually have it at the back and the sides, Sir"

"Most satisfactory Mr Thompson, thank you."

My head was still down, when Mr Scales stepped off the chair.

"My word what a transformation."

He remarked to his barber, as he surveyed my haircut.

"Gary does a first class boy’s short back and sides."

"Indeed he does, I will also pay for Drake’s haircut Mr Thompson."

"Very good Sir."

When I was finally allowed to lift my head, in the mirror I saw the results of my haircut, it was just like I used to have my hair cut. In the mirror, I could see Mr Scales paying the barber whilst Mr Thompson junior Brylcreemed my hair. Having combed my hair precisely, he showed me the back of my head in the mirror, he had clipped me severely. I politely thanked him for my haircut, and after an overzealous dusting of powder, the cape was removed and was allowed to step off the chair. Mr Thompson junior brushed my shoulders with the clothes brush before giving me a hard tap on my butt with it.

"That’s to remind you that, the next time you’re here, when I tell you to drop your head, you’ll to take it right down for me. Is that understood?"

I nodded, thinking what made him so sure that there would be a next time. We said our goodbyes and Mr Scales and I left.

"Well Drake, I have to say that is one incredible transformation."

"Thank you Sir."

"Of course you realise that I would like your hair to be kept this short."

"I thought you might Sir."

"In fact I am going to insist on it, and where possible I want the younger Mr Thompson to cut your hair from now on, don’t worry Drake, I will speak with his father."

Mr Scales appeared to want rather a lot and I was very aware that my short hair would be the exception with the boys in my year. But I also knew that my late father would greatly approve of both my haircut and the younger Mr Thompson becoming my barber. I nodded.

"I hope we are clear on this Drake, because if you go against me on this, there will be consequences, ones which you would find rather painful."

As I mentioned earlier Mr Scales was at times a tyrant, with a reputation for his canings. Earlier in the year he had taken fifteen boys from my year, including me to the gym for a mass caning. So I knew exactly what he meant by painful consequences.

"I understand Sir."

Mr Scales had his way, and my visits to Thompson and Son were regular and the results often severe. Mr Thomson junior usually took care of things, but occasionally his father cut my hair. After my time at university, a few years later I moved back to the area, and with the popularity of longer hair waning, and shorter haircuts becoming fashionable Thompson’s was a natural choice. Nearly fifty years on, Gary Thompson’s son and his grandson are now working in the shop. Gary or the younger Mr Thompson as I first knew him, retired a only few years ago. Nowadays, the at the time unfashionable very short haircuts which I was subjected to, are now the most popular with the younger clientele. Now four generations of the Thompson family have cut my hair, and just like his father Gary’s son uses the expression drop your head. But he politely requests I do this, rather than bark the order, and I look forward to my visits there.

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