Peter - The Wedding Haircut by buzztob

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Peter - The Wedding Haircut
by
buzztob

Hi, my name is Peter, I am 14 years old and live with my parents in a small town in the north of England. It was a Sunday afternoon and we were at my grandparents’ house for lunch. Just as were finishing, my father said that I needed a new pair of shoes for the wedding were going to the following weekend and asked my grandfather if he would be able to take me next Friday after school. He said that it would be no problem and asked what type of shoes and where to buy them. Dad said "just get a pair of Oxford brogues, they will go nicely with his new suite". It was sorted grandfather would pick me up by the main gates next Friday.
On Thursday night, I was brushing my teeth ready for bed and dad walked past the bathroom, he looked in and said you could really do with a haircut for the wedding. I said that I doubted that I would be able to get an appointment at my usual place at such short notice. He just said, "ask your grandfather he’ll know somewhere that will fit you in". Friday afternoon at the end of school, I walked to the main gates and grandfather was there waiting to pick me up. We drove into town, parked up and went to buy my new shoes. It was whilst walking back to the car that I said to grandfather that my dad wanted me to get my haircut for the wedding, I told him that I couldn’t go to my usual place at such short notice and dad said he would know somewhere I could go. He looked at me and said "no problem, let’s put the shoes into the car and then we can get your haircut". As we were walking down a side street, grandfather told me that he was taking me to a friend of his who worked at a barber’s shop; Mr Smith, who had served with grandfather in the Army. I saw at the end of the street a barber’s pole above a shop. As we got closer, I read a sign ‘Smith & Jones Gents Barbers’ above the shop window. Grandfather opened the door; a bell announced our arrival. The two barbers looked up exchanged greetings with my grandfather who indicated some chairs on the back wall and told me to have a seat. The shop was old fashioned, with tiled floors, two barber’s chairs and an array of equipment on the shelves under the large mirrors on the front wall. The other walls had an assortment of posters and pictures of different haircuts, and just above the cash desk was a list of haircuts, services and the prices.

There were four others sitting on the back chairs so I knew we would have a bit of a wait. In the chairs were a couple of elderly men having their haircut very short to my mind. My hair was just over my ears and resting on the collar and really thick on the top. My parents had never forced me into getting short haircuts and every couple of months would just say time for a trim. Looking at the four waiting, there were two lads about my age, one man about my dad’s age and a lad who looked about 17/18 years old. The two elderly men in the chairs were brushed off about the same time and went to pay at the desk. The two barbers returned to their chairs and the regular ‘who’s next’ rang out. It was the older man who told the boys to get in the chairs. The boys looked at each other and the one who looked to be the oldest, told the other one to get in the chair on the left, he took the one on the right. The barbers placed the paper strip around their necks, shook out the capes and snapped them into place. They both turned around and asked the man, who I took to be their father, how he wanted their hair cut. The man said to the barber on the right, he just wants a trim and the fringe left fairly long, just out of his eyes. The barber nodded and started to comb out the lad’s hair. To the other barber he just said give him a good trim. The barber asked if he wanted the back tapered and how short did, he want it? the man just said he would leave it up to the barber, whatever he thought would look good. Just then my grandfather said to me that the barber on the left was his friend, Mr Smith and the other was Mr Jones. They had been cutting hair for over 20 years and that Mr Smith had learned his trade whilst serving in the Army. At the mention of his name, Mr Smith looked up and across to grandfather and said that he had only been in last week and wasn’t due another haircut. Grandfather said that it was for me, his grandson Peter, who needed his haircut for a wedding he was going to on Saturday. Mr Smith just smiled and said that it wouldn’t be long before I was in the chair. I looked across at Mr Jones who had taken his clippers, placed an attachment on them and was cutting the back and sides of the lad’s hair in his chair. After going around the head, he brushed away the loose hair, took up a spray bottle and wet his hair. Taking out his scissors and comb, he asked the lad about his fringe, gave a nod and snipped off about half an inch, then proceeded to cut the top and blend it into the sides. I though it looked good and the lad had a smile on his face. Looking across to the other chair, Mr Smith, had clippers in his hand, no guard on them and was cutting the other lad’s hair quite short around the back and sides. He had taken it about an inch above his ears and up the back of his head, you could see his scalp. He brushed off the cut hair, placed a guard on the clippers and went around the back and sides again all the way to the top of his head. He sprayed the top with water, turned around to the father and asked if he wanted a parting or just brush straight forward? Straight forward was the reply. Mr Smith picked up his scissors and started to cut the top. In the other chair, the lad was getting out of the chair and being replace by the father. The father had a fair amount of hair on his head, swept into a wave at the front. He explained how he wanted it cut and could he have it washed and styled as he was going out that evening. Mr Jones nodded, adjusted the cape and began to cut away with his scissors. In the other chair, Mr Smith had just about finished with his lad who certainly didn’t have much hair left on his head. The lad was cleaned off and he left the chair.

He was replaced in the chair by the older lad who exchanged greetings with Mr Smith. The cape was placed around him and Mr Smith just said "is it time" to which the lad said yes. The lad’s hair was just a bit shorter than mine so it would be interesting to see how his ended up. Mr Smith picked up his clippers and went from the front of his head all the way back. A large white strip appeared on his head and Mr Smith just kept stripping all the hair off. My grandfather gave a slight chuckle and said to Mr Smith, "that brings back memories", Mr Smith looked up, smiled and said that the young lad was reporting for his army training on Monday. Mr Smith had removed all the hair off the lad’s head, gave him a good brushing off and asked if he wanted the back and sides taken down another notch? The lad said that he did and Mr Smith picked up a pair of smaller clippers and started to run them up the back and sides of the lad’s head. He was completely bald with a slight bit of hair on the top. Mr Smith brushed him off, gave him a tissue and removed the cape. It then struck me that I was next. I looked over at the other chair, but Mr Jones was still cutting the man’s hair. Mr Smith and grandfather wished the young lad good luck and hoped he enjoyed the Army. Mr Smith returned to his chair, brushed up the hair on the floor, looked across at me and said, "right young Peter, let’s get you smartened up for the wedding" I slowly approached the chair, climbed in, had the paper strip placed around my neck and the gown was secured. I was waiting for him to ask how I wanted it cut, but he turned around to grandfather and said "so, anything special or just a good haircut for the wedding?" "I’ll leave it up to you, you know what you’re doing" Mr Smith asked if he wanted a parting in my hair, grandfather nodded then Mr Smith said "taken all the way up to the parting?" grandfather replied "aye that would be grand". I had no idea what they were talking about. Mr Smith pumped up the chair and swung it around so I was facing grandfather, I couldn’t see what was going on. "Do you want the parting cut in? I think it stands out more and gives a better end result" grandfather said that he was the professional and would leave it up to him. Just then I heard the clippers being switched on, I could tell they were the smaller ones judging by the higher pitch from them when he had used them on the lad before me. I started to panic seeing the damage they had done to the lad’s head. Mr Smith told me not to move as he needed to get the line straight, if he messed it up, I would have to have all of my hair cut off. I sat holding my breath, not daring to move. The clippers touched my scalp and went from the front to the crown of my head. He went over it a few more times pressing hard and wiggling them slightly. "There, parting is in and looks good" he said to grandfather. I let out my breath and released the tight grip I had on the arm rests. Mr Smith returned with the other clippers and started to run them up the side of my head. He looked across at grandfather and said "is that short enough?" grandfather said that it would do this time and to take a fair amount off the top to blend in. Mr Smith said he would and would thin it right down. He carried on clipping the rest of the back and sides, dusted me off, then sprayed my hair with water and began to cut the top. There was certainly a lot of hair falling onto my lap. He changed scissors and I felt a tugging of the hair as he proceeded to thin the hair out. The hair dryer came out, and the hot air felt uncomfortable on my head. Mr Smith then proceeded to apply some sweet-smelling stuff to my hair and combed it into place. He placed some water around my ears and neck, then I felt something scraping my scalp. He said to grandfather that the razor took off any stray hair. He then proceeded to apply some water to the parting and used the razor on that. I was wiped down, the chair turned around to the mirror and I saw how short my hair was. Stripped of hair on the left side all the way to the parting, the right side had a bit more hair with the top sweeping over. I looked awful; I would never forgive grandfather for this. Grandfather said it looked grand, paid at the desk and we left. Of course, father thought it looked really smart and thanked his father for getting it sorted out and stated that he would arrange something with him before we left for a break at half term which was only 4 weeks away.

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