Next by Barbershop memories

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The year is 1976 and i, like most boys my age (13) have trendy longish hair with a center parting just like everyone else at school. Well nearly everyone, there where one or two boys who would turn up at school for the new term after the summer holidays sporting the dreaded short back and sides type of haircut, a haircut i used to get at my dads insistance until i started at senior school, after a lot of protesting i might ad.
I imagined that they must have very strict parents as no boy would choose a severely clipped short back and sides haircut of his own accord. Well no boy appart from me that is, you see, secretly i loved that look, and always remembered the feel of the bristles on the back and sides of my head as i ran me fingers up it after my haircuts when i was younger, if i only had the nerve or the bottle to get a haircut like that again.
I even made freinds with the couple of boys at school who had very short haicuts finding out if it was their choice or not by casually mention it conversations.
David was one of them and we became really good freinds.
David was round at my house having his tea with us. My dad had mentioned his hair on a few occasions saying things like, how smart it was and how much smarter he looked than me at which point i would always quickly change the subject.
Back to school monday, new term, my dad said as we were eating our tea, we both nodded adding a disgruntled grunt.
Fancy taking us swimming tommorow morning dad i said, Dad had taken us to the baths a few times on a saturday morning, David interupted, can't, Mums taking me to the barbers in the morning.
Well Christopher could do with a trim before the new term starts, i'll pick you up and we can all go swimming afterwards, but Mum always takes me.
The idea of seeing him getting his haircut fascinated me, well give her a ring and ask her if its ok then we can go swimming afterwards i said.
Hi Mum can i go to the baths tommorow with chris and his dad, (pause) "i know mum but christophers dad said he'll pick me up and take me for my haircut with chris cause he's getting his cut then were going swimming."

David looks at my dad and says, what barbers is it, "well, any i suppose" is it ok if my mum comes with us, she wants to do some shopping in town after my haircut, yes no problem we'll pick you up at 10am, 10am mum ok.
Next morning we arrived at Davids house, the previous night all my thoughts were about his impending haircut, would his mum instruct the barber, or would he be able to choose, after all we were starting 3rd year seniors nearly 14 years old, i had only met his mum once as he always came round my house, he had told me about how strict and old fashioned his mum and dad were i think it embarrased him a bit.
Hi i'm Christophers dad,
Mary, Davids mum, this is very good of you
so, where to?.
Do you know Fletchers barbershop in town.
Certainly do, it was christophers baber when he was younger.

10 minuets later we arrived and sat in the waiting chairs.
My dad and Davids mum seemed to get on really well, mr Fletcher was just finishing off a mans haircut and ther was a boy a bit younger than us who i guessed was the mans son sat waiting for his dad.

Mr Fletcher must be going soft i thought to myself as the boys hair though short for that time ie above his ears and collar, hadn't been severely clipped like Davids usual and mine had always been when i was younger.
Next, the barber said as the man got out of the chair, go on son his dad said, the barber put a padded board across the arms of the chair and the boy sat on it.
As the barber tucked a tissue round his neck and fastened the cape i tried not to look so interested as he pumped up the chair with his foot but i found myself fascinated and amazed by the fact that he hadn't yet had it cut.
What are we having?
Short back and sides, his dad answered.
He picked up the clippers without any guard on them, head right down for me boy, pushing his even further down with his left hand he ran the clippers all the way up the back of his head, he repeated this quite quickly several times then moved his head to one side then the other and clipped the sides up as high as the back.
I just watched in total amazement.
Part of me wishing it was me in the chair.
Part 2 next

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