New Barber + Old News

New Barber
A new barber is to open at the corner of Lombard Street and West St Helen Street.
New Barber
Newspapers from April 1st 2020 are still in the window. I thought nobody did April fools this year, but there is a Daily Mail picture of Prince Harry with a trolley load of toilet paper. Old news included:

Tough measures to clamp down on hoarders

Corona stops play: Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, Wimbledon’s off… 

No mass, family lunch or egg hunts… How the coronavirus finished off Easter celebrations for the first time in 2,000 years

Like so many medics I’m stuck at home with just a cough. This is madness: Dr MAX PEMBERTON blasts Government over lack of coronavirus testing for NHS workers.

14 thoughts on “New Barber + Old News

  1. newcomer

    How has the rash of Turkish barbers in the town got away with such bad-taste shop frontages? Truely appalling.

    Are there any Turkish barbers left in Istanbul?

    Reply
  2. TinyM

    As my first comment does not seem to have appeared I will reword it.
    I strongly feel that the owners of these shop premises need to be more responsible in who and for what business these premises are let for and have a say on the styling of the premises.
    I and I am sure many people reading this blog know who owns this shop and as he is a regular outspoken contributor to this page including in the past speaking negatively about the amount of Turkish barbers in the town it would be interest to have his opinion.

    Reply
  3. Hester

    I am just wondering what the objection is to Turkish barbers? Like most other people I think it is a shame that such a high proportion of our town centre premises are taken by the same general sector (I.e beauty), but a few years ago the complaints were about charity shops and estate agents. Judging by the length of time premises such as this remain vacant, it doesn’t seem that other types of business are champing at the bit to set up here, so is it fair to expect landlords to turn away those who are willing to pay the rent?
    Re the shop frontage, it is not brilliant, but nor are many of the other British-run businesses: once the newspapers disappear it will be no worse than many others. It is time we had a review of our Town Centre Conservation Area and that might lead to a tightening up on the appearance of properties of all kinds, signage, street clutter etc. for the whole area, not just selected businesses.

    Reply
    1. newcomer

      Couldn’t agree more re. ‘a review of our Town Centre Conservation Area ….’ Hester. I think the external paintwork of all properties in the ‘Turkish Hairdresser Quarter’ should be from the Farrow and Ball ‘English Heritage’ range … and I’m not talking about the racier end of their colour spectrum. All business signage should be resticted to fonts used in the Oxford English Dictionary and strictly no photographs, or, Heaven forfend, cartoon chartacters visible on shop frontages.

      Punishments for malfescence, dependent on the severity of the offence, should range from a day in the town stocks, to (by arrangement) Priti Patel moving in next door to the offender.

      Reply
  4. Badger

    This might come across as a bit racist or nationalistic but I only use British barbers and will do so until there are none left in the town. Although only a small amount I’d rather my money passed into the local economy through their tills.

    Reply
    1. Phil

      In what way are hairdressers not local?

      I very much doubt barbers have off shore tax affairs, like Tesco’s, for example.

      Reply
  5. Lydon45

    No planning application for the shop signage – conservation area and it will of course be ignored. The little tea room around the corner had to apply for signage along with the King’s head and bell pub. How do the barbers get away with VILE decor. Again another landlord clearly just wanting the money and has no care for the town. Will be emailing the council first thing Monday !

    Reply
  6. PPJS

    I thought barber’s poles were red and white (barber-surgeons and all that) not red, white and blue. What’s the blue stripe about?

    Reply
  7. AbiMarina

    I’m not familiar with the rules. What permission/approval do shops have ha e to get for their storefronts? Who gives or enforces that approval?

    Reply

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