Back in the past where i grew up which was then close to three docks . the albert victoria and the king George the fifth , now long gone but in those days barbers shops were busy particularly on a Friday night,
where a number of dockers having been paid a weeks money, would sit patiently waiting their turn for a hair cut , a shave and even a singe,
which was a very thin taper candle which when lighted would be used to burn the edges of the hair after cutting , simply to seal the hair a practice no longer used ,.
in those days men with a good growth on their chins would have a hot towel placed around their face the hot towel would soften up the hairs on the chin , then came the strop a leather belt which the barber would sharpen a cut throat razor on ,
then came the lathering a hand bowl with a brush and soap , once the towel came off on went the brush as the barber lathered away until the mans face almost disappeared under the soap,
then the barber would start shaving the beard with the cut throat razor, and some times the barber would do the hair cut first other times it was after the shave i presume the barber got fed up with the same routine, and varied it ,
after the hair cut , shave and even a shampoo the customer was brushed down with a hand brush and then the barber asked would you like something for the week end ( meaning a condom)
i was fifteen at that time and the barbers shop was full, and for a laugh the barber would ask me the same question, would i like something for the week end , of course the dockers burst into fits of laughter , but i would squirm at the question,
how ever barbers were good at their job, i never saw any man cut by the cut throat razor, where as todays barbers many young men simply ask do you want a number one or two meaning the size of the cutting blade which left the hair shorter or longer , and that's it , nothing like the service the old fashioned barbers gave all those years ago,
Q; for the men on the forum do you remember those days , if so will you share your memories with us,