The British Master Barbers Magazine Issue 4

ISSUE 4

ISSUE 3

SUPPORTING THE BARBERING COMMUNITY

MEMBERS I EDUCATION I PRODUCTS

SupportBritish British Manufacturing and Buy We support Manufacturing andBritish Buy British Visit www.morganspomade.co.uk and a trade account today. today.

Visit www.morganspomade.co.uk andopen open a trade account

We support British Manufacturing and Buy British Visit www.morganspomade.co.uk and open a trade account today.

WELCOME

Issue 4

W

elcome to issue number four of the British Master Barbers members magazine. It's been a crazy year with lockdowns and re openings. Busy days that we couldn’t believe and lulls that we never expected, but together we’ve got through. So what next? Do we continue as normal or do we push the limits and reach for the sky’s?

For the British Master Barber team we obviously don’t know when to stop. We’ve kept busy creating the new BMB website offering lots more new content, support, guidance, education and user tools like the university. Also new the Master Barber Live Online Show which is also now in full effect gives members an opportunity to explore our trade show from the comfort and safety of your own home. Make sure you check it out.

In this issue we feature more members than ever before giving us all an insight into others careers and thoughts on the industry.

Thank you all so much for getting involved.

Kindest Regards Anthony Copeland Co-Founder of the British Master Barbers Alliance

Front cover image:

Credit: Ben Gillooly

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The British Master Barbers Alliance team has been formed by time served Master Barbers who have a wealth of experience in a range of Barbering related subjects. This includes a group of highly skilled multi-award-winning Barbers, Barbershop owners, Teachers, Lecturers, Assessors, Educators, Session stylists & Barber Academy owners from all over the U Join today at WWW.BRITISHMASTERBARBERS.COM

to share my knowledge and passion with

SCISSORS FOR THE SERIOUS Serious about scissor education, scissor servicing and always expert advice on caring for your blades.

Education is the key to success for all of us.

The elite grooming range you deserve

Spencer Scissors offers a wide variety of the best hairdressing scissors and barbering Please contact us on: blades available. trade@bluebeards-revenge.co.uk OR /bluebeardstv

+44 (0) 1752 898191

t: 0800 990 3193 | e: info@spencerscissors.co.uk | m: 0781 708 2754 www.spencerscissors.co.uk

HAVE YOU TAKEN THE FREE HEALTH & SAFETY COURSE?

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he British Master Barbers have been working very hard, creating the very rst online health and safety course.

With the latest standards provided by Mike Taylor Education and The Great British Barbering Academy, this course includes the latest H&S protocol to keep you up to date with current legislation and advisory methods. For barbers that may not hold formal quali cations or have done their training many years ago this course o ers the opportunity for basic continual professional development and keeping on top of the latest requirements With a free personalised downloadable certi cate that you can print out, frame and display in your own barbershop, you can show that you're a barber that takes customers well being seriously.

GET YOUR FREE CERTIFICATE TODA Simply visit www.BRITISHMASTERBARBERS.com Complete the basic Health & Safety modules take the short multiple choice test and download your personalised certi cate on completion Displaying your certi cate in your shop or work place can help put your customers at ease, knowing their barber/stylist has put in some e ort to show professionalism What are you waiting for

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Course developed with thanks to Mike Taylor, The GBBA, Anthony Copeland and Dan Davies

Hello there my name is Cristian Marko Ferreira before i start introducing myself any further i would like to thank The British Master Barbers for this opportunity to show you all what I’m about.

I have been a barber for 10 years now i starting when i was 18 years old. I worked in two di erent barbershops gaining experience knowing one day i would nally run my own shop.

After working at a shop for two and a half years the owners told me they were getting a bit tired with the whole barbering thing and they were looking to sell the business. From that moment i knew it that was my opportunity. You don’t getting like that twice in life so i used all my savings and borrowed some more money from family and bought the business. It was by far the best thing i have ever done in my life because barbering for me is not a job but it is passion, love and now a lifestyle .

I redecorated the shop changed everything and started all again from zero but this time my way.Putting my stand on every element of the business.

Customers and other people around told me they love the shop and its vibe. Now i am trying to get my name out there and inspire others. That would be a dream come true.

The barbering industry is getting bigger day by day and i am falling in love with what i do more and more. I believe that all generations of barbers are working to achieve higher quality and offer better services, not just about the money. I believe that if you focus on what you do and stay consistent customers and money always will follow you I now also have my own Razor Line and Clothing Line that you can nd at www.cmfcollection.co.uk

Thank you

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Instagram : @cmf_barbersho

ProFessIoNAL ACCredITATIoN The British Master Barbers Alliance has been designed to help promote established British Barbers and their Barbershops. Good Barbershops struggle to stand out amongst the new breed of unskilled, untalented, uninsured chop shops that are under cutting prices and lowering the credibility of quality, qualified & trained barbers.

Customers never ask to see a barbers qualifications or proof of skill and this is why we have created the British Master Barbers Accreditation, Verification of a barbers talent in the form of a beautifully crafted metal plaque.

A sign customers can trust and the barber can be proud of. Only fully subscribed members who complete our criteria can apply.

a clear sign that customers can trust. It confirms that you hold a minimum standard of skill that is expected at each of our accreditation levels.

BMB accreditation also offers a simple way to promote your business to your local area through our media press release, sent out confirming your successful completion of Master Barber and Grand Master Barber levels

IS ACCREDITATION COMPULSARY? Our accreditation service is by no means compulsory and is only recommended to barbers who understand the importance of keeping at the top of their game and continually chase goals to better themselves. This accreditation should be seen as a personal achievement that archives a high level of competence.

HOW DO I APPLY? We have 3 levels of accreditation available.

Each level requires a set criteria of tasks to be completed for successful application.

Applications can be made in the Members only area of this website.

British Professional Barber barbering qualification, or can prove a minimum of two years working experience in a Barbershop. metal plaque. Status is only valid with a current BMB membership and a one off fee of £100.

British Master Barber have a minimum of five years Barbering experience or have held British Professional status for over 3 years.

membership and a one off fee of £200.

British Grand Master Barber Teachers, Lecturers & Assessors of Barbering.

These members must be fully qualified in teaching barbering & have a minimum of five years barbering experience.

required.

Assessments ( distance assessments ) asking you to upload a video or send a Youtube link client to our highly qualified assessors who can judge your physical expertise & skills to achieve all your specific status tasks. metal plaque & a press release for your local newspaper.

Barbering certificate will be required. certificate will be required.

Observation Assessments (distance assessments) asking you to upload a video or send a Youtube link of yourself working directly on a client to our highly qualified assessors who can judge your physical expertise & skills to achieve all your specific status tasks. awarded with a personalised metal plaque & Press release for your local newspaper

BMB membership and a one off fee of £300.

WHY SHOULD I APPLY FOR ACCREDITATION? The BMB accreditation is simply designed to be

DOES IT MAKE ME A BETTER BARBER THAN EVERYONE ELSE? The simple answer is No. Everybody knows that you never stop learning and our accreditation is a confirmation of a minimum set level that provides a stepping stone to keep you enthused about the industry.

Continuing your barbering journey to higher knowledge and skill set is a must at any level of competence and down to you to keep pushing the standard higher.

WHY DOES IT COST? As a non profit organisation The British Master Barbers make very little revenue to support the large costs involved with supporting the British barbering industry. Most of the costs are covered by the founders of BMB along with brand advertising, revenue made by our membership fees, product sales and accreditation.

The BMB team is made up of long term full time working barbers and barbering lecturers who offer their time voluntarily and completely free of charge to asses the accreditation applications.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I FAIL MY APPLICATION? If you fail your application you will be notified why and advised on how to improve your skill set or which requirements need to be met. You will then be allowed to apply again or change to the correct level suited to you.

Behind The Front Page

BEN GILLOOLY

KVLT HAIR BUXTON Instagram KVLT.hair Website KVLThair.com

Wheelie Good Cuts

Wheelie Good Cuts

When Gary Byrne decided to set up business, the concept of taking the hair cuts to the people became more than a reality by creating his mobile barbershop out of a Mercedes van.

During the first lockdown I was laid off from work and facing uncertainty in my future I started to dream up plans for my own business in the barbering community.

I live in a really rural area in the North West of Ireland.

A fishing village called Killybegs.

There is one other local barber in the area and a male population of a few thousand.

So instead of setting up another shop I wanted to reach the communities that hadn't the ability to travel and also provide a unique experience along the Wild Atlantic Way. That is where I came about converting a van into a barbershop.

I did some research into mobile barbershops and drew up some ideas.

I got in contact with a food truck conversion company called Retro Food trucks, who were keen to work on the idea alongside me.

I saved every penny I had and sold my car, my musical instruments and bought a used Mercedes Sprinter from a dealership.

The build took approximately 3months as Christmas fell during this period so it delayed it slightly.

When designing the imagery wrap for the vehicle, I did a collaboration with Gamma+UK. They're such an inspiring new company who really listen to what barbers want in clippers and accessories, it was a no brainer to work alongside such a brand.

I ordered the barber chair from Takara Belmont who shipped it to me from London. i also ordered some extra fabric for a little seating bench inside the van to give it more of a barbershop feel.

During this time I was also releasing my own product line to sell when I was ready to launch. This was a great success over the Xmas period and helped me get my brand out there while in lockdown I worked doing house calls to meet my bills on the van right up until Xmas eve when we were shut down again due to rising Covid numbers.

In February I was told the van was ready for collection.

So I drove 4hours across the country to collect it and I was blown away by the outcome when I saw it in person for the first time.

I have still not got working in the van due to Covid restrictions in Ireland.

I'm excited for the summer ahead and to travel to local villages in Donegal.

Hopefully we can all get back to work soon and provide a safe service for our clients.

As long as we're healthy and happy, that is all that matters.

Thanks Gary Check them out on Instagram and Facebook Killybegs Klipper

There was no turning back now.

If you have any images you wish to share with the BMB community get in touch.

info@britishmasterbarbers.coim

The Only Option is to Succeed

When new life comes along EVERYTHING changes My name is Maxine Humphries, I'm 33 years old from Halesowen, and I'm the Owner of Option's Barbers. I have been hairdressing for 19 years. I started as a 16year-old apprentice and worked my way up. In 2019 I made my dreams come true and bought the shop I not only worked in, but trained in too! Everything was running smoothly; I had even had a record-breaking busy Christmas so all seemed well. Then in February 2020 I found out I was pregnant with my rst child. I was excited and terri ed at the thought of becoming a Mom as well as a business woman. But with the support of my friends, family and customers, I knew I could do it.

That was until we went into lockdown. Covid had hit, and I didn’t know what was happening.

I hadn’t long taken over and now I was closing my doors inde nitely!

With the stress of the closure and being pregnant I honestly didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know how I would make any money or even pay my employees. I was at rock bottom. Then luckily help came in the form of grants and furlough and my burden slowly started to ease. I spent the rest of lockdown re decorating the shop, I stripped everything out and started from scratch. The shop hadn’t seen a new look in 20 years, it was in serious need of TLC. My amazing ancée did all of the work involving ladders and the sanding.

I got handy with a paint brush. I set up a website and appointment App for my shop and started on a new advertising campaign. The walk-in system was no more and I’ve never looked back!

Hair & Clothing

Louis Mclean @barberlouisuk

Adam Isbill @isbilladam

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Photography

Tristan Young @tristanyoungmedia

I’ve had to change my entire mind set on what I knew about working in a barber's and running a business. I needed fresh ideas and a new way of working. It actually worked out for the best for me, and thanks to my loyal customers who have all come back, the appointment system has stayed in place due to high demand. We have nally come out of our 3rd and hopefully nal lockdown. My daughter Merida is now 6 months old! If lockdown has given me anything, it has given me time with my baby. This has truly been the hardest year of my life but I want to prove that you can do it if you persevere. I want to make my daughter proud and show you can be both a business woman and a mother. And if you work hard, you can achieve your dreams

Are you a quali ed barber thinking of taking things to the next level?

Have you ever thought of getting into teaching or opening up your own training academy through your salon Train Aid have teamed up with British Master Barbers to deliver teaching quali cations to enable you to share your knowledge and skills.

“Training with Train Aid has given me a new focus and drive to progress to the next step of my career. I plan on creating an academy for those wishing to up skill and gain a new con dence within barbering at their chosen pace and subjec “I found the course very professional, giving me the opportunity to train at home in my own time and environment as well as progressing into a small mock classroom scenario for my micro teach face to face” Ross Mathieson : Blue Steel Barbers Insta: @ross_blue_steel_barber

If this is something that you could be interested in then get in touch with Train Aid for further information and we can talk you through exactly what is required

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Call: 01737 23759 Email: info@train-aid.co.uk Website: www.train-aid.co.uk

Looking a er your health and wellness is founder member of the BMB, Robert Dunsdon BA, BSc, MMCA, Senior Associate Royal Society of Medicine.

Your health is important. For most of us in the industry, if we don’t work we don’t earn any money. So we need to keep t and well. Over the next few months we will be looking in to how you can op mise your health and wellness by focusing in on those areas of physical stress, that par cularly a ect barbers in the workplace.

In this second ar cle on Barber health we are looking at ‘one of our industry’s most common condi ons that of foot and heel pain and because as barbers we spend a lot of me on them, if not looked a er they can be a real source of discomfort and ul mately loss of earnings, so here are a few bullet points to a healthy and happy feet.

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• The single most important thing you can do to prevent heel and foot pain is to wear shoes with a good insole that support the arch of the foot. It’s a good idea to have some shoes you wear only at work.

During the day wear these to give you support and keep the trendy shoes for a er you nish.

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• Standing on a hard oor for long periods puts a lot of stress on your feet but thankfully your feet are designed with that in mind. Your feet have a central arch making them incredibly strong and this element has been used by engineers through the ages to build bridges that need to take heavy loads. When we stand on our feet we are compressing the structures of the foot this helps give the foot stability but if you do not support the arch of the foot it a ens out because your weight acts to put more tension (stretch) on the foot reducing It’s natural arch.

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Bringing Barbers Back to Health.

Look after your feet!

• At Master Barbers we recommend the use of an -fa gue mats to add some needed cushion to your feet. Once you have worked on these you won’t want to go back to a hard oor.

• Hair Splinters, as barbers we are all too familiar with these ge ng in to our hands, par cularly a er a long day of short cu ng. If they are bad enough in your hands don’t let these anyway near your feet. This is par cularly important for female barbers. Try to wear closed shoes and socks if possible.

• See a podiatrist or foot health prac oner occasionally you will be amazed at how good you will feel and how less red you are at the end of the day.

No ma er how good we are at looking a er ourselves we can s ll get condi ons that a ect the feet and cause pain.

The most common cause is plantar fascii s which causes a pain under the heel and is some mes referred to as policeman’s heel. It usually goes away with me but various treatments may help. If you have been diagnosed with this then try the following:

• Make sure you are wearing good suppor ve shoes and in the evening don’t go barefoot but keep some trainers on.

• Heel pads work well with a lot of people and are inexpensive.

• Get a tennis ball and roll this under your foot, with gentle pressure, for 10 minutes, this helps to loosen the tendons under your foot and helps give pain relief.

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• Try visi ng a podiatrist or Chiropractor who will be happy to give you advice and treatment.

GOING FOR GOLD Mark Moffet Aiming for the barber stage

Hi my name is Mark Moffett I started my journey into barbering at 26 where I decided to gain my level 2 nvq barbering education and further went on to complete my level 3 at Belfast Met in Northern Ireland I always wanted to enter some professional barbering competitions. With help from my tutor who was a big supporter and in uencer to me, encouraged me to be the best version of myself that I could be. I placed 2nd in British barbers Association National Student barber of the year 2019 in the level 3 category - Precision, creative cut and nish.

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I attended Manchester exhibition centre and was award my trophy and certi cate were I got to meet and see some of the big boys in the game, including the Wahl team and enjoyed watching all the fantastic live tutorials.

It was an amazing and overwhelming feeling winning an award in barbering, something that I’ve become extremely passionate about. Last year I entered another competition at Salon Awards and managed to take home Barber of the year 2020 in Northern Ireland. I couldn’t believe 2 years running what I had achieved.

I’m now working as a Manager in Northern Ireland’s leading brand (The Man Shack) in Men’s hair and Grooming. My dream would be to work on live education stages and inspire the next generation of barbering talent. I’ve still a long way to go but I’m preparing myself for that and hopefully soon one day those opportunities will nd me.

Ace Of Fades Barbering for Stephen Pratt is the motivation he needed to change his life around.

I have now been a barber for just over 2 years. I came into the industry late on in life unfortunately having led a life of addiction between the ages of 13 to 28 I did however always want to become a barber at a young age unfortunately the crowd i hung out with made fun of me and called me names because of it. I have been very lucky to get where i am now in life as i have had a couple near death experiences and spent time in prison due to the lifestyle i used to live

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I went to college at the age of 30 to train to become a barber and now it all i think about, i started my own business last year “Ace Of Fadez" and won male grooming venue of the year for Scotland in 2019, and was also highly commended for gents stylist of the year, then Covid hit and closed us all. During the rst lockdown i was phoned by one of my barbering idols Josh Mcpike as he was opening up a shop in Ayrshire "the compound" where he has took me to a whole new level of hair cutting and i am getting more of an understanding of shape, balance and styling, we where only open 12 weeks before we where all shut again, but now we are back and i am raring to go. Barbering is more than a job to me me, it given me a whole new outlook on life and ignited a creative spark in me, i also use my addictive personality to my advantage now as i am addicted to my work, also i am a good listener to any clients who feel there struggling with addiction and mental

BARBERING IN UK PRISONS

INVESTORS IN EDUCATION

Book exclusive courses in “Investors in Education - Barbering in UK Prisons” Visits to your prison by the UK’s two top Grand Master Barbers and members of London City & Guilds Industry Barbering Board!

For bookings, advice or to become a sponsor please contact the team; Sam Arthur: sam.arthur1@btopenworld.com Mobile 07909 694332 Tony Copeland: avcope@aol.com Mobile 07585 626560

For bookings, advice or to become a sponsor please

THE 2021 ONLINE SHOW MASTER BARBER LIVE IS BACK But this time things are different.

The British Master Barbers are once again hosting their annual barbering show but this time its all online.

Due to Covid and restricted movement around the UK and uncertainty of a live event this years show can be accessed from the comfort and safety of your own home.

Featuring: The Seminar Rooms The Exhibitor Hall The Charity Room & much more……

So come on in and enjoy the show

WWW.MASTERBARBERLIVE.COM

The Broader Outlook Real Life Stories. A Series Of Industry Interviews.

By Cheryl Broad Name: Helen Cou s Job Title: Na onal Accounts Manager What company do you work for?

Styling Products UK Part of Groomers Limited How long have you worked for Groomers Ltd? I have been with Groomers for nine years, I started as a customer service manager and ve years ago I was asked to ‘baby sit’ our new barbering side of the business SPUK. SPUK is the sole distributer in the UK of the Andis barber and beauty products and the SPUK website has been a small part of the set up. The primary objec ve is the distribu on of Andis products to wholesalers across the country and growing the Andis brand within UK marketplace.

Have you had any other jobs? My rst job was running my own equestrian livery yard and compe ng in dressage. I then moved on to the Post o ce and became a crisis manager for WHSmith before opening a large retail equestrian store in Basingstoke called Robinsons.

What a racted you to get involved with the barbering industry?

It would be fair to say I was not a racted barbering in the beginning, I like my animals…..? It was kind of thrust upon me, Groomers connected with Andis (a fantas c vibrant American brand), and I was given an opportunity by Graham Searle to take it forward alongside him. It's an opportunity that I will always be grateful for as it ignited my interest in barbering and has given me the opportunity learn about a new industry that I now love. It's also provided me an opportunity to grow and develop, branching into educa on for example (I was never keen on school), and industry shows, looking to enhance the brand in the marketplace as opposed to just selling products. I love networking and mee ng new people, there is always something to learn about the industry and the shows are really interes ng in terms of their scale and diversity of people. I was lucky I had a rudimentary knowledge of clippers through dog/horse grooming and although it would make my barbering friends toes curl, there

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are similari es 😊 ... so, I didn’t start from scratch. I just hope that the recovery from COVID can con nue, lots of my customers are now friends and have faced hardship over the last year to 18 months and I would love to see them all get back up to speed or ‘Barbers Back in Ac on’

The Broader Outlook What are your career highlights? Personally: There are many di erent ways to gauge highlights, progressing in a company, or changing jobs for the be er, I would say that deciding to move out of the equestrian world and grow up and get a proper job was a highlight (although tough) because it has brought me to where I am now. Joining Groomers/SPUK and mee ng the people I have has been fantas c. Developing the Andis brand awareness in the UK has been hard, fun and rewarding. Loving what I do is the highlight for me now! Professionally I think having watched the Andis brand gain trac on in the UK marketplace makes me very proud.

How has covid a ected you from a professional point of view? It’s been a struggle professionally I like to be busy, over night the industry ground to a halt, perhaps the worst thing has been the uncertainty, I was rela vely lucky in that I was able to work throughout albeit on reduced days a week for some periods and I am acutely conscious that this wasn’t the case for those out there in the barber and grooming world. As a person I think it has made me take more me to think about others when I communicate and feel frustrated, none of us know the pressures that others are facing especially when we have all spent lots of me remotely working.

And are you able to talk about how Covid has a ected you from a personal point of view? No pressure!

It didn’t just a ect me professionally, it’s been a struggle mentally from a personal perspec ve, I have a horse and was unable ride for periods of me which is my release. That said the reduced days at work have presented an opportunity, and a er seeing a FB post asking for volunteers at a local Covid vaccina on hub, I put myself forward. I have gained friends and it is very rewarding.

Life has now, somewhat returned to normal for me on a work front, but I love the Covid Hub so much I am staying on a day each weekend.

What (if anything) would you like to change about the industry right now? A return to normality as much as possible, allowing more of us to get together, be able to share and experience that excitement of seeing or learning something new when we are all together.

Where would you like to be professionally in ve years? I am so happy doing what I do, I hope to be doing the same, bringing new Andis products to the UK marketplace and con nuing to grow the brand.

Who would you like to read about in future interviews like this? I would like to see you celebrate successes and new businesses, as I believe that is where we can learn from and grow stronger. Ar cles on new products to the marketplace and exci ng new technological advancements within barbering. Perhaps engaging with masters of the cra and exploring their experience and how we can all learn from the new and emerging talents, whilst keeping the original cra of barbering alive.

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www.stylingproductsuk.co.uk

WHATS HAPPENING ON

@BRITISHMASTERBARBERS

GBBA COLLEGE TOUR 2022

MEET THE MEMBERS Louise Jones Hi, my name is Louise Jones, I’ve been in the hair industry since 1996. I have worked in different salons doing both women and men’s In 2006 I set up a home salon, which was amazing when the children were smaller In 2016 I went into teaching, I work in a private Acadamy..

CS Beauty Acadamy... I cover level 2 and 3 in women’s hairdressing, I also teach barbering, advanced with skin fade and traditional wet shave, the Acadamy also covers male grooming When the pandemic hit our industry was massively affected, after the rst lockdown an opportunity arose to by a salon! I convinced my husband and we took a risk! We managed to open for 2 weeks in December!!! Whilst in the second lockdown we refurbished and reopened on march 16th!!! Wow what a busy 4 weeks we have had We cover women’s, men’s, beauty and a sunbed! My daughter is the beauty therapist and the men love their brows tidied!

We took a risk opening a new shop and hope it pays off!!! I still teach as i feel it’s important to our industry, everyone is always learning!! The day you stop learning is the day you hang up your scissors!!

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26.WWW.BRITISHMASTERBARBERS.COM

COMPLETED

HI, my names Ross Mathieson I've been barbering for eight years. I decided to follow my dream and re-train at the grand old age of thirty gaining my NVQ level 2 with the Anglian academy of hair in Norwich. This lead to working for the company and also helping them train other barbers within their academy to help them achieve their goals. After three years I decided it was a good time to become my own boss with a good client following moving into selfemployed and changing shops to Trumans of Norwich, which I have worked for the last four years.

Within my career I have been published in modern Barber magazine, barberNV magazine, modern salon USA, The barber magazine, and achieved front cover take over for barkers of Norwich magazine Awards: in 2017 I won the British barber association hall of fame competition (people's choice) and 2019 British Barber association hall of fame 2nd place (judges choice) Shop: I currently work for Trumans of Norwich which is not only located on the oldest street in Norwich but is home to a 17th century monk, who haunts the top oor. More recently the shop was also featured in the Net ix movie jingle jangle.

Future goals: I recently quali ed in my education and training quali cation and intend to start my own small academy educating and training learners to follow their dream like I did to become a barber.

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Instagra @ross_blue_steel_barber

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Ross Mathieson

My name is Aron Mather, I have been a barber for 6 years, quali ed in 2019 and I am the manager of Mister Barber Ltd in Hazel Grove. I searched for a career that I could express myself, and my passion for art.

It all started with music, I was the drummer of a band for 4 years performing all over the UK and releasing lots of material on several planforms.

Meanwhile cutting hair was a hobby of mine practicing on friends, family and anyone who wanted a cut. With all my gear and little knowledge I began to experiment with different clippers, the weight and balance of them along with all the guards, combs etc..

Eventually in 2017 I started an apprenticeship in barbering ( level 2). I have worked in 3 salons altogether. The rst salon gave me the opportunity to work with other barbers and see the different methods of cutting Now I wake up at 7am everyday as I get to the shop is spray/ sanitise all my tools including: scissors, clippers, chair, mirror. I give the oor a good sweep corner to corner, switch on the computer to the appointments list and mentally prepare myself to learn and improve as a barber and manager of a business each day.

Joining Mister Barber LTD in 2018 as an apprentice to barbering, I have learnt many new skills working along side the owner and my friend Adam Home. Several awards have been handed too Mister Barber ltd for our hard work and consistency: barbershop of the year 2020, best new business and top rated salon all through the National hair & beauty awards.

We have recently been voted ‘most outstanding barbershop in greater Manchester’ by luxury awards 2021 I love my job and have so much passion for it. If anything, I would like to be recognised as someone with dedication and ambition. I nd happiness in myself through the art of making others feel good about themselves.

Do you want to feature in our glossy pages?

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Simply tell us about yourself, your shop & your thoughts. Send along with a few images of you and your shop to Britishmasterbarbers@gmail.com fi

Aron Mather

Olivia Frost I started barbering in 2014 after falling out of love with hairdressing. Ever since I have never looked back. Ive been wanting to push myself and learn everything about the Barbering industry. It has not been an easy ride and there has been a few up and downs along the way. I remember working for just £20 a day just to get started.

My tips I like to share is don’t be worried to make a mistake. We are all human and that is how we all learn. I am most proud of being making it to the nal of the Britain’s Best Barber 2019 competition. I can’t wait to get back to all the hair shows and getting inspire by all the new looks.

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Instagram: olivia_thebarber

In 2018 I was diagnosed with Lupus, an auto-immune disease where white an -bodies a ack a persons organs and connec ve ssue. The diagnosis was a er several years of experiencing a wide range of symptoms. These included Raynaud Syndrome, brain fog, physical and mental exhaus on, aches and pains in my joints, stomach discomfort, weight loss and headaches. As you can imagine, this was a very di cult me, especially when undiagnosed and having to try to manage these symptoms without the appropriate medical support.

Pre-diagnosis, I found the simplest of Barbering ac ons di cult to complete, for example, holding a hairdryer was agony and standing for any length of me was excrucia ng in my back, ankles and feet. Headaches would be persistent and the hustle and bustle of Barbershop life would make them worse. The stresses of running my own shop also took their toll on my Lupus symptoms, triggering fare ups which caused me to close the shop with li le to no no ce. This eventually forced my decision to close as my health was deteriora ng fast and the overheads required a more regular presence behind the Barber chair.

Since 2018 and the Lupus diagnosis, I have gone through a journey of medical professionals nkering with medica on, Rheumatology experts providing advice and conduc ng a signi cant amount of research myself to see what I could do to further manage the symptoms and prevent are ups. So far, alongside managing my medica on through the iPill service (and remembering to take them on me) I have other measures I take to keep my Lupus symptoms as controlled as I can.

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General me management tac cs include having clear cut-o mes regarding work ac vi es to ensure adequate rest periods between working hours, managing days o to u lise rest periods, se ng alarms to support key ac vi es during work e.g. colour service development mescales and strict diary management to keep appointments at a comfortable pace. This includes my mandatory lunch breaks.

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Lina B – My Invisible Illness Regarding when cu ng, I wear comfortable shoes rather than necessarily thinking of fashion as my feet are more important than branding or “iden ty”. I also raise the chair to a height that allows less slouching and hunching over which helps with the general stresses across my body and allows me to work for longer without fa gue or pain. I also move my body around the chair more than the tradi onal “move the Client” approach to keep my joints ac ve and my range of movement. Without this I would seize up very quickly and it would be very painful in my joints for days.

I use the hairdryer to keep my hands warm if my ngers become cold, numb and painful (although that sounds contradictory) and my clippers are to be warm to touch to avoid aggrava ng the Raynaud Syndrome symptoms. I make sure my equipment is well maintained so my body can work e ciently with each cut rather than unnecessary extra e orts.

My illness has not held me back from experiencing what Barbering has to o er. I regularly cut on stage (pandemic allowing for the future…) and have achieved the Grand Master Barber accredita on alongside Master Cra sman cer ca on in Barbering and Hairdressing. I teach Barbering at the local College, helping the next genera on.

I also manage a busy Barbershop, applying the lessons learned through experiences in my own shop and the management of my condi on.

I appreciate my journey with Lupus is not something all Barbers can relate to, but I hope the message of self-care rings true for everyone.

LINA B

BMB, GMB

The shoP

Welcome to the official BMB shop. High quality products to keep you and your barbershop looking professional. All our items available on our website britishmasterbarbers.com with free UK delivery.

The Beenie Available now in Light Grey, Dark Grey and Black.

One size fits all. £21.99 inc free UK delivery

The Lapel Badge Show the world you’re part of the greatest barbering network with these beautifull lapel badges.

Constructed from Nickel with a strong pin clasp. £4.99 inc free UK delivery The Polo BMB logo on left chest Available in Black & White Sizes: S, M, L, XL £19.99 inc free UK delivery

BMB NeoCape Featuring a special neoprene seal that prevents hair or water going down the neck.

Made of a lightweight fabric it is extremely comfortable to wear.

Black, White or Stripy White One size fits all £29.99 inc free UK delivery

The Snap Back The official BMB Snap backs are now available in Black with white BMB logo on front, Black peak Black with white BMB logo on front, forest camo peak Black with white BMB logo on front, urban camo peak Adjustable sizing on rear £22.99 inc free UK delivery

The Hoodie Available in Black only BMB logo on left chest and large rear Sizes: S, M, L, XL £24.99 inc free UK delivery

The Bag Black with White logo Large and small Available Small £24.99 inc free UK delivery Large £29.99 inc free UK delivery

The Apron Black material with white BMB logo in centre chest sizes available: one size fits all £24.99 inc free UK delivery

The Work Station Mat Border - 12mm Black Rubber Border Size - 234mm x 434mm Machine washable £19.99 inc free UK delivery

The T Shirt BMB logo on chest Available in Black & White Sizes: S, M, L, XL £16.99 inc free UK delivery