Barber praises loyal clientele

Masterton barber Tony Allsworth this week completed a decade running a "manly haven" for men and their hair in the town's main street.

Mr Allsworth, who has been cutting male locks in Masterton for more than 20 years, said the premises where he opened Tonz Barber Shop, two doors down from Regent 3 Cinema in Queen St, had been now used for men's barbering for about 60 years.

Arthur Stubbings opened a barber shop at the site in the late 1930s and after about 13 years sold the business to Cyril Walker, who at his return from World War II ran a barber shop and tobacconist at the premises until the 1970s.

Barber shops awash with the scent of Bay Rum hair lotion were, during those decades, the place to buy all manner of tobacco products, from pipes to cigars to matches, which were sold alongside a range of other men's goods including combs, condoms and wallets, says Wairarapa archivist Neil Frances, who is Mr Walker's nephew.

Mr Allsworth said a women's hairdresser operated out of the premises briefly in the'80s, but it was not until he opened on April 7, 2003, that the site reverted to use as a barber shop.

"They used to call it a good stand, back in the day, and that's what it's been for me, for sure.

"I've done tens of thousand of haircuts here over the last 10 years and I have to say a really big 'thank you' to all those customers who have supported me over that time," he said.

His clientele's loyalty enabled him in late 2010 to employ an apprentice, Jordan McDowall, who is awaiting delivery of his New Zealand Barbers Apprenticeship completion certificate.

Mr McDowall said barbering had in recent years regained considerable status with younger men, who sought him out in Mr Allsworth's "manly haven" for his speciality skills in tracks, designs and box cuts.

"Barbering is changing, it's coming back into fashion. So you have to keep up with the latest styles and what the new generation wants."

Mr Allsworth is unsure whether he will still stay in business at the site for another decade and Mr McDowall could just as easily pick up the baton and work there for himself.

"I could still be here in 10 years' time or it could be Jordan. You just never know."