After 60 years in the business Neville Allen’s traditional red and white striped barber’s pole is still standing strong.
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This weekend, the Forbes born barber will celebrate six decades and thousands of haircuts in the trade.
Neville began his profession on his 15th birthday, being apprenticed by Les Brown in the barbershop which once stood behind Gunn’s Mensland.
On April 17 1962, Neville rented his own barber shop at 7 Templar Street where he stayed for 27 years until he moved next door, where he still operates today.
With so many years of clipping and trimming, Neville says he still enjoys his work which he jokes he is “just getting the hang of”.
“I like meeting people, it’s great to have a yarn with people from different areas and towns,” he says.
Neville says barbers have become a “dying race”, and this is evident with the amount of people travelling to Forbes from as far as Condobolin and Tottenham for their monthly cut.
When Neville isn’t wearing his hairdressing cape, he does a “bit of farming” on his 300 acre property on the Parkes Road.
While at 74 years, retirement isn’t on the cards, Neville says he is starting to put the feelers out for someone to take over from him.
“I’d like to find someone to take over…but I’m not retiring yet,” he says.
Neville will celebrate both his 75th birthday as well as his 60 years of service on Saturday.