Childhood friends unite to launch barbershop together

April 12 is the day shaggy-haired men with lockdown locks have been long awaiting - the day barbers re-open their doors.

But for two childhood friends in the trade, it will be a landmark day for an even more significant reason.

Jack Buckles, 25 and Richard Lansdell, 26, have known each other since attending Sir Thomas More Roman Catholic Junior School together in Norwich, and are both professional barbers.

And on Monday, the pair will open their first shop together, B1 Barbers, in a former laundrette on Holt Road in Horsford.

The duo previously worked together at JJ's on Thunder Lane, in Thorpe St Andrew, but this will be their first venture as business owners - and Horsford's first gentleman's barbershop.

Mr Buckles said: "We've often said we wanted to have our own shop, but it is difficult to say whether we would have done it so soon were it not for lockdown - it was almost the push we needed.

"We both enjoyed working at JJ's, it's a good shop, but we wanted to go out on our own and start up our own brand."

And Mr Buckles said that lockdown had also meant it was the perfect time to launch a business - anticipating a heavy demand for people yearning to undo the damage of those DIY dos. 

He added: "In some way, lockdown has done us a favour. It gave us the time to get everything set up for the shop, but there will also be such a demand when we open - it's an idea time to launch.

"After months of not being able to, everyone will be desperate for a haircut and we'll be here to greet them."

With other hairdressers and barbers already faced with bumper waiting lists, Mr Buckles believes the shop's walk-ins only policy will work in its favour.

"We're taking lots of Covid safety precautions, such as taking temperatures, so if we were to do bookings and somebody arrives with a high temperature and we have to turn them away, that's a slot lost," he added.

The shop will open seven days a week, from 8.30am until 6pm Monday to Wednesdays, 8.30am to 8pm Thursdays and Fridays, 8am until 5pm on Saturdays and 8am until 1pm Sundays.