Great Yarmouth: PJ's hairdresser retires after 63 years

The job was his life. He loved the chat and the camaraderie, the customers he came to see as friends.

And he had no intention of giving up - but shortly after Christmas, the 78-year-old suffered a stroke which made him lose vision in certain parts of his eyesight.

PJs in Deneside was a Yarmouth institution where Philip Jones cut hair for 63 years. (Image: Danielle Booden)

“I’m very sad to pack up now. I never thought I’d pack up work. But that’s how it goes," he said.

While in hospital he did consider ways he might be able to keep working, but retirement was the only option. It was a reluctant decision but Mr Jones is philosophical about it.

“I will miss it but everything comes to an end," he said.

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More than anything he will miss the customers. He saw them many of them grow up, get married and later have children who themselves went on to become clients. 

With some families, he was on the fifth generation.

FLASHBACK: An old picture of Philip Jones in his Deneside salon where he worked for more than 60 years, cutting hair across five generations of regular clients. (Image: Philip Jones)

He started his apprenticeship in 1960 at a barbers in Deneside when he was 15-years-old.

Later he managed the shop before setting up on his own further up the road in 1980. 

Two of the most important skills for a barber were "the banter" and a good memory.

"I remember all of my customers from years ago, what car they had, how many children they had, their jobs," he said. 

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A sign from the 1960s advising customers of a price change at PJ's in Deneside. (Image: Danielle Booden)

Mr Jones wanted to say thank you to all of his clients for their support over the years. 

As for the future, he is planning to spend more time with his family and his horses. 

"I'm very lucky," he said. "It's been a fantastic journey."

Philip Jones, 78, who cut hair for six decades, will miss his customers the most. (Image: Danielle Booden)

How hairstyles changed over the years

Mr Jones has seen styles come and go.

In the early 1960s, the most popular haircut was the "Tony Curtis" named after the Hollywood actor.

A curl at the front and parted at the back, it was known as the duck's tail in the USA and worn by Teddy Boys in the UK.

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The style of hair worn by Tony Curtis was popular among men in Great Yarmouth in the early 1960s.

The crew-cut was another frequent request. While nowadays that is achieved with a razor, in the 1960s it was with a scissors, which, according to Mr Jones, was much more difficult.

One of the biggest changes in male grooming was the arrival, in the late 1960s, of men's hairspray.

"We couldn't stock enough of it. We had it everywhere, under the counters and the seats. We sold so much of it," Mr Jones said.

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In the 1970s men wanted hair that emulated the style of iconic footballer George Best. (Image: Dogwoof)

In the 1970s, men wanted longer hairstyles inspired by the Beatles and George Best.

In those days, hairdressers did not only cut your hair. They also sold razor blades, foams, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

"But now you don’t sell a thing," Mr Jones said. "The supermarkets took that away."