The Chippbutty: February 2012

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Bryn. The Barber of Killay .....

In August of 2008, I put a post on here about a painting of The Mumbles Railway that had been painted from an old black and white photo I'd taken years ago. I'd lent the photo to my barber - Bryn Parkyn of Killay, Swansea, and then forgot all about it.
He used to paint pictures and sell them in his barber shop. It was like getting your hair cut in an art gallery!!
The story and the picture can be seen on this blog by clicking on the Label "The Mumbles Railway".
On the post I asked anyone if they had any information about the picture.
Well unbelievably I've had two replies to that post, and the latest reply came from Bryn's grandson who has very kindly sent me a picture of Bryn working in his shop in Killay in the 1950's, and one of the outside of the shop itself.
The photos to me are like being taken back in time, and to times when Bryn placed a plank across the arms of his barber chair - for me to sit on it - just to raise me up so he could cut my (then) growing curls!!

This photo is one of Bryn's barber shop in Killay. You can tell he was a painter :o))

The old "Clippy" has gone now.
Like my hair, it's disappeared. A lot of hair was cut in that little shop, and a lot of memories were created by a real village character!!

The next shot (from Google Streetview) is one of Gower Road looking from Killay square towards St Hillary's church (in the distance, on the left).
Bryn's shop would have been in one of the houses on the right, but as you can see, things have changed.

Times have changed, and people move on, but even if buildings have altered to the point where I can no longer recognise them, the memories that they once generated are still strong.
I hope these old pictures will rekindle memories in some of a lovely man and a little shop in (what was then) a quiet Welsh village.
Like I said, time moves on .....