“Fish gotta swim, Birds gotta fly…” The latter is hardly an option for me so I’ll have to stick with swimming. I’m referring to the need to get trim for the summer holiday. There are people out there like Richard who go to the gym all year round – I think they refer to it as “training”. It is part of their lives rather than to improve their lives. They buy into the kit, the supplements, even the social life, which only exists amongst the hardened regular attendees of the gym (they are to be found normally in the free weights section or in the steam room and are identifiable by their large leather belts and smelling of protein – it’s an eggy sort of scent).
If you’re like me you probably exercise because you feel you need to. This need could be fuelled by a shocking realisation that you aren’t as fit now as when you were a teenager, proved beyond doubt when, climbing the escalator at the tube station, you find you’re having to spit a bloody phlegm on reaching the summit. It could however be a much more poignant reason to exercise – vanity. I’m heading off in a couple of weeks to Spain. I can’t wait – I love Spanish food, the weather is going to be a scorching 30 something and I plan to take with me a small library of holiday reads, because that’s the foundation of a summer break for me – lying on my backside reading a trashy crime novel whilst toasting my pork belly. Why haven’t local libraries cottoned on to putting sun beds in their buildings? – it would be a hit.
Don’t get me wrong; I also enjoy checking out the cultural sights and exploring the area in general. On this holiday I’m planning to check out a couple of Moorish towns and some ancient caves – check me out! But I digress, I was talking of vanity. Having worked in a health club in my youth, I know there are fundamental times in the calendar year when you can be sure of a large intake of new members. The largest is New Year. I recollect writing a little about this in my “New Year’s Resolution” blog. Another heaving intake is in the autumn; it’s the back- to-school rush. It’s funny how in our childhoods we are drilled into thinking of a new year starting in September and we take that mentality right through life. However the other major time when a Health Club sees a sudden intake of new members is when the sun comes out in early summer. It is a time when mentally we awaken from our wintry hibernation; when suddenly we find ourselves to be “morning people” and able – figuratively - to jump out of bed, rather than growl and crawl our way to the office. It is at the start of summer when either plans are made for the holiday or bookings made long ago during the snowy era we try not to think about come happily back to the fore. With these happy preparations comes the sudden realisation that our naked flesh will soon be seen on a Mediterranean beach. Whilst we try to make the best of a bad situation by sporting garish swim wear bought from the high street fashion shop, there is no denying that not only does the typical Brit’s skin tone match that of the tenderest of veal cuts from a Gordon Ramsey restaurant, it has also been storing up fat during those bleak winter months when the only option was to eat copious amounts of Indian take-aways whilst binging on vast quantities of HBO box sets.
So it’s quickly off to the gym to try and at least “tone” what we’ve got. I don’t know if you can tone muffin tops but I sure as hell am trying. Not to burst the bubble but frankly if you want to get trim for that summer holiday you’ll need to start working out long before the start of summer, but that would make me a hypocrite. So I’m trying something new this year. No more buying into the gym – it’s swimming for me. Have you seen Olympic swimmers? Talk about being broad at the shoulder, narrow at the hip etc etc. Olympic rowers are beasts; swimmers are the Adonis - and in my opinion these are the two most impressive athletes at the games.
So I swim. It’s refreshing on a warm day and I’m sure that I am nothing more than a fair weather swimmer: come the autumn, it’ll be back to the settee for me for another year. In the meantime you’ll find me at a local authority pool doing my 80 lengths (2,000m), trying not to swallow too much water and attempting not to experience “lane rage” which I have witnessed on a couple of occasions. I’ll keep you posted on how my vanity regime goes and of course on my holiday in Spain. One thing is however painfully clear: no matter how much I tone up for my holiday, I will leave with skin the colour of veal and will return with skin the colour of freshly cooked lobster – sigh…
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Saturday 18 June 2011
Sunday 12 June 2011
Busy Weeks
There are busy weeks, and then there are frantically busy weeks, and that’s what we’ve had at Pall Mall Barbers. Where to begin? Should I tell you about Pall Mall Barbers taking a leading role in The One Show on Wednesday evening (which can still be seen on BBC iplayer)? Maybe I should tell you a bit about our very own Ben giving a wet shave in front of a crowd at HMV on Oxford Street. And then of course there is the news that Pall Mall Barbers has become truly international, as we were asked to be part of a Brazilian magazine’s article on the best global barber shops. As I said to Richard, if Pall Mall Barbers were a performer it would want an agent. I think one thing is for certain, Pall Mall Barbers is a classy celebrity.
First of all I should write a little on our appearance on The One Show. The article was all about hair transplants, a prominent issue currently in the tabloids owing to the revelation that Wayne Rooney got himself a rearrangement of hair follicles. If Pall Mall Barbers was the star of the show, then George would get the best supporting role for his confident contribution to the debate and there are some nice cameo roles by some of the other barbers in the background. It was a big honour to be asked by The One Show to participate in the show and we were more than happy to play our part. It is with the utmost respect though that I complain slightly about the content of the article. Some of you might have read my blog a few months back on hair loss and the options we face. Whether you’re pro or against hair transplants I think the show could have done more to examine why a man might consider going under the knife. As a man who started losing his age at 18 (12 years before the average) it isn’t just a mild inconvenience, it is a painful and sometimes humiliating experience. I do however understand that The One Show is about keeping it light and entertaining and most importantly have limited time to present the article.
So from one star in George to another – Ben. The leading role in this case I guess was the journalist from Zoo Magazine who was attempting to hang out in the Oxford Street HMV shop front window for 127 hours. It was all for charity so we couldn’t wait to get involved. There’s something to be said about wet shaves, that not only are they very luxurious for the recipient but they are also a great visual spectacle, so it was a perfect event to hold during the 5 days plus that Zoo was holding in HMV. Having had a shave from Ben, I know that however groggy and grimy The Zoo man felt before the shave, he will have felt invigorated for the remainder of his ordeal after the shave. It might not have been a prime time BBC event like George’s, but Ben nonetheless excelled during the 40 minute stint he had on the Zoo online channel.
So now we come to our last, but by no means least, moment of fame – our review in the Tam Nas Nuvens. It’s a Brazilian Magazine and the article is all about what we at Pall Mall Barbers hold as our core function – the tradition and luxury of old school barbering combined with modern fashions. The article looked at some of the best barber shops around the world at delivering such a demanding function. Barber shops from Sao Paulo to New York to London. I’ve never been but if I’m ever in Sao Paulo I’m definitely going to check out ‘9 De Julho’. It looks like a quality barber shop with plenty of attitude. As for our shop, the magazine described it as holding the secret to correct shaving! Check out the article: http://www.tamnasnuvens.com.br/revista/site/zoom.html?path=content/image/2011/maio/popup/&id=126&qtd=172
Well I hope you all had as exciting a week as we have and hope to see you down the shop soon for a shave with one of our celebrity barbers, who might just share our shaving secrets with you – if you ask nicely!
Paul, Mal and Barbara are waiting for you.
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First of all I should write a little on our appearance on The One Show. The article was all about hair transplants, a prominent issue currently in the tabloids owing to the revelation that Wayne Rooney got himself a rearrangement of hair follicles. If Pall Mall Barbers was the star of the show, then George would get the best supporting role for his confident contribution to the debate and there are some nice cameo roles by some of the other barbers in the background. It was a big honour to be asked by The One Show to participate in the show and we were more than happy to play our part. It is with the utmost respect though that I complain slightly about the content of the article. Some of you might have read my blog a few months back on hair loss and the options we face. Whether you’re pro or against hair transplants I think the show could have done more to examine why a man might consider going under the knife. As a man who started losing his age at 18 (12 years before the average) it isn’t just a mild inconvenience, it is a painful and sometimes humiliating experience. I do however understand that The One Show is about keeping it light and entertaining and most importantly have limited time to present the article.
So from one star in George to another – Ben. The leading role in this case I guess was the journalist from Zoo Magazine who was attempting to hang out in the Oxford Street HMV shop front window for 127 hours. It was all for charity so we couldn’t wait to get involved. There’s something to be said about wet shaves, that not only are they very luxurious for the recipient but they are also a great visual spectacle, so it was a perfect event to hold during the 5 days plus that Zoo was holding in HMV. Having had a shave from Ben, I know that however groggy and grimy The Zoo man felt before the shave, he will have felt invigorated for the remainder of his ordeal after the shave. It might not have been a prime time BBC event like George’s, but Ben nonetheless excelled during the 40 minute stint he had on the Zoo online channel.
So now we come to our last, but by no means least, moment of fame – our review in the Tam Nas Nuvens. It’s a Brazilian Magazine and the article is all about what we at Pall Mall Barbers hold as our core function – the tradition and luxury of old school barbering combined with modern fashions. The article looked at some of the best barber shops around the world at delivering such a demanding function. Barber shops from Sao Paulo to New York to London. I’ve never been but if I’m ever in Sao Paulo I’m definitely going to check out ‘9 De Julho’. It looks like a quality barber shop with plenty of attitude. As for our shop, the magazine described it as holding the secret to correct shaving! Check out the article: http://www.tamnasnuvens.com.br/revista/site/zoom.html?path=content/image/2011/maio/popup/&id=126&qtd=172
Well I hope you all had as exciting a week as we have and hope to see you down the shop soon for a shave with one of our celebrity barbers, who might just share our shaving secrets with you – if you ask nicely!
Paul, Mal and Barbara are waiting for you.
Wet Shaving London, Wet Shave London, Shaving London, Shave London, Mens Shave London, Mens Shaving London, Luxury shave set, Luxury shaving London, shave Gift vouchers London, Shaving Gifts London, Shaving Products London, Mens shaving London, Cut Throat Shave London, Cut throat shaving London, Shaving Brushes,Straight Razor London, Shaving London, Shave London, Wet Shaving London, Shave Gifts London, Shaving Gift Vouchers London.Shaving London, Shave London, Wet Shaving London, Barbers in London, Barbers London, Barber shave London, Barbers W1, Barbers Mayfair, Barber Mayfair, Barber WC1, Barber shop Mayfair, Mens Hairdressers Mayfair, Mens hairdressing Mayfair, SW1, SW2, EC1, EC2 Soho, Convent Garden, St James, Pall Mall, London, Mens hairdressing London, Shaving London, Shave London, Barber shop, London Barbers, Shave, Barber shave, London Barber shop, Shave product London, Shaving Gifts, Shave gift, shave gift vouchers, wet shave gift vouches, mens shave, Mens shaving, shaving London, wet shaving, W1, WC1, WC2, SW1,SW2,SW6.SW6, safety razor, safety razors uk, safety razors for men, safety razors for beginners, double edged razor, double edged razor technique, shaving gifts, shaving gifts for men, shaving gifts London, shaving gifts online, shaving gifts him, shaving gift sets for men, shaving gift sets, shaving sets, shaving sets for men, shaving sets for men with brushes, shaving sets for sale, shaving sets with brush, shaving sets with mugs, shaving sets with safety razor, shaving sets with bowl, shaving sets with soaps, shaving sets uk, badger brush, badger brush shave, badger brush shaving sets, badger brush shaving kits, badger brush shaving soap, shaving brush, shaving brush stand, shaving brush set, straight razor, straight razor uk, straight razor shaving, cut throat razor, cut throat razor shave, cut throat razors for sale, cut throat, cut throat shave, cut throat shave London, gifts for men, gifts for men uk, gifts for men ideas, gifts for men who have everything, gifts for men who have everything uk, mens gifts, mens gift ideas,
Sunday 5 June 2011
Giggling Barbers
If cab drivers are known for being chatty then barbers should surely be known for their banter and jokes. Maybe barbers are more known for their sage wisdom but if this is the case it’s way off the mark! Go hang out at Pall Mall Barbers for an afternoon and you’ll hear and see the staff tease each other, banter with their clients and generally keep themselves amused with their bizarre sense of humour. It’s a great environment for comedy. It’s a close intimate space, your “audience” is present/held hostage for a perfect amount of time (a stand up set of about 20 minutes) and most importantly the customer always has to laugh as the barber’s the one holding the sharp implement…
When I look at the Pall Mall Barbers’ website, specifically the biogs, I’m struck by two things. Firstly, the barbers have such wildly different interests outside of work and secondly the whole Top Trumps layout of the biogs suggests a mischievous silliness, which is far from guaranteed in the workspace. I’ve worked in many different environments from health club to the Ministry of Defence. The health club was without surprise the most superficial place I’ve worked at, though astonishingly the MoD contained characters that could give Eddie Izzard and the rest of the A list comedians a run for their money. The conversation based on everyone’s top 4 “short people” films still makes me giggle to this day (My favourite are: Freaks, Willow, Wizard of Oz and of course Star Wars; Return of the Jedi. Controversial I know but it’s full of furry, cuddly midgets).
The barber shop surpasses the comedy experience I gained at the Ministry of Defence though and I believe that’s a lot to do with the setting. The shop is geared to promote a feeling of relaxation, smartness and class. The open plan office that I worked in at the Ministry of Defence had none of these features. Coupled with this are all the comic props Morecambe and Wise would be proud of, by which I mean hair dryers, talcum powder, hair gel and of course, the hair trimmings. If you’re like me and even more like Rich you’ll love the humour based around the barber’s badger brush and the double entendres are endless.
So why have hairdressers not appeared more in British sitcoms? Of course the standout example is “Desmond’s” – a truly great comedy, in its time. I would however argue that Desmond’s is more about the Peckham community than it is about hairdressing – if I remember rightly there was very little to do with cutting hair – more “Pork Pie” bemoaning the latest mess he’d got himself into.
Good British sitcoms are incredibly varied – we’ve seen catastrophes take place in; hotels, health clubs, outer space and even more remote – the Yorkshire Dales. I guess it shows that good comedy is about clever character development and witty dialogue, but place setting has got to contribute massively. It is for this reason that I call forth – nay, clamour - for some classic barber shop comedy! It is what Britain requires, in fact we demand mishaps galore of a coiffed nature, set within the most quintessential of all British commercial settings; the castle of the high street, the retreat from a dangerous world, the sanctity of the great British comb over – we demand our British Barbers Comedy!
Bring me by Brush of burning gold
Bring me my Clippers of desire
Bring me my Talc oh clouds unfold
Bring me Scissors of fire
I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my Comb sleep in my hand
Till we have laughed and cried aloud
In England’s barbers across the land.
(Break out the organ solo).
Be advised – a storm is brewing at Paul, Mal and Barbara’s…
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When I look at the Pall Mall Barbers’ website, specifically the biogs, I’m struck by two things. Firstly, the barbers have such wildly different interests outside of work and secondly the whole Top Trumps layout of the biogs suggests a mischievous silliness, which is far from guaranteed in the workspace. I’ve worked in many different environments from health club to the Ministry of Defence. The health club was without surprise the most superficial place I’ve worked at, though astonishingly the MoD contained characters that could give Eddie Izzard and the rest of the A list comedians a run for their money. The conversation based on everyone’s top 4 “short people” films still makes me giggle to this day (My favourite are: Freaks, Willow, Wizard of Oz and of course Star Wars; Return of the Jedi. Controversial I know but it’s full of furry, cuddly midgets).
The barber shop surpasses the comedy experience I gained at the Ministry of Defence though and I believe that’s a lot to do with the setting. The shop is geared to promote a feeling of relaxation, smartness and class. The open plan office that I worked in at the Ministry of Defence had none of these features. Coupled with this are all the comic props Morecambe and Wise would be proud of, by which I mean hair dryers, talcum powder, hair gel and of course, the hair trimmings. If you’re like me and even more like Rich you’ll love the humour based around the barber’s badger brush and the double entendres are endless.
So why have hairdressers not appeared more in British sitcoms? Of course the standout example is “Desmond’s” – a truly great comedy, in its time. I would however argue that Desmond’s is more about the Peckham community than it is about hairdressing – if I remember rightly there was very little to do with cutting hair – more “Pork Pie” bemoaning the latest mess he’d got himself into.
Good British sitcoms are incredibly varied – we’ve seen catastrophes take place in; hotels, health clubs, outer space and even more remote – the Yorkshire Dales. I guess it shows that good comedy is about clever character development and witty dialogue, but place setting has got to contribute massively. It is for this reason that I call forth – nay, clamour - for some classic barber shop comedy! It is what Britain requires, in fact we demand mishaps galore of a coiffed nature, set within the most quintessential of all British commercial settings; the castle of the high street, the retreat from a dangerous world, the sanctity of the great British comb over – we demand our British Barbers Comedy!
Bring me by Brush of burning gold
Bring me my Clippers of desire
Bring me my Talc oh clouds unfold
Bring me Scissors of fire
I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my Comb sleep in my hand
Till we have laughed and cried aloud
In England’s barbers across the land.
(Break out the organ solo).
Be advised – a storm is brewing at Paul, Mal and Barbara’s…
Shaving London, Shave London, Wet Shaving London, Barbers in London, Barbers London, Barber shave London, Barbers W1, Barbers Mayfair, Barber Mayfair, Barber WC1, Barber shop Mayfair, Mens Hairdressers Mayfair, Mens hairdressing Mayfair, SW1, SW2, EC1, EC2 Soho, Convent Garden, St James, Pall Mall, London, Mens hairdressing London, Shaving London, Shave London, Barber shop, London Barbers, Shave, Barber shave, London Barber shop, Shave product London, Shaving Gifts, Shave gift, shave gift vouchers, wet shave gift vouches, mens shave, Mens shaving, shaving London, wet shaving, W1, WC1, WC2, SW1,SW2,SW6.SW6, safety razor, safety razors uk, safety razors for men, safety razors for beginners, double edged razor, double edged razor technique, shaving gifts, shaving gifts for men, shaving gifts London, shaving gifts online, shaving gifts him, shaving gift sets for men, shaving gift sets, shaving sets, shaving sets for men, shaving sets for men with brushes, shaving sets for sale, shaving sets with brush, shaving sets with mugs, shaving sets with safety razor, shaving sets with bowl, shaving sets with soaps, shaving sets uk, badger brush, badger brush shave, badger brush shaving sets, badger brush shaving kits, badger brush shaving soap, shaving brush, shaving brush stand, shaving brush set, straight razor, straight razor uk, straight razor shaving, cut throat razor, cut throat razor shave, cut throat razors for sale, cut throat, cut throat shave, cut throat shave London, gifts for men, gifts for men uk, gifts for men ideas, gifts for men who have everything, gifts for men who have everything uk, mens gifts, mens gift ideas,
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