I used to get my hair cut at Dick’s, which was up a small alley, at the side of what would have been Mayes. I bought my first ‘something for the weekend’ here, good memories all round.
By GARY TOWNSEND (24/01/2021)
I remember my brother being brought here to have his hair cut, when he was small. He had to sit on a plank of wood on the seat so that the hairdresser could cut his hair, this would have been in the late 60s.
By Jacqui Carden was Head (22/01/2021)
I used to have my hair cut here in the 60/ 70’s. I remember it had a revolving red and white barbers pole outside. Before then, when I was very young, my mother used to take me to a barbers in a row of old wooden shops opposite the post office on Southend Road.
By Kevin Mears (04/05/2019)
After George retired the business was taken over by Jill Turner (Tucker), who is my sister, and Helen Osuji. Both had worked for George for a few years. I remember queues of men and boys outside the shop on a Saturday morning. Both women are still hairdressers in the area, each with their own mobile hairdressing businesses.
By Sue Tucker (23/09/2018)
The hairdresser next to Guest’s house was Henry’s. Henry died and his widow married Arthur Driscoll. They had another shop in Kent, and the Wickford shop was managed by Doreen Mann. Part of the downstairs room was partitioned off to make a two chair men’s barbers. It was run for years by Dick Reeves and Gill Cooper from Burnham. Gill retired and Dick took over a shop behind Bargainland, and was there until he retired.
By Nina Williams (21/04/2018)
Prior to the premises in the Arcade, Mr George Anstead traded from a timber building in Lower Southend Road, opposite the Royal Mail sorting office. His Son Roy also worked there with his father for some years, before he began his teaching career. Sadly Roy passed away a few years ago. They were and are such a lovely family, whom I feel privileged to know.
By Val Ramsden (01/01/2018)
Bobcoot, I’m afraid your memory is incorrect. My Grandfather DID NOT cut your hair throughout the war, unless you were also in Burma with him! He was stationed in Burma for the first four years of my Dad’s (Roy Anstead) life. He de-mobbed and used the money from that and the money he got from cutting hair for ‘a few bob’ whilst abroad to start his shop in the Arcade sometime after 1947. He was a communications officer in the Royal Signals on General Slim’s attache and was later discharged after contracting Malaria. I don’t know who cut your hair, but it certainly wasn’t my Grandad!
By Stuart Anstead (25/10/2017)
Hi Trevor, after all those comments you must realise George was pulling your leg about being a Chindit. He was a good barber and cut my hair all through the war.
By bobcroot (22/11/2016)
Roy Anstead became a teacher, being Head of Bardfield Juniors in Vange in the 1990s. He did refer to his father having the hairdresser’s shop. Sadly not long ago I heard that he has passed away.
By Karen Mortley (22/05/2015)
Hi I think Dick, who once worked for George Anstead, carried on the business of hairdresser in the High Street.
By bob croot (29/03/2015)
Does anyone know of Roy Anstead, he went to St George’s School. Did he finish up running the family business ?
By Lorraine Taylor (13/03/2015)
Yes, Bob Croot, I can recall the powdered chocolate being dished out at South Hanningfield School. As there were three of us Smiths, we got quite a lot. I remember we were told to bring to school a wide necked, screw top jar. The teachers dished it out and we carried it home to Poplars Farm. As the journey was a long one, and we were on foot, some did actually get to our mother, and it was turned into drinks,mainly. Yes, Bob, it did come from Canada.
By Dennis Smith (06/05/2014)
George must have come out of the chindits pretty early in the war because I remember him cutting my hair whilst I sat on a chair whilst mum told him how she wanted my hair cut – 1942/43.
By BOBCROOT (07/04/2014)
To add onto my bit about Mr Anstead and to go back to times of war: I remember that in those times Charlie Simpson always seemed to have some sweets in his pocket. This may have been due to the fact that he was in the Home Guard, and knew Bessie Harrington quite well. Bessie kept the sweet shop at the lower end of Jersey Gardens. There was also a Mr Shipley who kept a cycle shop in that area, also there was a shoe repairer who was Mr Leitch, later to be taken over by a Mr Salmon. Mr Salmon had a brother who, when I worked at Runwell Hospital gardens in about 1954, looked after a work gang of patients. Pete Salmons was his name, and he lived off the Runwell Road, more or less backing onto the cricket ground. I have also seen the name of Salmons in another item of our history, but now can’t find it.
By Dennis Smith (07/04/2014)
I too remember George Ansteads in the arcade, but before that he had a shop opposite the Swan pub, next to Guests, the bay window shop which sold batteries,torches, etc. I remember sitting in the barbers’ with a tin of chocolate powder during the war 39/45 (given by Canada to British school children) dipping my wet finger in and sucking the chocolate whilst waiting for my hair cut. Does anybody remember the chocolate?
By BOBCROOT (05/04/2014)
Just like Dennis Smith, I used to have my hair cut by Mr. George Anstead, my memory of him and his shop in the Arcade are still strong – two doors led into the shop. A central door opened into the main shop where there were three chairs and mirrors, old Charlie would be working one, never knew his surname, but he’d always ask you where you was going for your holiday. A very small room at the top of the shop was George Anstead’s room, with a single chair and mirror. During the Second World War George Anstead was one of Orde Wingate’s famous jungle Chindits, George told me that himself when he realised how interested in the war I was. I don’t know if Dennis remembers, but I can’t now remember how much it was for a short back and where’s it gone.
By Trevor A. Williams. (21/03/2014)
I can remember getting my hair cut here when I was tiny. After George Anstead owned it, it was run by two girls called Gill and Helen. I still see Gill as she lives opposite my inlaws in Pitsea.
By Richard Stewart (14/03/2014)
I used to get my hair cut (oh those were the days!!) when at senior school, at George Anstead’s. His shop was in the Arcade, which was fronted by Fawcetts, who were on the front row of the arcade, as it were. Their display of fruit and veg was huge and spilled out over the pavement. The Arcade was at the lower end of the road to the station, opposite to the Castle Pub
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I used to get my hair cut at Dick’s, which was up a small alley, at the side of what would have been Mayes. I bought my first ‘something for the weekend’ here, good memories all round.
I remember my brother being brought here to have his hair cut, when he was small. He had to sit on a plank of wood on the seat so that the hairdresser could cut his hair, this would have been in the late 60s.
I used to have my hair cut here in the 60/ 70’s. I remember it had a revolving red and white barbers pole outside. Before then, when I was very young, my mother used to take me to a barbers in a row of old wooden shops opposite the post office on Southend Road.
After George retired the business was taken over by Jill Turner (Tucker), who is my sister, and Helen Osuji. Both had worked for George for a few years. I remember queues of men and boys outside the shop on a Saturday morning. Both women are still hairdressers in the area, each with their own mobile hairdressing businesses.
The hairdresser next to Guest’s house was Henry’s. Henry died and his widow married Arthur Driscoll. They had another shop in Kent, and the Wickford shop was managed by Doreen Mann. Part of the downstairs room was partitioned off to make a two chair men’s barbers. It was run for years by Dick Reeves and Gill Cooper from Burnham. Gill retired and Dick took over a shop behind Bargainland, and was there until he retired.
Prior to the premises in the Arcade, Mr George Anstead traded from a timber building in Lower Southend Road, opposite the Royal Mail sorting office. His Son Roy also worked there with his father for some years, before he began his teaching career. Sadly Roy passed away a few years ago. They were and are such a lovely family, whom I feel privileged to know.
Bobcoot, I’m afraid your memory is incorrect. My Grandfather DID NOT cut your hair throughout the war, unless you were also in Burma with him! He was stationed in Burma for the first four years of my Dad’s (Roy Anstead) life. He de-mobbed and used the money from that and the money he got from cutting hair for ‘a few bob’ whilst abroad to start his shop in the Arcade sometime after 1947. He was a communications officer in the Royal Signals on General Slim’s attache and was later discharged after contracting Malaria. I don’t know who cut your hair, but it certainly wasn’t my Grandad!
Hi Trevor, after all those comments you must realise George was pulling your leg about being a Chindit. He was a good barber and cut my hair all through the war.
Roy Anstead became a teacher, being Head of Bardfield Juniors in Vange in the 1990s. He did refer to his father having the hairdresser’s shop. Sadly not long ago I heard that he has passed away.
Hi I think Dick, who once worked for George Anstead, carried on the business of hairdresser in the High Street.
Does anyone know of Roy Anstead, he went to St George’s School. Did he finish up running the family business ?
Yes, Bob Croot, I can recall the powdered chocolate being dished out at South Hanningfield School. As there were three of us Smiths, we got quite a lot. I remember we were told to bring to school a wide necked, screw top jar. The teachers dished it out and we carried it home to Poplars Farm. As the journey was a long one, and we were on foot, some did actually get to our mother, and it was turned into drinks,mainly. Yes, Bob, it did come from Canada.
George must have come out of the chindits pretty early in the war because I remember him cutting my hair whilst I sat on a chair whilst mum told him how she wanted my hair cut – 1942/43.
To add onto my bit about Mr Anstead and to go back to times of war: I remember that in those times Charlie Simpson always seemed to have some sweets in his pocket. This may have been due to the fact that he was in the Home Guard, and knew Bessie Harrington quite well. Bessie kept the sweet shop at the lower end of Jersey Gardens. There was also a Mr Shipley who kept a cycle shop in that area, also there was a shoe repairer who was Mr Leitch, later to be taken over by a Mr Salmon. Mr Salmon had a brother who, when I worked at Runwell Hospital gardens in about 1954, looked after a work gang of patients. Pete Salmons was his name, and he lived off the Runwell Road, more or less backing onto the cricket ground. I have also seen the name of Salmons in another item of our history, but now can’t find it.
I too remember George Ansteads in the arcade, but before that he had a shop opposite the Swan pub, next to Guests, the bay window shop which sold batteries,torches, etc. I remember sitting in the barbers’ with a tin of chocolate powder during the war 39/45 (given by Canada to British school children) dipping my wet finger in and sucking the chocolate whilst waiting for my hair cut. Does anybody remember the chocolate?
Just like Dennis Smith, I used to have my hair cut by Mr. George Anstead, my memory of him and his shop in the Arcade are still strong – two doors led into the shop. A central door opened into the main shop where there were three chairs and mirrors, old Charlie would be working one, never knew his surname, but he’d always ask you where you was going for your holiday. A very small room at the top of the shop was George Anstead’s room, with a single chair and mirror. During the Second World War George Anstead was one of Orde Wingate’s famous jungle Chindits, George told me that himself when he realised how interested in the war I was. I don’t know if Dennis remembers, but I can’t now remember how much it was for a short back and where’s it gone.
I can remember getting my hair cut here when I was tiny. After George Anstead owned it, it was run by two girls called Gill and Helen. I still see Gill as she lives opposite my inlaws in Pitsea.
I used to get my hair cut (oh those were the days!!) when at senior school, at George Anstead’s. His shop was in the Arcade, which was fronted by Fawcetts, who were on the front row of the arcade, as it were. Their display of fruit and veg was huge and spilled out over the pavement. The Arcade was at the lower end of the road to the station, opposite to the Castle Pub
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