Rush to the hairdressers - seaside barber’s 14 hour days to meet pre-lockdown demand
Carl Lee's barbers had seen a dip in custom following the March lockdown but a surge in demand ahead of the second national lockdown on Thursday November 5 means he is working 14 hour days Picture: Google Maps - Credit: Archant
A barber has told how his seaside salon has been swamped as people rush to get last-minute trims.
Carl Lee, of Talking Heads in Lancaster Road, Great Yarmouth, said the the number of bookings was “unprecendented” as men rushed to get in before the second national lockdown on Thursday.
It means working from 6.30am to 8.30pm and coming in on his day off to meet the sudden spike in demand after months of seeing up to half the amount of heads.
Under the measures people will once more be confined to their homes amid guidance which says they can only go out for specific reasons including education, work, or to care for a loved one.
It means non-essential shops including hairdressers will be shut until December 2.
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Mr Lee, who has been at the shop for 35 years, said: “I am full up today and opening up tomorrow on my day off.
“It is unprecedented.
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“I was 50pc down after the first lockdown. I am going to have to come in at 6.30am and work for 14 hours just to get it done. I will do more than a week’s work in three days but it will still leave me short.”
Mr Lee said some regular customers had not returned since the March lockdown and were carrying on cutting their hair at home.
Meanwhile those who might normally have had four or five haircuts had only had one or two because they were working from home with no weddings or nights out and didn’t see the need.
He said if the lockdown went on beyond December 2 and into Christmas it would have a serious effect on his business.
Other salons had already gone to the wall, he said, because there simply wasn’t enough work to keep them going.
“It will effect me big time,” he added.
The second national lockdown is expected to last for a month from the early hours of November 5 to December 2.
After that regions are likely to be place under tier level restrictions.
Takeaways and deliveries will still be allowed and workplaces should stay open if people can’t work at home.
There will also be no mixing with other households indoors or in gardens.
