The original City barbers was opened in 1975 by Geoff Barnard and his brother Doug. It was located in upper bridge road, Chelmsford, near the old Chelmsford city football ground. Consequently, many of the Chelmsford city footballers used to get their haircuts there including Ron Smillie, Tony Nicholas and Tony Butcher, Chelmsford city's top goal scorer. It was a very popular place, with many regulars returning for their haircuts over its thirty year plus life span. However after 46 years in the trade Geoff has since retired and city barbers was closed in 2011.
Full article here: http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/geoff-retiring-46-years-cutting-edge/story-13333986-detail/story.html
Since working together for 6 years at City Barbers, Sharon Harper has remained very close friends with Geoff and his wife Marion. Sharon herself has 26 years in the barbering trade describing her as a "short back and sides merchant." Sharon has also worked at the Empire Broomfield road, Esquire Billericay, then onto City Barbers and finally back again to Esquire.
She has always worked for other people and was thinking perhaps it's time to do something for herself. So when premises became vacant on the Havengore Parade, plus being local to the area she spotted a great opportunity to open her own business.
In wondering what to call it Geoff suggested "City Barbers" which delighted Sharon, seeing it as a great tribute to her new business and also a way of carrying on the name of the original, which had a history, spanning over three decades in Chelmsford.
Several other businesses, opening at the same time, will also be joining the premises, including a nail bar, cosmetic tattooing and a spray tan booth. Sharon will also be joined by Sarah Ball who herself has had over twenty years in the trade and owned a barber shop in Sheffield called "Smith and Co" formerly " The Barber shop".
City Barber's Sharon Harper
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