Sammy’s Barber Shop: Tony Porter closing 100 year old Cheltenham shop
News that a historic business near Cheltenham station is closing has devastated loyal customers. Here’s what they had to say.
South East
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Tony Porter want to slip quietly home after his final hair cut.
But the Cheltenham barber’s customers have other ideas.
They want the man who has been trimming their locks since they were toddlers to be sent off in style.
Mr Porter’s plan to close Sammy’s Barber Shop has social media alight as long time customers share memories of visits to the Charman Road business.
“I’ve been going there since 1987. I will miss telling Tony all my problems in life,” one man posted.
“I remember Sammy from the 60s. Tony is very much an iconic part of Cheltenham,” another said.
One of the older customers reminisced about his first hair cut at the shop when he was just four-years-old.
“I had my first hair cut there in 1955 sitting on the red leather board resting on the arms of the chair,” he said.
“I’m certain that it’s the same red kids’ booster board that’s there today.”
Another regular suggested starting a fundraiser so customers could chip in for a farewell gift.
Mr Porter told the Leader that the one-two punch of a level crossing removal and global pandemic had proven too much.
He had decided to retire after failing to sell the business.
“I did have a couple of guys interested in buying but only if some serious work was done on the shop,” Mr Porter said.
“I’m 70 now and I just can’t keep going. I’ve lost so much trade over the past couple of years with the road closing for weeks at a time for the level crossing removal, and then COVID coming along and forcing me to shut for months.”
Part of Charman Road was closed for three weeks from November 15 and December 6, 2019 and another five weeks in early 2020 while the level crossing was removed and the station redeveloped.
Work on the station is ongoing.
“People got sick of the chaos. They just stopped coming,” Mr Porter said.
And then COVID-19 and the hard lockdowns struck.
“I had two part-timers working with me, but had to let them go because even after the second lockdown there just wasn’t enough work for all of us,” Mr Porter said.
The Rowville man has been cutting hair in the 1920s building for more than 30 years.
“It’s always been a barbers. I started working there for Sam Licata in 1986 and bought the business from him a couple of years later,” Mr Porter said.
Mr Licata has since died and his children now own the building that houses Sammy’s and two other businesses.
While the spaces filled by a chicken shop and shoe repairer have been updated over the years the barber shop is like a time capsule.
“The fit-out at the front has barely been touched since the 1920s,” Mr Porter said.
“I still have the shelving that used to house tobacco and later cigarettes.”
The counter drawers are full of memories, including the original paperwork used to determine the value of the business when Mr Licata bought it and the building in 1967.
A customer has decorated the walls at the front of the shop with team photos of Cheltenham Football Club’s senior team, some dating back as far as the 1950s.
The haircuts and beard grooming takes place out the back on barbers chairs from the 1960s.
“There’s so much history here,” Mr Porter said.
“I have customers who had their hair cuts here as children and are now bringing back their own kids.
“Some grew up in Cheltenham and then moved away but still come back for regular trims.”
