Cairns Characters: Andrew and Demitri Stylianou
TRADITIONAL gentleman's barber Andrew learned his trade in Cyprus and has been cutting hair for 50 years, latterly sharing the snipping with his son. He's offering a free beer with every haircut on Saturday morning. Photo: Marc McCormack.
I started cutting hair in 1961, when I was 14 years old. I came to Australia in 1963. My sister used to live in Cairns. She asked me to learn how to be a barber and then come Down Under.
I’ve stayed in Cairns for 48 years. It’s a lovely city with beautiful weather. What else do you want? It’s a similar temperature to Cyprus, but with a Wet Season. I’ve been in this shop for eight years. Before that I was across the road in the site now occupied by George’s Greek Restaurant. I was there for 32 years. So 40 years on Grafton Street.
Back in the 1960s it was all long hair, like the Beatles, now it’s all short hair cuts. We used to shaves and shampoos years ago. Some people still ask for shaves but we don’t do it for safety reasons.
We have a wide variety of customers. Young people, old people, some people who have been coming here for decades. I’ve got original customers that have been coming the whole time. One gentleman has been coming 47 years. Mainly it’s men, but occasionally we’ll get a women who wants her hair cut like a man.
How do we cut hair so fast? Your fingers get used to it, eventually they work like a machine. It comes from practise. Cutting doesn’t hurt my fingers or hand. More my neck and shoulders. And my legs because I’m standing up all the time. It’s okay for Demitri, he’s still young.
My son has been cutting hair with me for 21 years. He started when he was 17. It’s nice to work with him. We never have fights at work!
Andrew’s Barber Shop is offering readers of the Weekend Post a free beer with each haircut this Saturday. Go to 90 Grafton Street before 1pm.
This series focuses on the unique personalities that make living here such a stimulating experience. Who would you like to see featured? Email your suggestions to digital@tcp.newsltd.com.au
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