Joe calls time on half-a-century of haircuts

AFTER more than 50 years in the business a local hairdresser has decided to hang up his scissors.

Joe Pascale was about 17 when he first started out, having been unsuccessful in applying for the police force.

“A couple of my sisters were hairdressing and they needed an apprentice so mum suggested I go and give it a try,” he said.

“Those first three months I probably could have walked away but as it turned out within two years I took it on as a business and I’ve stuck around since then.

“I could have stayed there until they carried me out but having recently turned 70, when I got an offer for the property it seemed like an opportunity too good to pass up.”

Despite having five decades under his belt, Mr Pascale said it was not a career that he had initially seen himself spending the bulk of his working life in, though it only took a few years before he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“Being a male hairdresser of women’s hair back then came with a bit of flack but it never bothered me, if anything I probably played into it,” he said.

“It got to a point where it wasn’t really work, people came in and got their hair done, and there were many regulars over the years, we probably ran into third generations by the end.

“There were a few tears when I told them I was retiring, your clients sort of become an extended part of your family, especially the ones who you’d see every week.”

Mr Pascale said while the adjustment hasn’t been easy, he’s looking forward to trying some things he hasn’t had much of a chance to before.

“Going back and doing a couple of days here and there for someone else has crossed my mind, but I’m trying to avoid it,” he said.

“I’ve never really travelled, it’s always been more work without much of an emphasis on holidays, so hopefully that will be in the cards now.”