A FORTY-three-year career has led a local barber to take to the open road, but not as a retired nomad searching for sun.<\/p>\n
In his mobile barbershop Glen Matheson regularly occupies a patch of asphalt at the Rotary Park in Kangaroo Flat, after shutting his brick-and-mortar shop three years ago to start a travelling business.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a shop in Golden Square for about 10 years where we were paying rent and rates and all that sort of thing forever,\u201d Mr Matheson said.<\/p>\n
After seeing other mobile hairdressing services, Mr Matheson\u2019s partner raised the question of whether ditching the shopfront for something on wheels would be viable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was sort of yes and no at first and then I had a bright spark idea and thought, what about a van? You know, do the mobile thing but actually work in the van,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Matheson will go to clients houses by appointment one day a fortnight and either work from the van, or for the less mobile or elderly go inside their home to cut their hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I had planned to do at first, but people being people it just sort of evolved,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get tradies and a lot of people that say \u2018well where are you going to be today, I\u2019ll come to you\u2019, but I don\u2019t know where I\u2019m going to be so if I park up somewhere and you come to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
His regular spot at Rotary Park allows him to be seen by potential new clients as they drive along High Street and his regulars now know where to find him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really good and as I say, instead of paying everybody else\u2019s bills and mortgages off for them and paying their rents, you can sort of try and keep most of it for yourself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The van is set up with all the necessities of an old-fashioned barber shop including a working sink, leather barber chair, mirror, and a TV playing classic rock.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do tend to get a lot of stories,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know we talk a lot of cars and bikes and try not to get into too much politics and that sort of thing but yeah, very barbershop-ish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Matheson is parked up in his van at Rotary Park most days of the week for drop-in appointments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A FORTY-three-year career has led a local barber to take to the open road, but not as a retired nomad searching for sun. In his mobile barbershop Glen Matheson regularly occupies a patch of asphalt at the Rotary Park in Kangaroo Flat, after shutting his brick-and-mortar shop three years ago to start a travelling business. […]<\/p>\n