Share Meet Ibro on FacebookShare Meet Ibro on TwitterShare Meet Ibro on LinkedinEmail Meet Ibro link
"When I cut hair, I fly. I'm always laughing and joking with my customers, that's half my job. I'll often give someone a first haircut for free, or if they don't have enough money on them I'll say, 'Go. Pay me next time'. Money comes and goes. In life we have to look after people. Everyone knows me here - from the post office, the pharmacy, the charity shop. The bus driver. They're all friends.When I was in Cardiff, clients would come back every few weeks. Here, there are very sweet people who want to look fresh all the time, so they have a trim every 3 days. Business is good. It's about taking time to look after people, to enjoy. When I'm here, the music is on, people are chatting and laughing and dancing.
My father and grandfather were also hairdressers back in Iraq, and now my son wants to be one too. My dad didn't want me to be a hairdresser like him. He wanted me to study in school, to become a scientist, or a doctor, and he slapped me when I came to try and help him in his barber's shop instead. So I would sneak out of school and go to my friend's dad's barber shop. My daddy was asking me every day, 'How was the school?' and I'd say, 'Very good'. One day the teacher sent a letter asking him to come in, then said, 'Do you know where your son goes every day?'. My dad said, 'Yes - he comes to school. I bring him every morning'. But the teacher said, 'Yes, he comes for the first 15 minutes, and after that he leaves. For nearly one year now’. So the next day my dad hid after he had seen me go into school and waited. When he saw me come out again he followed me and saw me go into the other barbers. That's the last time I remember my dad slapping me. He took me back to his shop and said, 'I think you're clever. I want you to study. But if you really want to learn hairdressing that badly, don't go to someone else!'. I was 11 and already I knew - all I wanted to do was to be a hairdresser. Now, all the time I'm dancing."
"When I cut hair, I fly. I'm always laughing and joking with my customers, that's half my job. I'll often give someone a first haircut for free, or if they don't have enough money on them I'll say, 'Go. Pay me next time'. Money comes and goes. In life we have to look after people. Everyone knows me here - from the post office, the pharmacy, the charity shop. The bus driver. They're all friends.When I was in Cardiff, clients would come back every few weeks. Here, there are very sweet people who want to look fresh all the time, so they have a trim every 3 days. Business is good. It's about taking time to look after people, to enjoy. When I'm here, the music is on, people are chatting and laughing and dancing.
My father and grandfather were also hairdressers back in Iraq, and now my son wants to be one too. My dad didn't want me to be a hairdresser like him. He wanted me to study in school, to become a scientist, or a doctor, and he slapped me when I came to try and help him in his barber's shop instead. So I would sneak out of school and go to my friend's dad's barber shop. My daddy was asking me every day, 'How was the school?' and I'd say, 'Very good'. One day the teacher sent a letter asking him to come in, then said, 'Do you know where your son goes every day?'. My dad said, 'Yes - he comes to school. I bring him every morning'. But the teacher said, 'Yes, he comes for the first 15 minutes, and after that he leaves. For nearly one year now’. So the next day my dad hid after he had seen me go into school and waited. When he saw me come out again he followed me and saw me go into the other barbers. That's the last time I remember my dad slapping me. He took me back to his shop and said, 'I think you're clever. I want you to study. But if you really want to learn hairdressing that badly, don't go to someone else!'. I was 11 and already I knew - all I wanted to do was to be a hairdresser. Now, all the time I'm dancing."
"When I cut hair, I fly. I'm always laughing and joking with my customers, that's half my job. I'll often give someone a first haircut for free, or if they don't have enough money on them I'll say, 'Go. Pay me next time'. Money comes and goes. In life we have to look after people. Everyone knows me here - from the post office, the pharmacy, the charity shop. The bus driver. They're all friends. When I was in Cardiff, clients would come back every few weeks. Here, there are very sweet people who want to look fresh all the time, so they have a trim every 3 days. Business is good. It's about taking time to look after people, to enjoy. When I'm here, the music is on, people are chatting and laughing and dancing.