From California to Kirkcaldy in a snip

The 42-year-old has settled in the Lang Toun after a period of globe-hopping and has opened Revolution Barbershop on the High Street, which is already receiving rave reviews online.

He said he first started travelling in 2010.

“My dad was Irish so I went there and opened a barber shop in Dublin with some friends. We had an absolute blast and I really like this part of the world. It’s different.

“So I bounced around a little from there. I was in Manchester, Milan, Berlin and a little place called Colmar in France. It’s like the Kirkcaldy of France!

“I then had a great job in Stockbridge in Edinburgh. By that point I had met my wife Monika, who comes from Kirkcaldy, so I moved here and was doing the commute, but that was terrible. I’m from Southern California, traffic isn’t my idea of a good time!

“So I decided while I have the money, let’s pull the trigger and get something going.

“This is the first business that I’ve owned on my own, and I can’t decide just to go off and cut hair in Germany for six months now - time to grow up, right?”

Mark has been cutting hair for almost 20 years and says he just “fell into it”.

“It’s the only thing I know how to do, though I did drive a truck for a bit – it sucked!

“A lot of my family do hair but it was mostly for women and I wanted to do something that was a bit more cool, a bit punk and rock n’ roll. And barbering has gone to the next level now, it’s very trendy.

“So something that was just to keep me busy and put money in my pocket has turned out to be a hip job to have. Before it was like ‘you’re just a barber?’”

After just a month Mark says he’s doing well: “I’ve got some money lying around and not many businesses after just a month can say that, so it’s going well.

“I’ve been open seven days a week from 11am to 8pm just to see what it’s like, but I will continue to stay open late. I want to be here for the working man.

“I offer a high quality service. It’s not a salon but at the same time I can knock out any haircut there is at a good rate. I think if you’re paying over £20 for a hair cut, you’re paying too much in my opinion.”

He added: “I’m trying to create an atmosphere of inclusiveness.”

Visit the Revolution Barbershop Facebook page.