Why a quick trim will change for men at barber shops in Kirkcaldy

Bill Colville, who owns the Arcade Barber Shop with business partner Gordon Cairns, said he hasn’t been given any clear guidance on what measures they will be required to implement from the Scottish Government – so he is trying to take a common sense approach to PPE.

He said: “All people will have to wear a mask and there will be no more than two customers in the shop at any one time. Our chairs are already two metres apart.

“All surfaces and tools will be disinfected between customers. Hand sanitiser will be available and we will be switching to an appointment only basis from a walk in only basis.”

He said that because of the time it will take to carry out the measures stipulated, their capacity will be halved. He said working hours are also likely to change.

He continued: “We will have to suspend doing beard trimming for the time being as social distancing will be impossible.

“We have been mainly using Facebook and word of mouth to keep our clients updated - the problem is the lack of information coming from the government.”

Apo Andic, owner of First Class Turkish Barbers, said protecting customers and employees will be the top priority.

He said: “Our shop has five chairs and we are looking to operate with three which allows the two chairs in between to allow the appropriate distance between each work station.

“There will no longer be waiting facilities, instead we are considering operating a ticket system.

“If a customer walks in and there is no free chair available, ask them to take a ticket with a time, take the customer’s mobile number and contact them when they can return.

“We will also look to take advanced bookings via mobile and through our Facebook page.

“Upon entering we will ask our customers to utilise hand sanitiser and provide a face mask if they do not have their own. We will have to restrict what treatments we can provide and unfortunately will not be able to carry out hot shaves and will be limited to hair cuts/head shaves.”

Mark Reynolds, owner of Revolution Barbershop in the High Street, said upon re-opening he will be extending opening hours, operating seven days a week from 8.00am to 8.00pm.

He said the clientele will be spread out for safety, and until he receives guidance from the government, he is not yet sure what PPE he will require and what services he will be able to offer.

He said: “Most fellas just want to get the hair out of their faces and off their ears and we can’t wait to be there for them again.”

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers; the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen, East Fife Mail and Glenrothes Gazette.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

The support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with your community during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this, and your continued support of our newspapers across Fife will help to protect their viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Allan Crow, Editor, Fife Free Press