Ledbury barbers celebrates 75 years with the same family

Thorne’s Barbers in The Homend has been run by the same family since 1947 - and there has been a barbers on the premises for even longer.

Owner Colin Thorne, who himself has been working at the shop since 1957, has written two books about the history of the shop and sells them to raise money for charity.

Colin’s father, Emrys Thorne, took over the property on February 14, 1947 along with his wife Peggy.

The premises was already established as a barbershop as Jimmy Webb had started cutting hair there in 1910.

Emrys ran the shop for 32 years, retiring 44 years ago from what his son describes as “the effects of war damage”.

Colin started working part time for his father in 1957, working a few hours in the evenings after school and all day Saturdays, which in those days was 6.30am to 6.30pm.

Colin Thorne has written two books about the history of the shop

He started full time work in the shop after leaving school in 1963.

Colin continued working with his father and later bought the business off him in 1982. Between father and son they have been barbers for 108 years.

Emrys died 16 years ago and Colin promised at that time to try and get the business up to 75 years in memory of his parents. His mother died of cancer back in 1967.

In recent years, Colin has written two books about the history of the shop. They are available to buy from the shop with all proceeds going to St Michael’s Hospice.

Customers have not only snapped up copies of the book but regularly make donations and Colin has raised more than £3,000 for the charity to date.

Colin said he raises funds for the hospice because it wasn’t around when his mother died 55 years ago.

Right now, Colin is off work with a problem with his eye, but hopes to return to the shop as soon as possible. In the meantime, Thorne’s Barbers is still open in the capable hands of Rachel Griffiths.

“Once again we give a big thank you to all our customers for their patience and loyalty,” said Colin.