Philatelic Haircuts in a Time of Self-Isolation
How does a Philatelist or Postal Historian get a haircut at such a time?
John Grefe, the organiser of the Alternative Stamp Fair in Chesterton, Cambridge, England, emailed me a photo of himself after he had cut his own hair. I'm not at all sure about the topknot but otherwise it looks very Peaky Blinders. On the other hand I have not had a hair cut for several months and it is beginning to show. Having considered how to get a hair cut at such a time, I have decided that there are only three ways to do so. The first is to follow John's lead and inflict a DIY cut on yourself. The second is to get your wife / partner to do it. This option is fraught with risk as it could ultimately be the straw that broke the self-isolating couples back during this difficult time. Apparently divorce applications are on the increase! The only good thing that can be said about getting a naff haircut now is that no-one will see you for several months - unless, of course, you post a photo of yourself here. Your third option is to do nothing at all. It is the option I favour. Right now, I'm happy to recreate a small part of the 60s in my Seventies! But am I bold enough to say I won't have my haircut until all this is over? I don't think so! Watch this space!
From left to rght:
John Grefe, Steve Hannath, Bob Hill, (see some of Bob's wonderful material in the Putzel Display).
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Welcome to Jamie Smith, the Club's the youngest member yet. Jamie has made a prolific contribution to the club's displays. I think it fair to say that without his energy, enthusiasm and haircut it would not exist. Good on yer, kid!
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Bob Hill has just dropped off his Apartheid Mail collection which I will be posting on the Club website in August. Here we are in the garden together. Bob came armed with gloves, a mask and handwash. I was less concerned because I believe I have had Covid-19. Bob took the opportunity to buy my best Apartheid Mail stock. I have not had a haircut since 11th December 2019 when I went to London to get a trim. During an English winter I like to wear my hair long-ish, a "winter coat", but in summer I wear it much shorter. While in London my wife contracted the Corona virus, either on the Tube, at the hairdresser or in Chinatown where we went for a meal. I caught it from my wife on Christmas Eve. It wasn't at all pleasant for the first three weeks. The long and the short of it is that I have not had a haircut for eight months. It shows. I have had to borrow one of my wife's handybands. It works a treat. Bob has been in genuine self isolation all by himself. He told me that he calculates that he now has 3,000 display pages. He's been a busy boy!
PS: Only Reply to this post if you are prepared to attach a photo of your philatelic haircut!
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I have waited a long time for a decent photo of Jamie. This has been submitted by Jim Findlay. Jamie is nearest the camera. Jim says he "was going through a pile of photos in a box and found the attached. Taken at the Philatelic Society of Johannesburg in October 1990. Tony Palmer in the background and maybe Mike Nethersole(?). " This is, of course, pre-Covid but the length of Jamie's hair deserves an honourable mention here. He's quite the man about town!And tanned too! Can anyone confirm the identity of the other three?
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