Some history of a trim little shop
Royce Barber's, 281 London Road, Hadleigh
We had two fascinating customers in Barbara and Ray Sinclair at Saturday 12th November 2016’s drop-in at Hadleigh Library, writes Malcolm Brown.
Barbara’s father was Stan Royce (Walter Stanley Royce), the well-known local barber;
here is a fairly modern view of the shop.
Barbara and Ray visited the drop-in after Bob Delderfield had presented a wonderful slideshow to a Ladies Guild at which he encouraged Barbara to dig out photos and information about the famous barber’s shop.
Ray gave us prints of three photos (two of Stan in the shop and one of a lorry parked outside the shop with a ‘Vote Oram’ § poster on the side from 1950.)
A scan showing all three photos is attached.
Apparently, Stan Royce started business in the Emery premises at 2 Homestead Cottages before having his shop built on London Road.
To cap it all, the Sinclairs brought in the original (linen) plan of the barber’s shop.
I took a photo of the plan; shown here on the right.
{Ed: § Albert Oram (13 Aug 1913 – 5 Sept 1999) was a Co-operative and Labour politician. On 22 January 1976 he was created Baron Oram of Brighton in the County of East Sussex. Reference.}
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Stan (Curly) Royce was a well known character in and around Hadleigh. He lived with his wife and daughter in Bradley Avenue, Thundersley, next door to another well-known character in Thundersley; Cecil Coleman the butcher whose shop was in Hart Road. My father, John Aldridge, was disabled and became a friend of both these gentlemen. Stan used to come round to our home to cut Dad’s hair because the wheelchair couldn’t get through the door into the shop, a lovely man who also cut my kid brother’s hair and frequently pulled my leg during my childhood.
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