The family of a long-standing Cardiff barber has paid tribute to him as a "real fighter" who "lived for his family" following his death aged 69. Barrie Evans, known affectionately by his customers as 'Barrie the Barber', ran Barries Barber Shop in Penarth Road in Grangetown for 47 years.
Mr Evans is remembered in particular for his unwavering loyalty towards his customers – even during his battle with cancer in the last 10 years of his life. The much-loved father and grandfather died on November 3 after being taken to hospital.
Born and bred in Grangetown, Mr Evans left school at 15 and did a hairdressing apprenticeship at a salon in Clare Road. He left briefly to work at Ely Hospital to cut hair for the psychiatric patients on the wards. "He found that very rewarding. He really enjoyed his time there," his wife told WalesOnline.
Read more: A woman documented her distressing 16-hour wait in A&E with her seriously ill mum
After he got married aged 22 he set up his business in Penarth Road in 1975. "He wouldn't have gone anywhere else. It had to be Grangetown," said his wife, who has known him since she was 16. The couple lived above the shop for two years before they moved out to Dinas Powys where they have lived ever since.
Mr Evans ran the shop entirely on his own over the decades. "When we first opened the shop he was open from the early morning until the evening. He'd even be out on a night out and people would say: 'Can you cut my hair for me, Barrie?' And he'd take them back into the shop and cut their hair for them," his wife said.
But in the latter years of his life, he had to cut back his working hours after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma about a decade ago. He was not expected to survive but he did. However after six months in remission he found out he had advanced terminal prostate cancer.
Throughout extensive treatment and other health problems over the years Mr Evans' family say he always remained positive and fought hard against his illness. "He always said: 'I'm living with cancer, I'm not dying from cancer.' He was never down, he never let [the cancer] get him down. He was a real, real fighter. He didn't want to leave us – we know that."
He remained loyal to his customers, who remember him for his great storytelling, and continued to run his barber shop up until his death. "He had really, really suffered but he fought and he fought. Somebody said: 'He fought like a lion and spoke like a king,'" his wife said.
"One of the customers said to me: 'I would have happily gone to Barries just to sit in the chair and not even have my hair cut – just to talk to him. He is my inspiration.'
"He'd have chemotherapy and he'd be really ill overnight but he'd still get up the next morning and be in work early in the morning...Trying to get him to go on holiday of late was almost impossible. He would say: 'Oh no, I can't let my customers down.'
"He was such a fighter. I can't praise him enough in that respect. He was a real hard worker – old school hard worker – and he provided so well for us as a family. And he achieved such a lot."
She added that despite being in and out of hospital in the last year Mr Evans would be "back in work as soon as he possibly could". At this point he was working half days because he couldn't physically to do full days and was struggling to walk.
Recently he was taken ill and went to hospital after coming home from work. He had had a heart attack and was not expected to survive but he did. "He sat up and he said: 'Barrie's back. I'm fighting this.' The doctors were absolutely amazed," he wife recalled.
After 10 days he came home and his condition improved. But soon he was back in hospital with the cancer having taken hold. He died in the early hours of November 3. Paying tribute to Mr Evans his wife said: "His family was his life – he lived for his family. He loved his dogs, swimming, and walking.
"He was just always here for everyone. My daughter summed it up – she said: 'He was always the big strong man in the background looking out for us all.' He was over generous to a fault in every way."
Others have also paid tribute to the much-loved barber. Lee Dooley Fettah, who owns a car dealership in Penarth Road, has had his hair cut by Mr Evans for 45 years. His mum first took him and his brothers to get their hair cut at Barries Barber Shop when he was nine years old and he's stuck with the same barber ever since.
"Over the years we became friends – I wasn't just a customer. Barrie was very good at telling stories about the old days," Lee, 54, told WalesOnline. "When he was closed because of his illness I would wait to get my hair cut by him. The only time I didn't get my hair cut by Barrie was in the lockdown.
"He was one of a kind. There are nine barbers in Grangetown but I won't be getting my hair cut there again. There's nothing to replace him. He never, ever failed to ask how my mum was. He was a gentleman – a proper gentleman.
"He was absolutely bionic. He would never, ever give up. He told me he would still be cutting hair when he's 80...legends never die. And he was a true legend." Barrie Evans is survived by his wife, three children and three grandchildren.
READ NEXT:
- Cardiff’s New Theatre drops 'culturally insensitive' ballet La Bayadère after criticism from Hindu leader
- The stunning £5k a month property let to production companies on shoots in Wales
- The photos that tell the story of Wales' World Cup heartache as fans congregate to see final stand against England
- Cardiff City Women emerge from shadows to hunt down first league title in 10 years amid standards boost and South Wales derby prep
- Christmas experiences within an hour's drive of Cardiff
