Barber served city for 50 years
Arthur Beardsley believed barbering was about much more than just cutting hair – it was about treating everyone with the utmost respect.
The Beardsley Barber Shop, which he owned and operated out of Christchurch’s Cathedral Square for more than 30 years, was an iconic fixture of the city before it was destroyed in the Canterbury earthquakes.
Daughter Joanne Beardsley said he took great pride in his barber shop. ‘‘Being in the Square attracted all walks of life. Whether that person was a millionaire or a street kid, Dad showed everyone the same respect.
‘‘He was such a great listener and he had the uncanny ability of holding a conversation with anybody who walked through the door. [He] made his customers feel important [and] they always left
with their heads held higher.’’
The skilled barber and loving father died at Christchurch Hospital on June 24, 2019, aged 81.
He began his career as a barber when he was 15 with an apprenticeship at Longhorn Leather in Colombo St. He spent six years in that shop, then moved to another in Merivale.
In a 2004 interview with The
Press, Beardsley said the shop was much busier than working in the CBD and was often ‘‘inundated with children’’. ‘‘Locals knew not to come after 3pm. On one Thursday I counted them. I had 28 children waiting, and you wouldn’t get 28 in six months in town,’’ he said.
Beardsley sold up after 10 years and bought a barber shop in Cathedral Square after previous owner, cricketer Doug McMillan (the grandfather of Black Cap Craig McMillan) died. Beardsley ran that shop with McMillan’s widow before purchasing another barber shop on Chancery Lane, which became Beardsley Barber Shop.
The Chancery Lane shop became his passion and was lined with old and quirky memorabilia, which he had collected over many years.
It was not long before the hardworking Beardsley passed his passion for barbering onto his children. He trained son Craig and daughters Nicola and Joanne and gave them work in his shop.
‘‘He helped Nicola, Joanne and then myself to get into hairdressing and was especially proud to see us follow him into the trade and get into our own businesses,’’ Craig said.
Nicola went on to hairdressing and ran her own business in Mairehau, while Craig ran a barber shop in New Brighton.
Joanne stayed on with her father, working with him from 1991 to 2001.
‘‘The discipline that Dad taught me, I was able to channel this into something constructive.’’
Hiring a young woman to cut hair in a men’s barber shop was met with hefty criticism from other barbers and customers, but Beardsley had unwavering faith in his daughter’s abilities.
‘‘Dad was not stupid, he couldn’t give two tosses what other barbers thought. He had so much faith in me he even offered a free haircut if customers weren’t satisfied.
‘‘I enjoyed working with Dad, I couldn’t have asked for a better boss. We had so much fun and laughter [together], it never felt like a job.’’
In 2003, after struggling with health issues brought on from a deteriorating childhood injury, Beardsley retired and sold the shop to Joanne.
She continued her father’s legacy until the shop was destroyed in the February 2011 earthquake.
Beardsley’s health declined dramatically during that time so Joanne moved back to the family home on Winters Rd, in Papanui, and converted a sleepout into a barber shop – where she remains today. ‘‘It gave me the opportunity to not only continue my business but also to give back to Dad with me being the one to look after him.’’
Beardsley was born to parents Ruth and Horrace Beardsley on June 11, 1938. The second youngest of seven children, Beardsley grew up in Parklands, Christchurch, on an 18-acre property.
Life growing up in Depressionera New Zealand was hard for Beardsley, with both food and money scarce. He took pleasure though in riding the family’s pony to and from North New Brighton School most days. It sparked a passion for animals, which stuck with him throughout his life.
Beardsley married Heather Hodge in Riccarton in 1968 and the pair had four children: Craig, Nicola, Dean and Joanne.
Beardsley pursued several hobbies during his life, particularly chess, golf, cooking, gardening and caring for ponies and horses when his daughter Joanne competed as a young girl.
Joanne said she was grateful for the impact her father had on her life.
‘‘If I had the choice I couldn’t have chosen a more patient, loving, understanding [and] giving dad.
‘‘I am so grateful for the many adventures we shared and the love and respect [he] instilled in me.’’
Craig said while his father had ‘‘a few rough edges’’, he would be remembered as a ‘‘true gentleman’’.
‘‘Dad was a salt of the earth guy who would get out his chair to help anyone. He’s left us with a rich tapestry of memories and we will miss him terribly.’’
Beardsley is survived by wife Heather, son Craig, and daughters Nicola and Joanne.