Century-old Newcastle barbers forced to close due to tripled rent

A barber shop that has been open for more than a century is closing after the cost of its rent tripled.

Staff at George Scott Gentleman’s Hairdressers in Newcastle city centre said they were “devastated”, but had no option but to shut because the business could not afford the price hike.

They also said they hoped to welcome as many customers as possible before closing their doors in December.

The building’s owner, the Gainford Group – which owns a number of commercial properties across the North East – has been approached for comment.

The group bought the building at The Side in 2019.

It is believed to be Newcastle’s oldest barber shop having retained its original, vintage decor.

Alan Symons, who has been cutting hair at the shop for almost a decade, said he was “absolutely gobsmacked” when he heard about the rent increase.

He shared the news on social media and said the response so far had been “phenomenal”.

“I’m not surprised at the response because this does mean a great deal to generations of people.

“We’ve lost elderly customers, but had their grandchildren bringing new-borns in – there’s been a real sense of community,” he said.

Russell, one of the shop’s regular customers, has been coming to get his hair cut since 1982, when he was 16.

“I was really sad for the lads, my first thoughts were: ‘what are they going to do?’ if you put the rent up by three times, no one can sustain that.

“It’s just part of my life. It’s something I look forward to every month, coming in and having a chat about what’s been happening in people’s lives,” he said.

Staff have now started a petition asking the building’s owner to “significantly reduce” the rent increase and “recognise the historical and cultural value” of the business.