The Backyard Barbers
In May of this year, Leigh Froud made the move to 933 Wimborne Road in Moordown, Bournemouth, yet there was a time when his barbershop was ‘just a shed in someone’s garden’. He called on friend and former client Connor Hallisey to join him in the shop, mentoring him as he began his new venture into the world of barbering. Both men spoke to Pier about the shop’s origins, the new space, and their relationship with client and community.
It could be said that Leigh laid the foundations of the shop with his own hands. And that’d be true. When he began working for himself in 2021, he built a green wood cabin at the foot of his garden - a space that was his clients and his own. It was somewhere that reflected his own heart and mind.
“Although it was a shed in someone’s garden, it still felt so inclusive,” recalled Connor. “It was this welcoming environment that was made so eccentric by its design.”
For those who have been, they’ll know Leigh has adopted this ethos again in Moordown. Upon walking through the door, it’s hard to miss what feels like a homage to the conversation pits of the 70s. The shop is mellow and inviting, embodied by sepia hues and ecru tones. “I wanted to create that living room feel, where even if you don’t need a haircut, you can come in and chill, and have a chat with us.”
The collection of house plants, funky curved mirrors and stripped back wooden floorboards oppose the clinical and monochrome feel of today’s high street barber shops. As we spoke, both men revealed that their job often involves their capability to listen to a client. They explained that, as a barber, you adopt another role in your community. You become someone to whom a client can rely on, vent to, and unwind with.
To do so, clients have to feel they’re in an environment where they’re comfortable enough to talk. “You’re lending an ear to people who might find it difficult to talk about their problems,” explained Connor. “They feel that they’re in a safe space and in safe hands, so they’re willing to talk to you about things they may not necessarily want to discuss with those they’re close with.”
Before the move to Moordown, Leigh found he was capable of helping others in his circle too. Away from the commotion of the high street, he found the garden cabin to be a calmer scene for neurodivergent children who may have found it hard in busier barber shops. A space where they could build confidence when they come for a session.
“It translates to their normal day to day lives too,” he elaborates. “I had a kid who, at first, wouldn’t even sit in the chair. Now he’ll come and just laugh throughout the whole haircut.”
Offering cuts outside of hours, Leigh has been able to maintain the practice in the new shop too. If you’re local to the area and need a barber, or even need just a chat, then you know where to find The Backyard Barbers.
Instagram → @the_backyard__barbers
