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You don't want to be left half cut ...

Chris Jones
24/ 4/2008

EVER thought about having a bitter and a bob or maybe something stronger like a mild and a mohican?

It’s not an order usually heard at the bar, but one Middleton landlord reckons it could be just what the punters want.

Chris Cummins, licensee at the Assheton Arms, has splashed out £5,000 to transform a corner of his pub into a modern barber shop, allowing patrons the chance to whet their whistle with their favourite tipple as they have a short, back and sides.

"People can come in and have a pint, pie and a Perry Como," said Chris. "I haven’t heard anyone else doing this and I think we may be the first pub in England to offer it."

Chris, a former builder, has transformed a former stable in the 200-year-old JW Lees pub on the corner of Long Street and Market Place into a modern barber shop.

Customers can access the shop directly off Long Street, or through the bar, making for one of the most unusual waiting rooms in the UK.

"Youngsters can use the door onto Long Street to come in," added Chris. "But older people who want a drink while they wait can go to the bar and pick up a ticket when they order their drink.

"They can then have a drink in the bar while they wait to be called."

A full time barber is set to start work on Monday (28 April), and Chris’s regulars are set to be his first customers.

"Everyone at the bar has been really supportive of it," he said. "They’re eager to try it out it was them who even helped us name it.

"We asked the regulars for their suggestions and someone came up with Half Cut, so that’s what we’ve called it.

"JW Lees have also been really supportive of the idea and very encouraging."

As well as the chance to have a drink and a hair cut, patrons will also be able to discover more about the history of Middleton, as the barber’s shop is a mini-musem to the history of the town.

"I'm a bit of a local history enthusiast," Chris confessed. "All the pictures on the walls are pictures I’ve found of Middleton over the years, so as well as a drink, people can also see what the town used to look like as well."

And the barber’s shop could only be the start for the Assheton Arms, as Chris, who has been at the helm of the pub for 12 months with his wife Liz, has big plans.

"The pub industry is really tough at the minute, with the smoking ban and the Chancellor adding more tax onto drinks. We’re being forced to diversify.

"The barber’s shop has been the main project for the past few months, but I’ve got a few more plans in the pipeline as well."

What’s your view? Click on 'Submit comments' or write to Readers Letters, Middleton Guardian, 24A Fountain Street, Middleton, M24 1AH.