Bill's World

The years keep crawling by and, yet, there’s Roy Hullett still clipping away, shaving somebody now and then, greeting his customers, wishing them well as they stroll out the door.
This time, it was Gastonia retired banker, Bob Crockett. He got up with a fresh aftershave and said he was a new man. Barber Hullett had pulled off another one.

For 59 years, Roy Hullett has plied his trade as a barber in Gastonia – all of that time on South Street. He owns Spindle Center Barber Shop at 192 South Street. Two other barbers – Pete Wells and Charles Faulkner – are long-time associates.

When Hullett came back from barber school in Durham in 1950, he settled in with Lloyd Spargo who had a shop on South Street where Dino’s restaurant is now. Hullett remained with Spargo until Hullett opened his first shop across the street in the building owned by then Congressman Basil Whitener.
In 1971, Hullett moved his Spindle Center Barber Shop back across the street to its present location sandwiched between the old Webb Theater and Duren’s Jewel Shop.  (Note: Hullett and Duren are on a collision course to see who survives on South the longest.)
Roy Hullett was born in Clover, S.C., in 1929 but moved with his family to Gastonia five years later. His first job was with a grocery store when he was 13.
“Back then,” he said, “this other boy and I were delivery boys. We rode our bikes and if the people weren’t home, we’d put groceries in their fridge for them, making sure that things were left like we found them.”
Later, while he still was in Gastonia High School, he worked for a few years with Pollock’s Shoe Store, making enough money to take a girl to a movie and have a milk shake and a burger later on.
In 1950, haircuts were 75 cents, shaves were 35 cents and a shoeshine was 20 cents. Customers got their shoes shined while their hair was being cut.
Roy said he knew he was on the right track when his instructor in barber school took one look at Roy’s first cutting and asked where he had been cutting hair.
“Haven’t,” Roy answered.
The instructor said the haircut not only was good but fast.
When he finished school six months later, Hullett said he could complete a shave in 30 seconds. His instructor advised him “to slow down with that razor before you slit somebody’s throat wide open.”
Do people still get flattops?
“Yes, but not as many as back in the fifties. I claim to have invented that. One day, I cut 19 flattops in a row.  I figure that’s some kind of record.”
“Back during ‘50s and ‘60s, did you shave any heads?”
“None. And I don’t shave many now. I don’t like to see ‘em, and I don’t like to do ‘em.”
“Do people unload their problems to barbers?”
“Yes, they do, but since alcohol came to the county and people stop off in bars, I guess bartenders hear more of that than we do as barbers. Still, they tell us a lot more than we need to know.”
Historically, women have shied away from barber shops. Does he cut the hair of women now?
“Yeah, I still cut a few. I also pierce their ears.”
“Do customers want to talk politics as they relax in the barber chair?
“Probably not as much as in the past. It takes two people  for that, and I’ve never taken a lot of interest in politics. I am not a politician.”
Now, horse trading is something else for Hullett. He got into horse trading years ago when he bought a pony for a son. In a short while, he had bought another pony and a horse. A daughter came along and she needed a horse.
He soon found that he was doing a bit of swapping, “mostly to satisfy my daughter.”  One day, he made a trip to Kentucky and brought back several horses. Sold them. Made a little money. Had a lot of fun.
He also was hooked.
Before he slacked off, he had bought and sold more than 200 horses. “I learned a lot about horses, and a little more about people,” he said.
He believes that horses can teach kids a lot of things that adults have trouble teaching.
In sum, that’s a little about Roy Hullett, hair cutter and horse trader.
Also piercer of  ears.

ROY HULLETT…he has cut hair on South Street for more than half a century

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