Remembering Newport's 'Master Barber' Keith Gammon

Keith Gammon, who died on January 19, 2022, ran KC Gammons on Corporation Road. According to his family, the only day he ever closed was when he married Avril in July 1971.

Mr Gammon was born in London, the youngest of three brothers. During World War Two he was evacuated with his cousins to Llanhilleth, and after the war his parents relocated to Newport.

Mr Gammon's father set up a barbering business on Corporation Road in 1948.

Mr Gammon decided to follow in his fathers’ footsteps and trained to become a qualified master barber. He moved around the UK and ended up working as a barber in the Royal Navy on the aircraft carriers the Ark Royal and the Eagle, where he once styled the hair of the vice admiral of the Navy at the time, Lord Mountbatten.

In a tribute, his family said he often talked warmly of his time sailing the seas.

They said: "Two of his favourite stories were from being stuck accidentally in a submarine for five days as they had not told him they were going to start a war game exercise before he boarded, and once while they were travelling between ships by helicopter it had to ditch into the sea due to engine trouble. He and four others were rescued but he lost two close friends in the tragedy."

After a decade he returned home after the death of his parents to take over the salon. It became the longest established barbers in Newport.

Mr Gammon became involved in helping the area prosper. He was a sponsor of Cromwell Football Club, became a trustee at the Columba Club and helped with many charity events.

His family said: "Everyone in the area knew Mr Gammon. He would stand at the shop front door and talk and smile to anybody walking past. He would make a point in the mornings to say hello to the children on the way to school, to encourage them and wish them a good day, always with a big smile.

"Those children, now adults still to this day tell the story of the happy barber always smiling and now bring their children to the saloon themselves. He was then what people call now 'a true people person'.

"Keith always said he worked not for himself but for his community and to give his family a better life than he had, due to the war. He always believed if you worked hard, you could play a lot harder."

Mr Gammon and his wife, Avril, a teacher a Monnow Junior School for almost 40 years, had two children - Leigh and Brian.

They travelled the world with their young family so their children would have a broad outlook of the world's cultures and history. Mr and Mrs Gammon continued travelling up until the start of Covid.

His family said: "He was lucky enough to have visited 47 different countries. He loved Wales, even though he was English, because it is where he met Avril, his wife of 51 years.

"When not travelling the world in his spare time, he loved the camping lifestyle and spent many adventures with the caravan in tow."

Mr Gammon taught many apprentices and schooled many hairdressers over the years.

When his youngest son Brian wanted to follow him into the family business and joined Newport college, Mr Gammon passed on all his years’ experience by training him from the start.

Mr Gammon started to take a back seat in the business to spend time with his family including daughters-in-law Jennifer and Nicola, his grandchildren Lee, Kai, Callum, Jamie-Lee, Summer and his great grandchild Lily-Mae.

Even at 86, having suffered heart operations, an accident which resulted in the loss of an eye and two bouts of cancer within the last eight years, Mr Gammon could still be seen daily in the shop.

His family said: "He said he could not understand the pandemic. He struggled a lot with the social interaction limitations brought on by it. It made him sad. However, the bit he disliked more was not being able to have his nightly pint at the Columba Club."

Tributes poured in to the business' Facebook page.

Among them was one by Sam Phelps, who said: "The world has lost another gentleman. My thoughts are with you. Used to see and speak to him every time I was in the shop over the last 15 to 20 years. He was one of the kindest men I have ever known."

Mr Gammon's funeral will take place on Friday, February 25. It will leave from outside his barber shop at 12.40pm and will travel along Corporation Road to St Johns Church in Maindee for the service at 1pm. The cremation will be held at Langstone Vale Crematorium at 2.30pm.

The family would welcome anyone who would like to pay their respects to Mr Gammon ‘The Master Barber’ and tell their stories of him to his family on the day.

The funeral is being arranged by Arthur Peake and Sons, Cwmbran.