- Have you got any favourite stories or anecdotes from all your years at the Revival?
- Can you describe the barbershop and what makes it so special?
- What are the most popular hairstyles that you get asked for?
- Have you got a favourite era for men’s hair?
- You’ve been coming to Goodwood for almost two decades. How have you seen it change?
- Why do you think the Revival is such a special weekend?
Known as the Goodwood Barbers, brother Symon and Jason Ryan have nearly 80 years of experience cutting hair between them, many of them spent at Goodwood.
“I’ve been cutting men’s hair at the Revival since 2004, says Symon. His brother Jason joined him a few years later, “It’s an amazing experience,” he says. “I make sure I block out time for it every September.” And in that time they’ve gathered one or two stories, and done more haircuts than they care to remember. “We’ve given up counting,” says Jason. “We just keep going until we are done.”
Have you got any favourite stories or anecdotes from all your years at the Revival?
Jason: Guy Martin, the chap with sideburns who breaks all the land speed records, used to take part in some of the races at Goodwood Revival on Barry Sheen’s old bike. And one Sunday morning he came in for a haircut – he was a lovely humble man. He was thrilled with his haircut and when he left he turned around and said, “Top magic Jason, top man!”
At the time on the salt flats in America going for the land speed record, I asked him what his favourite car was, thinking he would say something really exotic but no! He said it was his van. It had two 911 engines strapped together in the back, and this thing would do 180 miles an hour! He’s not really a celebrity. He’s a mechanic through and through.
Can you describe the barbershop and what makes it so special?
Symon: It’s based on a 1950s barbershop setup, with barber’s chairs and memorabilia. And we dress accordingly as 1950s barbers.
Jason: People come in not just for a haircut, but for the full barber shop experience. We do around 12-15 haircuts a day and there are always six people sitting on the bench. We just keep going until we are done. The whole time everyone’s talking. It’s a sacred space. And then of course they leave beaming from ear to ear.
Symon: There used to be two other lads – Kerry and Eddie – who cut hair with us as well. Unfortunately Eddie passed on but he really was amazing. He was a Mod through and through, and he had his own scooter, which became an iconic part of the salon set-up and would be parked outside. He had a following and people would come to him to plan their haircuts for Goodwood Revival. He was the Mod King.
What are the most popular hairstyles that you get asked for?
Jason: Men come in and ask for all sorts of styles. There’s the classic Bond look. Obviously over the last few years we’ve done loads of Peaky Blinders. Whatever they ask for we can do. Symon and I do a lot of flattops – short and sharp.
Have you got a favourite era for men’s hair?
Symon: Goodwood Revival celebrates 1940s-1960s, the golden era of motor racing, where quite a lot of the haircuts were based around the short back and sides. But we can create any look. [Styling hair] really gives people the feel-good factor. They are dressed up with all their vintage clothes on and they come in, have their hair cut and they are thrilled!
Jason: Each era is defined by a slightly different style. The 1940s is very much slicked back, the 1950s is really defined by the short back and sides. Everyone’s going to have the Elvis Presley type hair or the flat top. And then in the 1960s things got looser, and there are the Beatles type cuts and the Mod look coming in. The Mod look does have lots of variations, if you think of Paul Weller, so we can do something that suits the person and their hair.
You’ve been coming to Goodwood for almost two decades. How have you seen it change?
Symon: When I first started, people weren’t as dressed up as much. Now, most people are dressed up. You can’t just turn up in jeans: you would look and feel embarrassed. Everyone goes in period dress and pride themselves on it. It’s not like a local event, people come from all over the globe and they all become part of this magical Revival world.
Jason: It gets more and more magical every year. Some of the buildings are just so incredible. I mean, you really do feel like you’re in a film set.
Why do you think the Revival is such a special weekend?
Jason: It has the best cars, the best bikes and there’s quite a few famous people, drivers and world champion cyclists who come along – some even have their hair cut. I have never seen anything like the Revival before – it’s absolutely amazing.
This year at Revival, the Revive & Thrive Village will be packed to the rafters with artisans, experts and influencers sharing their wisdom around both thrifting and how to then repair, repurpose and restyle your haul. Learn how to transform old clothes into new looks, scrap metal into works of art and unloved furniture into stylish statement pieces. Book your tickets now to join the second-hand revolution.
The Goodwood Barbers is walk-in only – we’ll see you there.
Photography by Matt Dunkinson.