Hidden down a tiny Fleet Street passage, a barber shop where generations of City workers have come for a trim, a chat and a slice of old London is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Leonard & Michael, tucked away in Poppins Court, has been cutting City workers' barnets since 1976 and has been nominated for Retailer of the Year at this October's Toast the City Awards.
Tom Whall, the man behind the shop, shares the same address as the fictional Sweeney Todd's barber shop, but promises his valued customers leave with their heads still attached. "Sweeney Todd is probably the most famous barber in the world, so it's quite fun that the legend is associated with Fleet Street," says Tom. Whall has a bigger story: his family-run barber shop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
A Fleet Street institution since 1976
Established in 1976 by Leonard Ludwin and his father Michael Whall at 1-2 Poppins Court just off Fleet Street, the shop is one of Fleet Street's most recognisable independent businesses. It isn't London's oldest barber shop — that title generally goes to Truefitt & Hill, founded in 1805 — but Leonard & Michael has built its own place in London's barbering history as a half-century-old institution.
Michael had been working for Leonard at his popular West End salon in St Martin's Lane and wanted to bring that same high quality to Fleet Street in the Square Mile. Their working relationship only lasted a year, with Leonard continuing his career in the West End. Michael kept Leonard's name above the door as it was too expensive to change the sign. That original sign in the iconic Art Deco-styled font is still displayed in the salon today.
Clientele from the 1980s boozy lunches
In the 1980s, during the era of boozy City lunches, the shop's clientele included David Montgomery, editor of Mirror group, actor David Jason, and human rights barrister Michael Mansfield. Newspaper editors and barristers of Fleet Street would come in for "a quick trim and a smoke" in the chair. Michael loved a joke and formed strong friendships with his clients — a tradition his son Tom carries on.
The walls are littered with photos donated by Fleet Street's picture editors, some of whom were loyal customers. Original black and whites depict Fleet Street in the heyday of the print era, and another shows the journey of London's last tram from Woolwich to New Cross in 1952.
Four loyal customers since day one
Incredibly, four City workers have been loyal customers since the barber shop opened. They first came in for haircuts in their twenties and are now in their seventies. Tom has learned from over 20 years in the business that unlike their hipster counterparts in Shoreditch, City boys want "reliable, repeatable quality" rather than attention-grabbing styles.
He says there are "some subtle clues" to getting the art of small talk right. "If someone sits in the chair and closes their eyes, it means not to talk. No one says 'can you not talk please?' We're too British for that. I like talking but I'm aware that someone might have had a really crap day. If you don't want to talk I suggest you just close your eyes!"
Challenges: taxes, WFH, and moving offices
Margins are tight these days compared to the cash-flush 1980s. Business taxes have been challenging, and costs have gone up. Tom depends on people working near the salon, and vital trade can disappear when offices move location. That said, he's grateful that Deloitte and Goldman Sachs nearby have long been longstanding reliable clients.
Work from home culture has been another thorn. "A lot of people are doing their personal admin [like getting haircuts] on 'work from home days,'" he says. "They don't often involve much work, which is fair enough: I'd probably do the same."
Family legacy and future hopes
Tom is proud to cut hair using tricks passed down from his father, who passed away shortly after the pandemic. A recent 50th birthday event raised money for Alzheimer's Society, the disease Michael fought before he passed. Now aged 47, Tom hopes one of his two children may take over the Fleet Street family business. They might keep the flame lit for another 50 years if "the robots don't take over before then."
Despite the challenges, there is one consistently brilliant thing about his job. "Hairdressing is the one type of customer service where people tend to be nice to you," he laughs. "You're waving sharp things around their head so it's in their interest."
