Johnstone barber Paul Evangelista retires after 50 years

But, on Christmas Eve, he will hang up his scissors for the last time.

It will mark the end of an era as, since 1972, Paul has become something of a local celebrity.

He told The Gazette: “Being a barber for so long has been amazing because I’ve been able to meet so many interesting people from all walks of life.

“I’ll miss seeing my fantastic clientele but I’m 71 years old now, so it’s time to hand it over to the next generation.

“Half a century is not a bad innings and I thought 50 years would be a really good number to retire on.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute because my life has been made of many chapters and experiences.”

This snap of a young Paul at the start of his career was taken in 1969 (Image: Reader submitted)

Paul was the third generation of the Evangelista family to venture into barbering, following in the footsteps of his dad Adolpho and grandfather Angelo.

Born in Rome in 1891, Angelo arrived in Scotland during the 1920s and learned the trade by cutting the hair of his loved ones as, at the time, they couldn’t afford to visit a salon.

The family would go on to run successful barber shops in the Linthouse and Govan areas of Glasgow before Paul opened his own business in Johnstone’s High Street in April 1972, having moved to the town in the late 1960s.

Since then, he has become a popular figure due to the close relationships he has cultivated with many clients, who travel from across Renfrewshire and beyond to achieve that certain style.

Paul said: “I would say most other barbers tend to be a bit nomadic, in that they never really stay in the one place for a long time, for whatever reason.

“I think a lot of them also don’t offer the sort of one-to-one service that we do, as I would say 90 per cent of my loyal clients are also my friends.

“To be a good barber, you need to have a really friendly, outgoing personality – and all of my family have been fortunate to have that.

“You also need to have relatively good knowledge of current affairs and some football mixed in along with that.”

Angelo Evangelista at his first shop, in the Linthouse area of Glasgow, in 1929 (Image: Reader submitted)

Paul credits much of his success to his father, who trained him for three years at a barber shop in Govan during the late 1960s.

After running his own business for five years, Paul invited Adolpho to work alongside him in Johnstone before enjoying a well-earned retirement.

Like his dad, Paul has passed his hairdressing skills down to his own sons, Paul junior, 43, and 40-year-old Vincent, who both run their own successful shops.

Paul said: “One of the best lessons I learned from my father was the importance of being yourself.

“I’m not a ‘yes man’ – a lot of my clients know that I say what is on my mind and won’t just agree for the sake of agreeing.

“I think I’ve managed to pass these lessons down to my sons and have no doubts about their capabilities as barbers.”

As well as looking after countless customers in need of a short back and sides, Paul also leaves behind a legacy of committed environmentalism.

Adolpho worked alongside son Paul at the Johnstone barber shop in the 1980s (Image: Reader submitted)

He set up a non-profit and charitable organisation called Worldcare, which was involved in recycling various materials to raise tens of thousands of pounds for St Vincent’s Hospice, in Howwood.

While the group was running, it also helped organise local clean-up campaigns and spread awareness about the importance of looking after the planet.

In 1992, the organisation would receive a prestigious environmental award from the Shell ‘Best of Better Britain’ campaign.

Paul said: “At that point in time, as hairdressers, we were always using hairspray that used harmful CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). 

“I contacted all the other hairdressers that were opening up and we decided not to use aerosols anymore and stick to pump-action sprays instead.

“That led to Johnstone becoming the first town to have ozone-friendly barber shops and hairdressers.”

Paul – whose skills with scissors were badly missed by his customers during the Covid lockdowns – now plans to spend more time embracing nature as he finally enjoys a well-earned retirement with Connie, his wife of 46 years.

Paul will be handing the keys to the Johnstone barber shop to his son Vincent in the new year (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “I’m planning to take my retirement nice and easy for a couple of months but, when springtime comes, we’re going to travel the length and breadth of Scotland.

“It’s the best place on the planet, especially if you avoid the midge season.

“Then, in the summer, we will go over to Italy, as we like to go there a couple of times a year.”

Vincent, who has been running his own shop in Renfrew’s Inchinnan Road for a decade, will take over Paul’s business in the new year.

And, looking further ahead, Paul hopes that at least one of his four grandchildren will continue the family’s haircutting legacy.

He added: “We’re now four generations in and I’m sure it will continue in some form.

“I think my dad would be very proud that his two grandsons became barbers.

“Vincent wants to pass on the following message to his new clients: ‘You’re never a stranger when you walk into my barbershop, just a friend I haven’t met yet’.”