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Star Hair Dressing Salon - Part 14 - Mr. Thirunavu
This is the photograph of Thirunavu Karasu a/l Krishnan, 1 of 2 barbers still manning the hair dressing saloon. He is the 4th generation barber with roots reaching back to India. He has been working here since 1953, when as a young man of 13, he joined Star Hair Dressing Saloon as an apprentice. He was studying at St Michael's down the road and would come here after school to pick up the skills he needed. When he got married, his family lived upstairs and 1 of his 2 sons now runs a barber shop in the city, which makes him the 5th generation barber.The other son is an architect working for a private practice in the city. While his daughter teaches at Raja Perempuan school down in Chung Thye Phin Road.
Star saloon was started by his father's brother-in-law Megarai Karuppiah with just 2 barbers – his uncles Katchiappan and Manickam - and shared the premises with a Japanese tailor. After 2 years his uncles were joined by his father Krishnan, eldest brother Marathumuthu and the youngest Ratnam. The next year, the tailor left, so they took over the other half of the shop house.
To go to Part 1, click here.