A POPULAR Gwent barber has laid down his clippers for the last time after half a century running the same shop.

Ebbw Vale-born Keith Brace has been cutting hair since he was 16 when the swinging sixties was in full flow and John F Kennedy was in the White House, but his shop closed abruptly for the last time on Friday.

When he left at 1pm to agree the sale, he was unaware that the buyers would want to start relocating within days, leaving Mr Brace no chance to bid farewell to his loyal customers.

Wife Michelle Brace, 53, said: “It will come as a shock to some. We have had the shop on the market for a year as I thought it was about time Keith put himself first but he was hesitant so we didn’t have a sign up. We decided it will come when the time is right.

“When we left on the Friday, we had no idea that we wouldn’t be open the following week as it’s all gone so fast, I only told my sister the week before that it was up for sale.”

Keith’s on Mill Road, Caerphilly, has been a home from home for the couple, with Mrs Brace originally working in a salon above the barber’s, which is how the two met.

After they began dating, she took over management of the salon, called Upstairs and Downstairs, until retiring through ill health 15 years ago.

Ebbw Vale-born Mr Brace, 69, added: “I don’t know where the time has gone, these years have just flown by. Once you get acquainted, customers treat you as a friend and then you never feel like leaving.

“I guess it’s harder making the decision to retire when you’re not in a big company and it’s entirely up to you. It’s difficult to just walk away and I am still coming to terms with it.”

Mr Brace walked in his family’s footsteps, becoming a barber after both his dad and older brother Adrian, who also retired last year after owning a barbers in Trecenydd for 50 years, were already in the trade. Both his sons however have decided to become engineers.

He added: “It’s a well-known fact that people will often tell barber’s what they don’t share even with their families, so it can be an interesting job. We haven’t really celebrated yet but we will do.”

The couple are now hoping to go travelling across Europe and spend more time with their border terrier.