Reading passage
Frank's barber shop is on a quiet street corner, next to a bakery. The shop has been there for forty years. Frank opened it when he was twenty-five years old. Now he is sixty-five, and he still cuts hair every day from Tuesday to Saturday. The shop is small, but it is always busy.
Inside the shop, there are three old chairs and a long mirror on the wall. There is a bench where customers can wait. Magazines and newspapers are on a little table. The floor is always clean, and the shop smells of soap. A sign in the window shows the prices for a haircut, so people know the cost before they sit down.
Frank cuts the hair of men and boys. Many of his customers have come to him for years. Some of them came as boys, and now they bring their own sons. Frank knows most of his customers by name. He remembers how each one likes his hair. New customers are always welcome too, and they often come back again.
A visit to Frank's shop is about more than a haircut. People come to talk. They talk about football, the weather, and the news. Frank listens and tells his own stories. Some customers say a visit to Frank is cheaper than a doctor for the mind. Everyone laughs when Frank makes a joke, and he makes many of them.
Frank does not use appointments. Customers just come in and wait for their turn. This is called a walk-in system. On Friday and Saturday, the shop can be very full, and people wait for a long time. Nobody seems to mind. Waiting is part of the experience, and there is always someone interesting to talk to.
A haircut at Frank's shop costs ten pounds. For children and old men, the price is eight pounds. Frank has not changed his prices for three years. He says his customers are his friends, and friends should pay a fair price. Some people tell him to charge more, but he just smiles and says no thank you.
Frank's son, Marco, works in the shop too. He learned to cut hair from his father. Marco is thirty years old, and he is very good with young customers. He knows all the new styles. Some fathers want an old style from Frank, and their sons want a new style from Marco. In the end, everyone goes home happy.
The shop also sells some products. There are bottles of shampoo and hair gel on a shelf. Frank only sells things that he uses himself. He gives honest advice about hair care. If a customer asks about a problem, Frank tells him the truth, even if the shop does not sell the answer to that problem.
Over the years, many things on the street have changed. The old bookshop closed, and a phone shop opened. The bakery next door has a new owner. But Frank's shop looks almost the same as it did forty years ago. The same sign hangs over the door, and the same chairs stand inside. People like that very much.
The barber shop is closed on Sunday and Monday. On those days, Frank spends time with his wife and their grandchildren. He also likes to go fishing at the lake near his house. He says rest is important when you stand on your feet all day. On Tuesday morning, he is back at the shop at eight o'clock, ready to work.
One customer, a writer named Paul, wrote about the shop in the local newspaper. He called it the heart of the street. After the article, new customers came to try the shop. Many of them still come today. Frank keeps a copy of the article on the wall. It is one of the things he is most proud of in his life.
Frank thinks about the future sometimes. He will not work forever. When he stops, Marco will take over the shop. Frank hopes the shop will stay the same. The customers hope so too. For them, the little shop on the corner is part of the neighbourhood, and the neighbourhood would not be the same without it.