2 days before Christmas and my ginger bap was quickly turning in to an afro and I knew I couldn't…read morelet this happen as there would be plenty of snaps taken over the festive period. Any fellow gingers reading this will know that no matter how good the filter is there's no fixing or photo shopping a wild untamed ginger mop of hair! So with this in mind I visited Karina's Gentleman's Barbers Shop, not my usual barber but she was recommended by a particularly well groomed friend of mine. I have to say I was not disappointed! The Barber shop is tucked away in one of Bangor's alley ways that leads you from High Street to Holborn Avenue Car Park and this location creates a cosy feel to Karina's. This cosy feel is further enhanced on entrance to the shop, there's comfortable seating, a good selection of GQ magazines and my personal favourite touch, help yourself tea and coffee making facilities. I think the tea and coffee making facilities make you feel comfortable and a warm cuppa certainly helps pass the time if you're waiting to hop in the chair. One thing that I found remarkable about Karina is that she knew almost all her customers by their first name and in some cases even knew their wives first names - she really exercises the dying art of personal customer service! Karina was working alone when I visited but this didn't really impact the service I received. Karina gave me the perfect haircut and some great chat to boot and all for £12.50. Definitely worth every single penny! If you like no nonsense barbers without all the pomp and ceremony I would give it a go!

At one point everyone in my class got their hair cut at Geoff's and at one point everyone in my…read moreclass had the same hair style, coincidence I think not. Geoff's Barbers is a Bangor stalwart, you know what you are getting with Geoff, good banter and a good haircut for a decent price. I remember back in the day, before I accepted my true ginger roots I went to Geoff's for some blonde streaks, I was in there for around an hour and Geoff treated me like a queen or sorry maybe I should say king, its just when I think of dying my hair my feminine side comes out. I had a supply of Nuts and Zoo to keep me entertained and to reassert my masculinity. This service costs around £20 (Nuts and Zoo optional) but you can expect to pay £10 for a decent haircut. Beware of going to Geoff's on a Saturday or around 3.30pm on any weekday afternoon because local school kids flock there and you will have to wait it out. The good thing about Geoff's is that he is open Monday and this isn't common knowledge so you should be in and out in a flash (that's if you are not getting blonde streaks).

As other people have said, this is a complete landmark in Bangor and I would say that every male…read moreunder the age of 28 has got his hair cut by Geoff at one stage or another. When I was at school, everyone went either here or Billy Browns, and most people went to both. The banter you get here is pretty good and Geoff will give you a pretty decent hair cut without it being world beating. The prices are pretty standard too. You won't be overcharged but at the same time you won't be running home to tell everyone about the prices. You may have to wait for ages and ages for a hair cut during the week as many a Bangor Grammar School lad will be sitting, waiting to get their ears lowered. There is nothing wrong with Geoff's, I just prefer to get my haircut by women nowadays.

An absolute landmark in Bangor's baber shops, and the place where everyone seemed to go when I was…read moreabout 13 and was allowed to go get my hair cut by myself for the 1st time. This tradition seems to have been kept up as there is always a queue here and it always seems busy. The guys who rent chairs here have all been here since year dot and it has a really nice, laid back atmosphere with them all having a laugh and this makes it quite a nice place to sit and wait, and sit and wait you will. The prices are ok, pretty standard for Bangor for a barber cut but the guys know what they're doing so you don't mind spending the coin to get a hair cut. It's not cutting edge and I prefer to go to a salon but as far as barbers go, you can't really go wrong here.

Don't know what all the fuss is about. Ever since I was a kid and there were very few barbers in…read moretown this place seems to have a queue down the street on a Saturday afternoon. I guess its all down to the lack of imagination of the majority. If you want to look like the herd and require a buzz cut then it's the place for you.

A few years ago a friend of ours was celebrating his birthday. He always plans alternative events…read moreto celebrate and so we were expecting something out of the ordinary. Anyway he landed to our house quite early on the Saturday of his birthday and instructed us to get into his car. Next thing we knew we were in the Turkish Barber Shop on High Street in Bangor. Now, obviously I am a girl and have no need to be there but I enjoyed watching as the boys had the treat of a hot towel shave. My fella had never had this done before but the Turkish man that works there assured him he would enjoy it. Sharpening his blade he got started. The boys loved the experience and said their skin tingled afterwards. The best part for me was when the barber dipped little sticks into something flammable, lit the buggers and wafted them around the ears of the fellas to burn off the little hairs. The birthday treat was well worth it and we then went out for a nice breakfast. The guys in the barbers were really nice and they had a steady hand thank goodness. If you fancy treating yourself and you are a boy my fella highly recommends this Turkish barbers.

I went in yesterday stating that I needed a small tidy up as I have a wedding to go to in a couple…read moreof days. It was a pretty shocking experience. I was seated and my haircut started before the man previous had put his jacket on and his payment was taken while he immediately began cutting my hair. The scene can only be described as a haircut from the looney toons, there was no careful combing and choosing the length to snip, he was attacking it like he was roughly cutting a hedge with a pair of hedge cutters with hair flying up in the air. Not only did he manage to turn a 'trim' into a massacre he also left it uneven with visible chunks on the left side, and was very impolite and unprofessional. I would be hesitant for anyone who goes to get a hot shave if he does that with the same haste. I advise the barber to go back to cutting pizzas, something he may find himself more capable at. Least people at the wedding will have a laugh! Always got to look at the silver lining.

Yet another of Bangor's quite well established barbers and one of the nicer ones on the inside. The…read morebarbers that cut hair in here have been here for ages so have developed a nice patter and banter with what seems to be a regular and dedicated clientelle. A girlfriend of mine used to live round the corner so I popped in here a couple of times and found the hair cut to be of a decent standard with not too much annoying chats going on which is what always ruins the barbers for me. The prices are pretty standard and you will expect to pay about £7 for a hair cut which is pretty much what you will pay across Bangor. Its in Dufferin Avenue so you can usually get parked outside ok.

Another of Bangor's many barber shops, this one based right in the middle of Ballyholme with good…read moreaccess to the main Groomsport Road and pretty good parking available when you call in to get your hair cut. The prices are pretty standard to be honest with a gents hair cut coming in at the £7-10 mark which is pretty much what you will expect to pay anywhere. The staff are dead on enough and don't try and chat too much when you are in the chair if you don't want to. You can buy plenty of other hair products here as well. There is an ATM nearby which is handy.

I am not that fussy about where I get my haircut and some might say judging by my previous hairdos…read morethat shows but if you are in the Bangor area you can't go wrong here. I nipped in on Saturday morning for a wee short back and sides as it is just10mins down the road from me in Ballyholme village on the outskirts of Bangor. Was a few people in the queue ahead of me but with 3 stylists chopping away I didn't have too long a wait. Got a stylish trim from a young chap who had a mane of hair that could only be described as spectacular!. Fairplay to the guy he did a grand job and was dead on so the painful small talk that is a feature of most visits to the barbers was thankfully avoided. Been to the place 3-4 times and never had any complaints. You will pay the standard £8 or so but they always do a solid job so will be back.

Stephen recently, well a year or so ago, relocated to number 32, his shop was originally at 13…read moreNorth Street. Just thought I would mention that in case anyone was looking for him and wondered where he had gone. He is what I would call a professional barbour; never rushes the job or doesn't give you anything less than a top class haircut. This is only my opinion,of course, and my requirements probably don't test his abilities too much but I've seen the loyal following of customers who have stuck with him for years. This surely is a true measure of how good he is.