Mr T. W. Richmond Will Be Ninety On Sunday

Press, Volume C, Issue 29535, 9 June 1961, Page 3

Mr T. W. Richmond Will Be Ninety On Sunday

Known to generations of Christ s College boys—he Went to the college once a week for years to trim their hair—Mr T. W. Richmond will be 90 on Sunday. He was in business for many years as a hairdresser in Hereford Court. Two former GovemorsGeneral of New Zealand were among his customers w-hen he was in business. They were Lord Bledisloe and Sir Charles Fergusson. Mr Richmond said that Lord Bledisloe used to save his haircuts for him. His customers in his shop in Hereford Court were nearly all lawyers and businessmen. Many of them had started going to him as youths and he had retained

them as customers over the years. Mr Richmond retired when he was 74. He has been a steady smoker. He has not always had good health, and underwent an operation last year. He does not do any gardening now He says he would rather sit by the fire and read these days Interests Mr Richmond is well knowm as a pigeon fancier He is patron of the United Pigeon Club and a life member of the club. He is a life member of the Canterbury Kennel Club, and a life member of the Christchurch Poultry Club. He has been a breeder of fancy pigeons nearly all his life, and has won all the leading prizes for them in the South Island. He still has a fewfancy pigeons. He also bred homing pigeons. One of his grandsons is a pigeon fancier Mr Richmond formerly bred and showed black cocker spaniels. He is one of the oldest cocker spaniel fanciers knowm. Bom in Oamaru. he served his apprenticeship as a hairdresser with Mr I. P. Christensen there. He came to Christchurch he was 21 and worked for Davies and Lamb, in the Triangle, for about 15 month’ before he returned to

Oamaru. He came back to Chriatchurch about three years later and again got a job with Davies and Lamb, who had moved to premises in Colombo street. Mr Richmond married at this time. He stayed at his job with Davies and Lamb for 10 years One of his workmates. Mr W Simpson, then decided to start on his own account, and Mr Richmond went to work for him The shop was in the Triangle

That was after the Star Land Theatre had been built in Colombo street. where Vance-Vivian. Ltd., now is and where Davies and Lamb had their shop. When the Star Land closed and shops were built there. Mr Simpson took one of them. Mr Richmond worked for him until he gave up business. Hereford Court was just being built and Mr Richmond took a shop there. He remained in business for more than 22 years. The present occupier of the shop began as a boy with him. Interest in Pigeons When Mr Richmond was a schoolboy in Oamaru he could not stay away from the' pigeon loft of Mr McQuarrie. a bank manager. ‘‘l was always going there to look at the pigeons, even though he told me to keep away." he said. "One day he asked me my name and I told him and also gave him the name of my stepfather. Eventually my stepfather built me a pigeon house and Mr McQuarrie gave me some pigeons to start me off. “I brought one pigeon with me to Christchurch Mr McQuarrie had retired to Nelson bv this time, and he sent me 30 pigeons.’’ said Mr Richmond, who learned at the recent poultry show in Christchurch that he was known in Australia as a pigeon fancier. Tomorrow evening there will be a family party at 10 Bowenvale avenue. On Sunday afternoon the members of the family will gather there for photographs and in the evening there will be a party for pigeon and poultry fanciers Mrs Richmond died in 1933. Mr Richmond has two sons and two daughters. There are nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.