The Twin Town’s own Hairdressing icon, Reg Potts.
He’s been touching our heads and our hearts for nearly 50 years and it’s time to celebrate the career, up to now, of Reg Potts, the twin town’s Hairdresser who has been styling our hair and listening to our stories for decades.
Reg Potts was born on the 31st of October 1958, the fourth of ten children. His mother Mary is now 97, however, his father Colin has since passed away.
The children born into the family from first to last include; Anthony, Colleen, William, Reg, Jacquline, Elizabeth, Paul, Brett, Mark and Jacinta.
Reg Potts has been looking after clients in his capacity as a highly-skilled Hairdresser and Barber for 49 years.
When other businesses have closed in the lower part of the Neill Street CBD, Reg has continued to flourish and run a successful business with his wife Mary.
Reg has been looking after clients for decades, however, it may have been a different story if not for a troublesome teacher and a cheeky group of boys when Reg was in his second year of high school.
When talking to Reg, you get the feeling that Reg wasn’t that fussed on school and according to Reg, “They were happy to see me go.” Reg commenced schooling at St Mary’s primary, before following on further up the hill at St Columba’s.
Reg said, “I had a terrible blue with a teacher one day.”
Reg conceded the group of boys he was sitting with were likely being a little cheeky as was he, however, the teacher went too far.
The teacher came up to Reg’s desk and put his foot on the desk and kept pushing it into Reg while Reg’s back was up against a piano. Reg returned serve with some choice words. He left the classroom, jumped the fence and never returned.
The school put up a fight in the following weeks and tried to get Reg back. They even threatened to take action to do so, however, it petered out. Reg was destined to take a different path. Reg’s future wife Mary Stadtmiller was present in the class and witnessed the incident, however, the sparks hadn’t yet flown and their relationship hadn’t yet grown into a strong friendship. This was to come. The school matter did not impress Reg’s father Colin.
Reg said, “My father wasn’t very happy with me but he said he would get me a job and he did. I was 14 and he got me a job at the Bakehouse. I started the apprenticeship but it wasn’t for me and I wanted to resign. I had to tell Gill Clarke that I was resigning.
Dad said, “No son of mine won’t be working.” Reg got his break when his older brother William came home from school and said there was a job going at the local Salon.
Reg found out the other day talking to a friend that his parents did some research before deciding to set Reg up in the salon and it may also have included William’s help.
Reg started out under Richard Woodroffe when he was 14 years old and Reg bought the business 3 years into his apprenticeship.
He had to transfer his apprenticeship to his mother’s name, as you couldn’t be indentured to yourself. It all happened around his 18th birthday but it wasn’t a birthday present.
He had to pay them back over the years, however, the final $700 was not required. Reg’s dad Colin always said that the windows had to be clean and the grass had to be mown out the back, something Reg still ensures is done to this day.
Reg has employed more than 12 apprentices over the last 49 years and helped launch the careers of many fine Hairdressers.
Back in 1974 things were very different to today. This included pricing. As we know inflation is everywhere and costs go up. When Reg first started in the business he had to turn over $425 a week to pay two staff and to break even.
This included paying rent of $30 a month to landlord Ollie Monaghan. Back then Haircuts were $2.85 but a man’s cut was slightly cheaper, Perms were $13. Wages were $125 a week and the apprentice was on $62 a week. Reg recounts what Richard told him all those years ago. “He had been there for ten years before me and I was his second last apprentice.
He said,” ‘Don’t stay too long, I’ve been here for ten years, stay for seven.’ Reg has stayed much longer but doesn’t regret it.
He said, “Many of my clients have become good friends and I’m very fond of them.
I’ve been lucky, the community has always supported me, we have raised our family here and the clients have been amazing.
When you think about it, it’s just gone very quickly.” Reg also had a salon at Boorowa for three or four years before Tracey took it over and ran it for 30 years or more.
Reg and Mary became an item in their teenage years.
Mary, Reg’s wife said, “We knew each other, but it wasn’t until we were both 16 or 17.” The year ten after party was where Reg and Mary got together.
Reg and Mary were married when they were both 20. Their first child, Emily came along the following year. Being a young family there was pressure on to provide.
Reg and Mary had their business and they had to make it work. Reg said, “The pressure was, not to fail and that pressure is still there.” Reg is a committed hard worker.
More children were to follow when Jessica came along in 82, Eliza in 86 and finally Isaac in 88.
All grown up now, Emily works in Administration in the Emergency Department at Queanbeyan Hospital and also for the Department of Environmental Protection. Jessica and Eliza are both primary school teachers in Canberra and Isaac works as a Boilermaker in Cloncurry.
Reg was quite the athlete at school and could run fast. He entered a number of sprint races in his teenage years and this rubbed off on son Isaac, who was also quite quick.
Isaac represented NSW Country in U16s at Hooker in Rugby Union, before growing a little taller and turning out for the Harden Red Devils as an 18 year old on the wing.
He scored 2 tries in 2006 Grand Final winning side against Goulburn.
Reg said that footy was strong in the family with William, Mark, Brett and Paul all playing.
Over the years Mary helped many families by providing a safe and caring environment when parents of the town needed someone to help with looking after their children.
She has been a second mum to many children and her motherly nature continues to shine through.
After completing his Hairdressing training, Reg didn’t rest on his laurels and always wanted to improve himself.
He went to Wagga two nights a week where he studied under John Laroy.
It was work all day and travel and study in the night to complete his Barber’s course.”
Later on Reg continued to keep up with his training by engaging in different cutting courses in Pivot Point in Sydney in his twenties.
The business name Potts Point was not named after the inner city suburb in Sydney. Just last week Reg was asked how the name came about.
He said, “My name is Potts and that was it. I always wanted to work at Potts Point but it didn’t have anything to do with that. It’s just catchy.” Reg still uses his Barbering skills, but the days of the old style razor have gone for men on the face. With disposables used now.
Reg said, “Mullets were in when I started and they are back in now. Styles change but they come back. We had really tight curls to more straighter hair now. When I was with Richard we had the same bookings every Friday.”
Reg still has many regular clients now but not to the extent they did a few decades ago when it was a religion to go to the Hairdressers. Working while not feeling well comes part and parcel with the job.
Reg had a month off 9 years ago when he had to have a tumour removed from his brain. It was fortunately benign, but was no doubt a scare for the family.
Covid lockdown gave a six-week break. Mary said it was really the only time where they have had that amount of time off. Other times included escaping to the coast with the kids every now and again. Reg tries his best to please all of his clients and fit them in where possible, however, it’s not always possible.
He said, “They often ask can I fit them in on a lunch break, but I don’t really get a lunch break. It’s not really possible.”
Reg has been able to help with his client’s hair as well as what is on their head. On numerous occasions a spot or a mark has become something more serious.
Although Hairdressers are not necessarily trained in regard to skin cancers, they often see the top of people’s heads more than anybody else.
A couple of spots have turned in to nasty skin cancers and Reg and his team have let clients know, which has then led them to go to the Doctors and get them checked out and taken out.
Clients come in and can tell Hairdressers all sorts of personal things.
Once in the chair with Reg behind them, they open up about what is going on in their life, both good and bad.
The relationship between Hairdresser and client is sacred and Reg values this, however, when pressed he spoke generally about the impact it can have on those in the industry.
Hairdressers are often the town’s unofficial Counsellors.
Reg said, “Some of the stories can really affect you.”
Reg and Mary have been living in their home in Murrumburrah for 39 years. It is a testament to their love for the building which began its life as a bank.
They continue to make improvements to the homestead with Reg often in the gardens on the weekend.
Their home has been used for wedding photos over the years and Mary recounts a time where Reg was out cleaning bricks in the dark in preparation for laying a new driveway compiled of aged bricks, in preparation for a wedding.
He has always had a love of roses. Reg said, “I started off with one and ended up with 60. People still cut them off out the front which doesn’t please me.”
In spring the roses blossom in the front garden and this can attract people who know Mary and Reg and people who don’t. Those who do know them can often be more brazen when they ‘borrow’ roses. Mary highlights a particular time which took her aback when a complete stranger arrived at the home some years ago.
She said, “A guy turned up who looked a lot like a bikie. He said, would you mind if I cut some roses off to take to my partner’s grave.”
He was so genuine that Mary was happy to oblige. Reg’s gardening inspiration came from his father, who had a great vegetable garden which was needed to sustain the large family.
Reg said he has a love hate relationship with the garden where he is happy with it one minute and not the next. He endures and his thumb stays green.
Reg had to deal with personal tragedy at a young age in his life, when his brother Paul passed away in tragic circumstances. He walked out of the shop and didn’t go back for a month.
He said, “It was a really hard time, people were amazing. It happened tragically and the staff were amazing. It leaves a mark forever. It was the darkest time in our lives. Mary was pregnant with Eliza then. It was really challenging. We continued on.”
Reg has had to continue on both mentally and physically. Hairdressing is strenuous on the body.
Many Hairdressers are on their feet eight hours a day. In Reg’s case, it could be 12 hours.
Other times they may be seated but they have to endure repetitive stress movements and reach forward from a seated position.
Reg said, “My fingers are buggered, I have some arthritis. Years ago I was told at TAFE to stand square and hold myself. I always try and get clients to sit as far back in the chair to make it easier on me. I have neck pain and pain in the hip as I stand too much on my right leg and lean in to it.”
Reg said he has struggled with the decision to transition out of the ownership of Potts Point and into a different role, but thinks it is the best thing for the town.
He said, “It will be walk in and Kyle has the lot.” Reg wanted to acknowledge Kylie Douglass who has purchased the business. After a brief break he hopes to return on July 24 and will see the year out before contemplating part time work in his 50th year in business in 2024. He will stay on in the business and rent a chair from Kyle.
He said, “I would like to especially thank my mother for all of her love and support over the years.” “I think, it is the right thing to do and if something was to happen to me, Mary would be stuck with it.”
“I want to thanks the clients, whether they came once since I started, or once a week, I want to thank them and acknowledge them for that.” Reg said, “I’ve seen the designs for the salon and they look great. Kylie will really put her mark on the place. We wish her well and we are really happy for her.”
He said it would be lovely to work until he is 70 and he is currently 64, so there will be a few more years left for Reg to do what he loves. Although there will be changes for Reg in the coming months and years, one thing is for sure.
He intends to continue on ensuring that his clients and the community will still be able to utilise his skill-set and he will continue to be an integral part of the community. Reg has been more than just your average Hairdresser.
He has been a confidante and a solid foundation for people to talk to and share the positives and the negatives in their life.
Hairdressers are often the first port of call when someone has a problem. Leaning back into that chair, clients can relax and talk to someone who cares.
This part of the job doesn’t come with offical training, but it’s a by-product of being a good human being and making people feel at ease.
When clients see Reg they know he will always do his best to give them what they want. With 50 years beckoning next year, there aren’t many people who could lay claim to doing what they love for half a century.
And, Reg is not done yet. The life of Reg Potts and his contribution to so many lives over the last half century has left a lasting impression on the community. Nearly all of us have been through the doors at one time or another.
Reg is always welcoming, caring and professional. What would Harden be without Reg and Potts Point?
Reg is an institution in Harden and will continue to be. Reg Potts you truly are a Local legend. Not just in the twin towns, but in the whole district.
