The Vanishing Trade
Roadside Barbers in Singapore
Back alley along 79 Aliwal St
Located in one of the back alleys along 79 Aliwal St, Uncle Tan makes a living by giving people haircuts.
Uncle Tan's barber stall
Roadside barbers used to be common in Singapore, but they are now a vanishing trade with Uncle Tan’s business as the last one remaining.
Uncle Tan attending one of his customers
He has continued this business here for over 20 years, and he opens his business for 5 days a week from 8am in the morning to 6pm in the evening.
Even though it is a rainy day, customers still wait patiently to get their hair cut by Uncle Tan
Despite rain or shine, Uncle Tan continues to attend to his customers and is friendly to everyone around him.
Tools used by Uncle Tan
He has a small makeshift stall consisting of an old schooled barber chair, a mirror and a table full of tools under a shelter.
Customer filling out details for contact tracing
Each haircut is kept at a fixed price of only $6, which is very affordable compared to other barbers nowadays.
Close-up of Uncle Tan attending to a customer
As roadside barbers are now almost extinct, I’m sure Uncle Tan’s stall would bring back many precious childhood memories for the people in Singapore who used to have their haircut in one of the alleys. Next time if you are looking for a place to get a haircut, why not head down to Uncle Tan’s stall for a quick and affordable cut?
