The only one in his class, 18-year-old Louis Schuurkes received his hairdressing diploma at the Tilburg ROC last week. And with that he makes the family more than proud. Because he is the fourth generation of hairdressers in the family business, all with the same name. There has been a Louis behind the barber chair since 1929.
Father Louis, who has been a hairdresser for 38 years, is very clear about this: he has absolutely not put any pressure on his son: “I even encouraged him to do other things.” That’s right, junior agrees: “I did an internship with a friend of my father’s who is a landscape gardener. I liked it, but I missed the contact with people.”
Father: “At one point he asked me: do you actually want me to do the hairdressing profession? But I really wanted it to be his own choice. Because if things don’t go well, I get the blame and he says: you had to do it.”
Son Louis sighs. He does feel pressure, he says: “It is a really big challenge. But how many people can say they are the fourth generation, all the same profession, in a family business, for 92 years? And then also in a hair salon. They never last that long: after one generation they are usually sold again.”
“And then we all have the same name. That’s just really cool. If I hadn’t had this history, I wouldn’t have known what I should have done.”
Prominent in the shop, opposite a one meter high Kruikenzeiker statue, the family history looks down on the current generation. An old photo, an image from other times. 1929, when great-grandfather Louis and his wife Jeanne started a salon. Grandpa Louis took over the business in 1961. Grandpa is now wintering in Spain, but his grandson calls every now and then: “It’s good here young, very nice weather!” calls grandpa. And yes, of course he is very proud.
And that’s what father is of course: “I hope he will enjoy the profession and that he can do it for as long as the rest of the family.” From a distance, the son admires his father’s routine: “It all looks so easy. Until you do it yourself. But I’m getting better than my father. At least that is the intention.”