Friends name barber shop in honour of Sheffield ‘legendary’ doorman Mick Forbes

Tucked away on the edge of Kelham Island on a new retail hub called SteelYardKelham, it is only fitting that 'Forbes Barbers' makes its mark on this side of town, as he was instrumental in its construction.

Mick, a well-known face at the city's pubs and clubs during the 80s died on May 3, aged 64 following a short battle with cancer.

He worked at a variety of places over his career, but he is best remembered for his tenure on the door of the famed Roxy nightclub at what is now Arundel Gate's O2 Academy in the 1980s.

He also worked for more than 15 years with some of the biggest names in snooker, including Alex Higgins and Jimmy White, looking after them when they came to the Crucible for the World Championship.

He was a talented cueman himself, who worked with children who had learning disabilities at the city’s Trick Shots snooker hall.

And in recent years, Mick had worked as a builder and made a big impression at SteelYardKelham, which he helped to construct before he suddenly fell ill and was diagnosed with cancer.

Forbes Barbers' co-owner Mark Sanderson said he and two others, Jason Wilson and Martin Mcgrail, decided to name the barber shop after Mick to pay homage for their friend to keep his memory alive.

Mark, who knew Mick for more than two decades, said: “Mick was legendary. He was a warm person and always thought about others...he was such a great loving person and it's a tragedy he's not around anymore.

“He worked around a number of container units we were converting last year and never complained too much about being ill. And then in a few months we found out he had late stage cancer and we lost him in a short time.

“We named the shop after him not just because we knew him but because on this side of Sheffield, they heard of Mick Forbes. I thought it was just an honour to have worked with him and to have known him and tried to keep the memory alive for people coming to the yard,” said Mark, who also co-owns SteelYardKelham with Martin.

Jason said Michael was a very good friend to them and they have pledged to donate 10 percent of the first year's profits to St Luke's Hospice - an organisation very close to their hearts.

“We also had a football charity to raise funds in his name. Last week, we raised about £15,000 for the charity,” he said.

Manager Samuel Howes said although he had never met Mick in person, it still feels nice to talk about him with the customers who are not familiar with the name.

He said: “We do get a few people asking about the name...we've also got some memorabilia in the shop and some photos of him. At least we can show and explain to people.”

Forbes Barbers is open from Tuesdays to Sundays.

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