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I've interviewed people in their workplace, their home and lots of coffee shops but interviewing somebody while they had their hair and beard trimmed was a first for me. However when you realise that Mike Wellsbury-Nye is the organiser of The Devon & Cornwall Beard & Moustache Championships then it all makes perfect sense.
I am assured that the actual competition is a light-hearted affair where the main focus is on fundraising for charity and having a great time - the use of 'rock, paper, scissors' as an award tie-breaker gives you a flavour of the competition atmosphere. However beard and moustache maintenance is a serious pastime as most competitors grow a beard for life and not just for the competition. Mike visits his barber, Louis Holland, at The Blind Pig Salon and Barbershop in Plymouth every couple of weeks for a trim and after many years of 'just having a beard', he now possesses a full array of beard wash, balms, oil and wax products to keep it in top condition.
Mike was born and educated in Plymouth and thought when he went away to university to study as an architectural technician that his chosen profession would necessitate moving away from Devon. However he was very fortunate in landing a job with a firm in Cornwall, meaning he and his wife Clair could set up home In West Devon.
Little did Mike know that a decision to grow a goatee beard when he was eighteen was going to lead to his current status on the beard and moustache scene. The catalyst was a visit to the World Beard and Moustache Championships for his 30th birthday in Brighton, where Mike and Clair already had a number of friends. They had an 'absolute ball' and when Clair supported Mike's decision to grow a full beard and moustache, they have gone on to attend an ever-increasing number of Beard &Moustache events around the country, meeting up with like-minded friends and encountering huge camaraderie.
Mike took part in the British Beard & Moustache Championships in Bath in September 2014 but unfortunately his friend and barber, Louis was unable to attend so Louis suggested they have a competition in Plymouth. Clair immediately set the idea in motion and she and Mike staged the first Devon & Cornwall Beard & Moustache Championships last August with 150 attendees, and raised almost £1000 for Devon Air Ambulance Trust and Cornwall Air Ambulance. They will be running the event again this year and Louis is not only a sponsor and one of the judges but will also be on hand to provide a last-minute 'trim and tidy' for competitors. There will be nine categories including natural or styled moustache, business class, partial beard, four awards for full beard and freestyle, as well as the handmade category for those with imagination but no facial hair. Money raised from ticket sales, the charity bar and raffle will be split between the same two charities as last year.
My interview with Mike finished as he disappeared under a hot towel before his final shave in preparation for a trip that weekend to a beard and moustache competition near Derby. Next year he will be celebrating his fortieth birthday with a trip to Texas for the World Championships.
Rosemary Best