The owner of a traditional barber’s shop in St Neots celebrated 50 years of trading in the town this month.

Jimmy Mosca opened his shop, in Cambridge Street, in 1967, after arriving in England six years earlier to make a new life for himself. The 78-year-old still works in the shop part-time, and his son, Alfonso, says he is not ready to retire just yet.

“My dad is a real trooper and he still kept the business going through a bout of ill health recently,” he said.

“He loves talking to the customers and he rarely takes time off. He is well known in St Neots and he honestly can’t go anywhere without someone recognising him. On his 70th birthday, my brother Lorenzo and I took him to New York and we were at the top of the Empire State building and someone shouted ‘hey Jimmy’.”

Jimmy’s wife Assunta came over from Italy once he had established the business and they raised their family in the town. The couple have two sons and two grandchildren.

“We are all so proud of him. He works so hard and he really loves his job and chatting to his customers, which keeps him going I think. The shop hasn’t changed in 50 years though. It is like walking into a time capsule - it still has the same decor as when he opened 50 years ago,” said Alfonzo.