GETTING INTO the spirit of carnival, Ladbroke Grove barbershop ‘Mo Better Cutz’ invited the local community to come down to their ‘Trims and Tings’ event this week where lucky customers could get a fee haircut, nails done and a glass or two of rum punch.

In partnership with Wray and Nephew and with a live set from the iconic Saxon Sounds, Rodney ‘Trotters’ McGillivary, owner of Mo Better Cutz barber shop, told the Voice that the event wasn’t something he envisioned doing 26 years ago but he ‘felt good’ to host it.

Over the years he has been in charge, a host of well-known celebrities from Idris Elba to Pharrell Williams,and may more, have sat in the famous seats to have their hair cut, allowing McGillivary to continue the skill-set he picked up from his father.

He enthused: “My dad used to cut hair, no clippers just scissors and I’ve juts taken it on, to another level. He never actually did it for a living, he did it for a hobby, he was a builder.”

He added: “This has always been the plan for me, from I was young when I started the barbering when I was 16, I said to myself, yeah, I want to open my own shop.”

“Trims and Tings is a little collab that we’ve got going on with Wray and Nephew. We’re doing free trims, we’ve got nails, we got rum punch, we got Saxon, it’s a nice vibe.”

The event, which saw west London local and Voice columnist, Seani B, pass through, took place as new research conducted by Wray and Nephew ahead of the Notting Hill Carnival found that 42 per cent of Londoners believe Europe’s biggest street festival is a potent symbol of how the Capital brings different nationalities and cultures together.

One happy customer who was also celebrating their birthday said: “I didn’t get a trim but I did get my nails done which was really nice. The rum punch was nice as well. Saxon played some timeless classics too, which just made the whole thing feel good.

“It’s the first time I have been there and obviously the first time I have met Rodney but what a gentleman he is. I can see why people come here regularly.

“And what a spot he’s got for carnival eh. He might see me back here sooner than he thinks.”