BRIAN ROSS YARDLEY

Brian Ross Yardley.

Brian Yardley was a respected and much loved member of the Katanning community. In the days of the old traditional barber shop, his was not only a barber shop, but a meeting place for the men of the community – young and old.

Obituary
Written and presented by Shane Yardley (son).

Brian was born in Perth on the 30^th of April, 1932, to parents George and Ada Yardley. I am almost certain that his mother was expecting a girl as she always commented that if he had arrived one day later then he would have been a May flower.

They lived in the family home that was built by Brian’s father, and later, he was joined by his two younger sisters, Janice and Michelle. There was a significant age difference between them, and Dad always said that the girls were his parent’s favorites. I am sure that probably had something to do with the teasing and annoying behavior from their elder brother. One sister did, however, comment that Brian was a caring older brother with a great sense of humour and could easily have been considered a second father at times.

Brain’s early years were spent exploring the wilderness surrounding the family home in Wembley, including the nearby lakes and ocean. He attended Wembley Primary School and by all accounts was far from the perfect student. He continued his schooling briefly at High School before enrolling at the local Technical School to become a hairdresser. He was an enthusiastic sportsman and member of the Scouts and Army Reserve.

Dad started his hairdressing career at a barber shop in the Wembley area and was happy to tell everyone that the shop was also an SP (or Starting Price) bookie. I can’t imagine that his mother would have been too impressed with his career choice.

He moved to Katanning in early 1950’s and commenced working for local hairdresser Forest Thompson. He married Ann McLeod in March, 1956, and in April of 1958 their first son, Brett arrived followed in 1959 by their second son, Shane.

It was also around this time that Brian opened his first hairdressing salon in Katanning.  Ann and Brian lived in a flat behind the shop until their first child was due. This was when they purchased their first home in Pemble Street,. where Ann still lives. This time also signaled the start of Brian’s long-term friendship with the late George Edwards.

Brian later shifted his premises to further up Clive Street, where he worked until his retirement.

Dad spent long hours working, playing bowls and other sports, attending Jaycees, Rotary and The Masonic Lodge. He was always happy to be the centre of attention and could often be heard calling out from his shop in Clive Street to everyone and anyone unfortunate enough to be walking past.

He was far from a new-age male and would occasionally wolf whistle at passing young PE teachers, and sometimes even their female partners. The shop really was a hub of the local community with many visitors spending hours in the shop, not for a haircut but for a chat. Brian would fondly recall the days when things were a bit quiet and he would enjoy up to 60 cigarettes a day, no wonder there were rarely any profits!

Brian also held several part-time jobs to help supplement the income from hairdressing. One of these was as a barman at the Federal Hotel where he served me my first beer in a licensed premises at the ripe old age of 14. He did, however, instill in us the value of hard work and giving back to the local community.

When his two sons started playing football for Wanderers Football Club, Brian’s interests changed significantly. Almost overnight he became an institution as the trainer for the footy club and would spend every Sunday at the games, starting early in the morning and finishing well after the League side had played. Many Sunday evenings were spent at Pemble street after the Federal Hotel had closed. Brian would also have injured players at home mid-week, and it was not unusual to hear cries of agony from the back room as he attempted to massage out a player’s corked thigh, most often making the injury several times worse. Luckily most of us didn’t know any better so went along with whatever treatment was recommended. I suffer daily with pain in the dislocated finger that he decided to put back in place during a game at Kupara Park.

As his two sons grew older and moved away from home there was more time spent travelling between Katanning and Perth and this also led to Brian becoming involved in other activities, including the occasional team triathlon and an extended involvement in state veterans’ hockey where Brian revisited his earlier life as a goalkeeper. This passion resulted in several interstate trips for Brian and Ann and the development of great long-lasting friendships.

One significant memory during this time is when I woke after my Achilles surgery and Dad was sitting next to my bed, having travelled overnight to get to Perth. It was the only time I can recall where I cried more than Dad.

His life, and that of Ann’s, was again significantly changed with the arrival of his three grandchildren, Gemma, Andrew, and Elise. Brian was a doting and devoted grandfather and enjoyed nothing more than spending time with the children, spoiling them rotten and basking in the glory of their achievements. Brian would often drive the family caravan to Albany and set it up so his grandchildren could enjoy a family holiday at Middleton Beach. It was during one of these trips we decided to have lunch at the Coachman Café in York Street. The architects hadn’t considered guests with Dad’s build, and we had to be moved outside when he couldn’t fit into the slimline cubicles. I am not sure Dad saw the funny side to this, but his grandchildren certainly did. I am sure the grandchildren will expand further on their memories a little later.

Brain retired from his hairdressing business when he reached 65 and, as part of his retirement, set up the barber’s chair in the back shed of Pemble Street where he continued to cut the occasional hair and pursue his passion for woodworking. Brian was meticulous with his woodwork and could easily have had a career as a carpenter. He spent long hours creating toys, furniture, clocks, and a variety of other wooden pieces, many of which were sold to support local charities. Brain also spent time as the local quiz master and once again thoroughly enjoyed the spotlight.

As the years progressed and Brian regularly visited his skin specialist to have numerous lumps removed, we all thought this would be his eventual undoing, we never expected the final stages of his life to be affected by dementia and a gradual decline in this overall health.

Throughout all this Brain has been supported by his partner of 67 years, Ann, and she provided him with love, care and support during his final weeks, days, and hours at home and in the Katanning Hospital

Brian finally left us to be at peace on Saturday 2^nd September, 2023. He will be fondly remembered by everyone whose lives he touched and especially by his family. He was cremated in a private ceremony on 12th September, 2023, in Albany. Rest in Peace Dad, that was one fabulous innings.

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