Blades of glory

As a 15 year old, his first haircut ended in tears and a lingering mistrust. However, the barbershop became a sacred place of refuge for Ed Smith, who now warns against the perils of grandiose grooming

Humankind’s instinct for enlightenment first flickered with the shadows on the cave wall. Where once we tried to make sense of our existence by carefully realising them on said walls, the search for spiritual solace in the sound and fury of modern life is as elusive as it is varied.

Some chase it by flying to far-flung corners of the earth to seek wisdom, while others attempt to lure it to them with ...