David Dade: the beard boss

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February 4, 2014

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‘With great beard, comes great wisdom.’ Or so the saying goes. And the responsibility to share that wisdom is something David Dade, of the British Beard Club, takes very seriously.  As Honorary President of the Club for the past 5 years, and a regular competitor at beard competitions around the world, this is a man who understands facial hair.

Having recently returned from the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, David was kind enough to spare some time to talk to us and wax lyrical about facial hair.

How long have you been a Beardsman?

I grew my first beard when I was about 19. It wasn’t very dense then, but looked pretty much like an intentional beard with a rather weak moustache:

dave1

After that, when I got my first and only job at 20, I trimmed it to a goatee:

dave2

I last shaved completely in 1985 (except my moustache) and have never shaved completely since then. So that makes me 29 years a Beardsman.

What was the reason, if any, for growing your beard in the first place?

I hated shaving and I always seemed to get a rash on my neck, and the neck stubble wore out my shirt collars, so, although I was given an electric shaver early on by my dad, I really needed to wet shave to get close and it was just too involved and likely to end up with cuts. Also, I just felt that I was meant to be bearded. Even as a boy, I knew I wanted to grow a beard as soon as I could – to be as natural as my Maker intended – and I still feel that way.

When was the British Beard Club first formed? Have you always been Honorary President?

I registered the The British Beard Club website name in November 2008, after being contacted by a couple of chaps who, like myself, had attended the Brighton 2007 World Beard and Moustache Championships. At that event there was some discussion among the British Beard category entrants, led by a keen man called Russ Sherwood, about the fact that there was no Beard Club in the UK. The host of the WBMC that year was The Handlebar (Moustache) Club, which has been going since 1947, but it was a club for moustached men only.

Nothing happened after the WBMC for several months, until we learned that Russ had passed away suddenly, which came as a shock. The two who subsequently contacted me had been competing at the 2008 European Beard and Moustache Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, and were recommended to suggest that I (as bearded Webmaster of The Handlebar Club’s website) might be the person to resume the idea of creating a UK Beard Club. So I did!

So far no-one else has proposed anyone for the office of President, but this may change at our 5th Anniversary Meet and AGM on 15th February 2014, in Chelmsford. The first Meet was at The Cockpit pub in Blackfriars, London on 13th February 2009.

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The founder members…

You must have seen some amazing beards over the years? Who, in your opinion, has the best facial hair in the business?

Well of course everyone usually thinks of Jack Passion, whom I first met at the Berlin WBMC in 2005 when he was just starting out on his bearded career, but in The British Beard Club we too have some astonishing bearded members and ex-members! Andrew Balls (centre), Anthony Ibbitson (right), Colin Poetz (left), Michael Legge, Frazer Coppin, Charlie Saville and many others too numerous to mention. Many are contest winners, as you see.

British Beard and Moustache Championships 2012

You have just returned from the World Beard Championships in Stuttgart – can you give us some insider’s gossip? What was the competition like this year? Beard fights at dawn?

These events are really quite friendly, in spite of the impression given by the documentary-makers, and that’s really why we do it. There’s a great camaraderie among the bearded and beard-fanciers of both sexes, and getting together in great numbers at a WBMC is an unforgettable experience.

dave5

An Anglo-Australian TBBC group at the pre-event party. The red-bearded chap on the right from Australia isn’t a member yet…

How has your beard had an impact on your life? Can it be a topic of conversation if talk ever dries up?

I’ve been bearded for so long that I don’t think people who know me really notice it much. On the street, I get the usual “ZZ-Top” cat-calls and sometimes, gratifyingly, “Great beard!”, or just a grinning thumbs-up. At work I was known as “the guy with the huge beard”, which was great for my ego!

dave6

Me (The Guy with the Huge Beard) in the recording studio, working on a Radio One John Peel session.

Do you feel people’s perception of facial hair has changed in recent years?

Judging by the sudden increase over the last year or so in the number of younger men you see on the street, in the tube, in pubs and out shopping with really quite substantial beards – carefully groomed but with a lot more than just designer-stubble – and the burgeoning of cottage-industry manufacturers of beard care oils and grooming products, I’d say, emphatically, yes! Beards are back!

Historically facial hair implies wisdom, masculinity and high status, however it can also be associated with lack of cleanliness and loss of refinement. What do you think about this statement?

It’s an excuse to conveniently label all bearded men as lazy, dirty and unkempt. Some men do not have the resources or the will to be able to look after themselves or their appearance, and that is sad.

But in reality those men who grow a beard by choice probably spend as much, or even more time washing, grooming, waxing, oiling and primping their beards than most shaven men. We find that all the members of The British Beard Club are very interested in beard care and grooming, and often seek and share advice from other bearded members about how to be comfortable with who they are and how they look.

What is your favourite beard-grooming product?

I hesitate to mention any specific product because I’ve tried a few and The British Beard Club does not endorse or advertise any particular product, but one of the ones I use regularly myself comes from New Zealand, and is based on beeswax, honey and essential oils. It’s called ‘Professor Fuzzworthy’s Beard Care Gloss’.

I also personally prefer mild shampoos and conditioners from the paraben-free range by Faith In Nature, which do not contain the strong detergent, Sodium Lauryl Suphate, used as a foaming agent in many other products, and which is also used for cleaning up engine oil spills in workshops!

Can you give us a secret tip on how to keep your beard in optimum condition?

Eat a balanced diet, exercise well, have enough sex, don’t shampoo too often, do brush your beard often with boars’ bristle, and join The British Beard Club!

dave7

Our 2013 Annual Midsummer Beardness meets in London at the George Inn.

Finally, who is your ultimate bearded hero and why?

Desperate Dan in The Dandy because he’s been growing a beard for 77 years and it’s still growing strong… 🙂

thebritishbeardclub.org

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