‘It's one of my proudest possessions': Jay the Barber honoured by local artist
Five weeks after the incident, he was discharged from hospital and last month said he is 'making huge improvements'.
The barber became famous for providing haircuts to the homeless and offering training opportunities to others.
Recently, he shared a painting online by Belfast artist Foss, who is well known for his unique paintings, which was inspired by him.
The artist said that he was inspired by Jay's outreach work and his recent accident.
'I'd seen some clips of Jay on social media,' he said.
'My son is 17 years old and really likes the message that Jay puts out there. After Jay had his seizure, to me, something in the universe just didn't seem right.
'Here's a guy whose message is good. He's spreading the word that God is good, so what is happening here? Something seemed out of balance.
'So I thought, I have to do a picture. I'm working-class, not great at speaking, sometimes I get taken the wrong way, but I thought it was important to do this. I hope that the world is now back in sync.'
Jay said he was 'shocked' when Foss reached out to him about the painting.
'When I received the message, I was shocked. I had to look twice,' he revealed.
'I had seen Foss's work before, his art is synonymous with St George's Market.
'To see my face painted on the gable wall of one of his paintings, I didn't quite know what to think.
'I looked at the profile and it was Foss himself, so I messaged back thanking him for thinking of me and asked if I could come down and see it when it was finished.'
The painting is called Close Shave and features a mural of Jay among other nods to the Belfast barber.
'The attention to detail is just incredible. When you see it up close, it is breathtaking,' Jay said.
'For example, the street is named 'Wayne Street' after my brother, who passed away. That made me very emotional. Then, leaning against the wall is a homeless man, a tribute to the work I've done with the homeless.'
When Jay visited St George's Market on Sunday, he was eager to meet Foss and shared a picture of the painting, but he was surprised when Foss wouldn't let him go home empty-handed.
'He gave me the painting,' he said.
'I thought maybe he'd be able to get them made into prints and I could buy one as a thank you for the time and effort that went into this. But he said, 'What you don't know is — this painting is yours.'
'He said he'll get it varnished and drop it off to me. It'll be hung up in my shop for as long as I'm there.
'Instantly, it's become one of my proudest possessions. I can't thank him enough.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
We went on what we thought was a normal cruise but were surrounded by swingers trying to have sex with us, it was awful
The holidaymaker said she will never go on a cruise again after her experience ROCK THE BOAT We went on what we thought was a normal cruise but were surrounded by swingers trying to have sex with us, it was awful Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN who thought she was going on a romantic cruise with her partner was left stunned after she realised what was really going on. Robyn-Jay was looking forward to her 10-day cruise, but that excitement quickly faded when she realised many of the holiday makers were swingers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Robyn-Jay and her partner, William, were approached by swingers on the trip Credit: 2 Robyn-Jay said she would never go on a cruise again after her experience Credit: Taking to TikTok to share her story, she explained that she and her partner went to the ship's nightclub on the first night as they tried to settle in and get their bearings. That's when things began to take a turn and as they decided to sit in a booth and people watch when a man came up to them to ask if they "wanted a third", Robyn-Jay claimed. But the strange encounters didn't end there, as on the second night Robyn-Jay claimed a woman called their room and tried to hook up with the couple, despite having never met them before. According to Robyn-Jay, the woman needed to know their room number, which they didn't share, to be able to call, which made the couple feel uneasy. The pair said they could also hear couples from other rooms on the ship shouting at each other from their balconies. "It's not that they were friends, they were trying to arrange hook ups," she said in the viral video. But it was what allegedly happened next that drew the line for the holidaymaker. She explained that one night she got all dressed up to enjoy some of the entertainment the cruise put on. After finding a quiet place to sit with her partner, Robyn-Jay claimed she noticed a man sat at another tabled was staring at her. "This was something different, this was a whole other level. I felt so uncomfortable in my skin, it really gives you that horrible feeling inside," she said. Terrified sprinting tourists are LEFT BEHIND after cruise ship flees Hawaii tsunami as Brit reveals mad dash to escape That's when the man, who was sat with his wife, allegedly bent down to try and look up Robyn-Jay's skirt. She went on to explain that her partner, William, soon noticed and called the man out on his behaviour before he got up and left with his wife. The holidaymaker went on to claim that she even saw an older man act inappropriately towards a young girl on the ship and he was overly touchy with her. "I just really think [cruises are] a place for a bit of lawlessness and I think people go there knowing that and I honestly dread to think what goes on in the eyes of other people," she said. After sharing her experience, people chimed in to share their experiences on cruise ships, and many thought Robyn-Jay got unlucky. "I've just been on a Marella Cruise and never experienced anything like this," one person said. And a second agreed: "Been on a few cruises - not my experience," they commented on the video. "This could have happened absolutely anywhere, it's not because you were on a cruise. It's also completely common knowledge that cruises are swinger's paradise," someone else wrote. And someone who claimed to work for a cruise company added: "This is a well known thing on some cruise ships. "Unfortunately you have experienced some awful behaviour and some people should understand that not everyone's a swinger. Not all cruise lines behave like this."
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘It's one of my proudest possessions': Jay the Barber honoured by local artist
Jay Millar — better known as Jay the Barber — suffered a seizure while driving on April 20, which resulted in him being placed in a medically-induced coma for three weeks. Five weeks after the incident, he was discharged from hospital and last month said he is 'making huge improvements'. The barber became famous for providing haircuts to the homeless and offering training opportunities to others. Recently, he shared a painting online by Belfast artist Foss, who is well known for his unique paintings, which was inspired by him. The artist said that he was inspired by Jay's outreach work and his recent accident. 'I'd seen some clips of Jay on social media,' he said. 'My son is 17 years old and really likes the message that Jay puts out there. After Jay had his seizure, to me, something in the universe just didn't seem right. 'Here's a guy whose message is good. He's spreading the word that God is good, so what is happening here? Something seemed out of balance. 'So I thought, I have to do a picture. I'm working-class, not great at speaking, sometimes I get taken the wrong way, but I thought it was important to do this. I hope that the world is now back in sync.' Jay said he was 'shocked' when Foss reached out to him about the painting. 'When I received the message, I was shocked. I had to look twice,' he revealed. 'I had seen Foss's work before, his art is synonymous with St George's Market. 'To see my face painted on the gable wall of one of his paintings, I didn't quite know what to think. 'I looked at the profile and it was Foss himself, so I messaged back thanking him for thinking of me and asked if I could come down and see it when it was finished.' The painting is called Close Shave and features a mural of Jay among other nods to the Belfast barber. 'The attention to detail is just incredible. When you see it up close, it is breathtaking,' Jay said. 'For example, the street is named 'Wayne Street' after my brother, who passed away. That made me very emotional. Then, leaning against the wall is a homeless man, a tribute to the work I've done with the homeless.' When Jay visited St George's Market on Sunday, he was eager to meet Foss and shared a picture of the painting, but he was surprised when Foss wouldn't let him go home empty-handed. 'He gave me the painting,' he said. 'I thought maybe he'd be able to get them made into prints and I could buy one as a thank you for the time and effort that went into this. But he said, 'What you don't know is — this painting is yours.' 'He said he'll get it varnished and drop it off to me. It'll be hung up in my shop for as long as I'm there. 'Instantly, it's become one of my proudest possessions. I can't thank him enough.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Piers Morgan wades in to Stephen Colbert axing controversy
Piers Morgan criticised Stephen Colbert following the cancellation of The Late Show, claiming most US late-night hosts are now 'hyper-partisan activist hacks'. Morgan's comments followed CBS's cancellation of Colbert's show, with the New York Post also highlighting Colbert's frequent featuring of 'leftist' guests. The British broadcaster supported US late-night TV legend Jay Leno 's view that modern talk shows have become too political and divisive. While CBS cited a 'financial decision' for the cancellation, many of Colbert's supporters questioned the timing, particularly after Paramount's $16m settlement with Donald Trump. Donald Trump expressed satisfaction on social media regarding The Late Show's cancellation, stating he 'absolutely love[d] that Colbert got fired'.
