Wholesome videos of men gathered in pubs delicately plaiting the hair of Girl’s World mannequin heads while sipping pints have seemingly done the impossible and beautifully united (most) of the internet. The Pints & Ponytails group has attracted millions of views, thousands of likes, and approval from stars including Joe Jonas and Sophia Bush, with even Sir Keir Starmer paying attention and arranging a meeting.
But roll it back ten years, and it all began at a fitness event with a chance encounter between Mathew Lewis-Carter and Lawrence Price. Recalling the moment with a smile, Carter says, “they singled each out for whatever reason”. But after glancing at Price, who is sitting close to him at his dining room table, he delves a bit deeper into why they connected so well.
“I’ve always been drawn to men with grit and toughness, but who also have a softness to them. He has been a fathering figure,” he says, before Price, 42, points out there’s only a five-year age gap between them. “He has been an older brother. We live in an age where everything is so demanding 24/7, and I’m really grateful to Lawrence for teaching me to step back.” A clearly touched Price gently taps Carter on the back in gratitude, before turning to me to say he is “never this nice to me”.
