Gang bosses, Peaky Blinders, Opium in Brum and Kim Jong-un’s Haircut

“We’re all in Tommy’s Army now boys” – even apparently Kim Jong-un!! If you have no idea what I mean then you haven’t yet seen the excellent BBC show Peaky Blinders about the gangs of Birmingham and set in the years immediately after the First World War. It’s the story of the Shelby family gang, the Peaky Blinders, and features a whole bunch of good stuff including a highly hyper-realised Birmingham Chinatown (fun but not overly accurate), rigged horses, gypsy gangs, some mental IRA blokes, Commie trade unionists and all that. Tommy himself – gang leader and WWI vet – likes to take to the opium pipe when the memories get a big tough. “Tommy’s army” (the excellent Cillian Murphy) is made up of lads back from the Trenches.

One much commented upon aspect of the Peaky Blinders has been the haircuts – brutally shaved close at the back and sides and floppy and parted on top. Not a regulation army cut I don’t think and apparently (I read somewhere) the show’s stylist was inspired by Australian gangs of the 1920s (for more on that see the excellent Underbelly: Razor). However, it appears one other known tele-addict and gang leader has decided he likes the haircut too!

Yes, Kim Jong-un it appears fancies himself a 1920s Birmingham gang boss!! I submit as evidence M’lud some Peaky Blinders from Birmingham and the leader of the Pyongyang faction!!