Snip-happy Alan celebrates 25 years at village salons

By Pam McClounie

Last updated 12:51, Friday, 29 August 2008

HAIRDRESSER Alan Banks is celebrating 25 years of being snappy with the scissors in Wetheral.

Stylish team: Alan Banks with, from left, Sarah Errington, his daughters Louise Banks and Paula Murray, and Amanda Kay at the salon party

Alan, 52, has worked in Scotby and Wetheral throughout his career.

He told The Cumberland News: “When I first opened the business it was quite a big step.

“My first customer was a man called George Ferguson who I had known since I was a boy. When I arrived, he was sitting on the wall outside my shop at 8.10am waiting for me to get to work.

“Perms were very popular and they used to cost two guineas.”

Alan started in hairdressing more than 30 years ago as an apprentice in Scotby and moved his shop next to the post office in Wetheral in 1983. He set up Alan’s Hair Salon in the School House five years ago.

He said: “When I started out it was all mini skirts and bouffants and now it’s beehives – there have been a lot of changes but it all tends to come full circle.

“When there’s a recession hair tends to be practical and when it’s not it’s boom time and hair goes big.

“Colour is also very important these days.”

Alan held a cheese and wine party in his salon on August 16 which some of his first ever clients attended.

“We invited the whole village and we had a great time,” said Alan, who works with his two daughters Paula Murray and Louise Banks. He also employs two other staff – Amanda Kay and Sarah Errington.

Alan was presented with a cake at the 25th anniversary party and photographs spanning three decades were on display in the salon. He added: “We always used to dress up on Christmas Eve so there were some funny photographs of that.”