Stephen’s Salon is a very traditional hairdresser’s, with pictures on the wall, plenty of mirrors, and a cup of tea to make you feel welcome – not forgetting lots of hair gel and spray.
Stephen’s, hairdressers opened on Friday, October 9, 1972, and run by the man himself Stephen.
A staggering fact: Stephen has cut a Barry and District person’s hair every year since 1972, and if they had been 88 that year, that would represent every year that people have lived in Barry and District, since the start of the construction of Barry Dock in 1884.
Stephen is that direct link with our history.
Stephen’s Salon’s 55th anniversary is next year, but this year is still in Stephen’s own words, ‘its still a big day’.
When the ‘news’ asked for quotes, ‘I grew up with you’ referring to Karl-James Langford.
Stephen told the news, who refers to Karl as Sweep: “Your family have been coming here for years, since you were a little boy, with your sister, brother, your 2 gramps: Noah and Bill, and grandma.”
Stephen who is 75 years old now, tells us: “It’s always something I wanted to do, since I was 15 years old.”
He worked for 6 years in Cardiff before 1972, learning the trade. And therefore Stephen has been a hairdresser for 60 years.
Stephen said: “It came from my mum, who was pretty talented herself in hairdressing!”
When asked is retirement on the horizon, Stephen was not planning to retire anytime soon, and to just carry on, as long as he can stand up and he will still cut hair.
He still enjoys it. “It is nice to come to work,” Stephen commented.
He doesn’t work as much as he used to, however he also does home calls to housebound customers.
“Visiting people cheers them up also at nursing homes and hospitals and it makes them feel better, it’s a nice thing to do,” commented Stephen.
It’s more than a business. Stephen has seen customers all these years, then vitally they become friends also.
“A lot of clients have gone through our hands in 54 years,” he said.
“It’s amazing when I think about everybody, all lovely people.”
Stephen’s Salon has even had school visits over the years. One such visit was from Romilly Junior School children in January 2007, when Fiona Rodgers brought her class down for a chat. They are all adults now; that was nearly 20 years ago – how time goes by.
We cannot finish this story without a mention of Joanne.
Joanne who started as a Saturday girl who worked at Stephen’s Salon, and after school and school holidays, and when she was still in college at the age of 16 years old in 1988.
Joanne has been there ever since and told the ‘news’: “I’m 54 years old, so just under 40 years working at Stephen’s, a lifetime.”
Joanne has no plans to retire either!
Stephen’s Salon is open each week on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9am until what the day brings!
