Five years celebration at barber’s shop
There is a barber shop quintet at Walton Barbers in Walton High Street.
The business, started by Nina Dunckley almost exactly five years ago, is going from strength to strength, says Nina.
They say get a busy person if you want something done, and Nina is certainly busy.
She is wife, mother of four children and runs her own business too.
“I absolutely love it,” she said, “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
“I left school at 15 and went into the trade, initally training as a ladies hairdresser.
“I have stopped, to have my chiildren, but always come back into the industry.
“Then I decided to open this salon five years ago.
“It had been empty for many years - but it was a barber’s shop back in the 1950s. It was Wilfred Stiff’s I believe.
In those days it would have been a very male environment, of course.
“In those days it was very much a male-only environment. We have decorated and made it bright and friendly and we are all ladies.
“The girls love the banter. It is such a good atmosphere and I think the customers like that.
“I met my own husband, Paul, through cutting his hair too.
He is a tree surgeon, so we are both into cutting,” she laughed.
It is very much a family business.
Eldest daughter, Ellie, is now a fully trained barber and her younger sister Courtney,16, is now doing her apprenticeship at the salon, with on the job training and with the WS Hair Academy.
Youngest daughter Kerriss is only six-years-old, but she is already showing an interest in the hair business. She sometimes does chores in the shop on a Saturday.
Nina added: “This really is a family business.
“We are getting a lot of regular customers in, locally, and from a considerable distance away,” added “We have customers from Felixstowe, and Ipswich and other places.
“Some of them drop in when they take a trip to the coast at Felixstowe.
“It is growing nicely.”
“I love the business and I wouldn’t do anything else, unless it was teaching in the industry.
“That is something I want to do more in the future.”
Walton Barbers is at 222 High Street, Walton, Felixstowe
Telephone : 07826 539691.
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