ONE of Hampshire's oldest hairdressing businesses is drawing up plans to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
The Barber Shop at New Road, Hythe, has been welcoming customers since 1947, when Britain was still recovering from the devastation caused by the Second World War.
Staff are planning to mark the anniversary by donning 1940s-style clothing.
They are also hoping to display a vintage car and motorbike outside the front of the shop as well as recreating its original appearance.
The premises are next door to another hairdressing business, Beyond the Fringe, which occupies part of the same building and has also been trading for decades.
As reported in the Daily Echo, New Forest District Council has approved a planning application that gives the building's owner the option of converting it into a house. But both businesses are staying open for the foreseeable future.
The Barber Shop was owned by a Mr Bolwell from 1947 to 1956, John Mason from 1956 to 1963, Gerry De Carluccio from 1963 to 1977 and Ron Effemy from 1977 to 1991.
The current owners are Alison Campbell and Malcolm Hill, who are looking forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary in September.
Alison said: "We hope to have a vintage car and a vintage motorbike outside the front of the shop and will also be trying to make the shop look as it did in 1947 as best we can.
"We're the oldest established barbershop in the area. Our customers range in age from a few months to our oldest client, who was 100 last week."
Neighbouring Beyond the Fringe has been run by the same person for more than half a century.
Former "Saturday girls" include Angela Everett, who later joined Southampton hair stylists Trevor Mitchell International and created the bubble perm sported by former Saints and England star Kevin Keegan in the early 1980s.
The famous "Keegan Kut" was copied by fellow footballers and fans alike.
Speaking in 2018 Angela said: "I used to go to his house near Romsey because he was so famous. The salon would have been swamped if he’d come in."
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