Life in the Hair & Wig Industry

A Blast from the Past

2012-01-27T19:25:00.006Z

On a personal note, I was working on my website and my phone rang, Mandy was asking if I knew a lady who said she worked with me when I was a lecturer at Calderdale College, she is Sandra (Dark-Haired..not bad-looking...good at knitting)....I said put her through...Sandra and I worked, taught, demonstrated and laughed till it hurt. We both were part of Arthur Oddy's team in Halifax's College (Percival Whitley), re-named Calderdale College.

After several minuets of reminiscing over competitions, knitting and 'what are we up to now?' Sandra asked me if I would be interested in attending 'Olympic Week' at Taylor Training Ltd, to inspire, motivate and chat to the hairdressing students about the career of hairdressing and it's diversities. She said I came in to her mind and with the power of the Internet, she found me in moments !!

So.....I am thrilled to be invited, but where do I start? The word Passion comes to mind, because without this, I would not still be within the profession of hairdressing after 45 years. Once I started to make a list, the notes just flowed. I intend to chat about how to create the styles of the 1960's....70's....80's....90's....20's as I have worked throughout all those decades, and I am sure the students will be delighted to hear about working with fellow passionate stylists in

*Paris
*Stuttgart
*Munich
*Dusseldorf
*Rotterdam
*Amsterdam
*Brussels
*Antwerp
*Luxembourg
*Zurich
*Verona
*Dublin

So it is now a mission to hunt down my photographs, write down a few notes and happily share my experience as the former World Cup Team Member, British Champion, British Junior Team Trainer and International Juror.........will let you know how it goes

Hairware Launch 'Natural Collection'

2012-01-09T11:26:00.004Z

Hairware have launched their new wig collection, apltly named Natural Collection. These wigs include, monofilament tops, Lace Fronts and Gossamer Top wigs. Full details are on our website link above, but here is a taster of some of the products.

This one is a Lace Front wig, which lays almost flat to the hairline.

New Wigs from Noriko

2011-12-22T11:18:00.003Z

Just released - New Wigs from Noriko

Noriko is a world leader in quality wigs. They have introduced a wonderful range of shading to include their unique 'Hybrant Root' inspired colours. This award winning collection has vibrant colour chemistry that pairs softly shadowed roots to create the Ultimate Wig Experience.

Noriko Wigs include a Monofilament Construction collection. Only the finest quality monofilament wigs offer the kind of comfort and style found in the Noriko Collection. Noriko combines a hand-tied top with monofilament construction and calibrated machine wefting at the sides and back. A polyurethane tape tab at the front completes these beautiful, carefully crafted creations.

Questions and Answers

2011-12-02T20:29:00.002Z

The first shock of being told you may have to wear a wig is daunting, due to the old fashioned stigma once related to wigs. Most wigs are average in size and fit most people, unless you you know you are petite, here is a guide to help you.

How do I know what size I need?
Today's wigs all have adjustable caps to fit most heads.Most wigs come in Average size, but if you know you are petite cap size, we have a category for Petite Wigs. Size is seldom a problem and the following is a chart of the sizes:

Children's: 31.75cm to 51cm (18.5 to 20 inches)
Petite : 51cm to 54cm (20 to 21.25 inches)
Average: 54cm to 57cm (21.25 to 22.5 inches)
Large: 57cm to 60cm (22 to 24 inches)

The adjustable caps fit over 90% of wig users.
You can measure the circumference of your head with a cloth tape.

Measure from your front hairline (or where it would be if you have no hair) just above the ears around your head.

This measurement will probably be between 54cm to 57cm (21-22½ inches). If the measurement is larger than 57cm (22½ inches) you will need a large size.

DON'T:
Expose to heat in excess of 160°(Like opening an oven door)
Brush your wig when wet.
Use a curling iron or blow dryer. (unless your wig is made of real hair)
Use products other than wig care products.
DO:
Use products specifically designed for wigs.

Fibre Friction
Wigs made of synthetic fibres may well experience fibre friction. the extent of this depends on the lengthof the wig and the environment in which the wig is subjected to. FIBRE FRICTION IS NOT A FAULT it is a natural occurrence in synthetic wigs and will increase with wear.
Natural head movement allows the fibres to rub together or rub against other synthetic fabrics being worn, a static charge is created in the fibres which cause the ends to frizz and in some cases tangle, the longer the hairthe more prevalent the problem. Fibre friction is usually confined to the underside of the wig and the ends of the fibre and can start to occur from the first day the wig is worn.

Ways of reducing Fibre Friction
Ensure no synthetic garments are directly in contact with the wig when being worn. Always use conditioning sprays recommended by Wigs and Pieces. The most vulnerable areas are the ends and underneath the back of the wig. Fibre Oil is a great product that helps prevent frizz. Always allow slow natural drying of the wig away from radiators or other direct heat.
How long does a fibre wig last?

If you wear your wig every day, you will get up to 12 weeks wear from your wig, after this time it starts to go brittle on the ends and loses it's lustre, where as a real hair wig can last 18 months.

How many do I need?

We reccommend two wigs so that one can be worn against the other, as a fibre wig has to be dried naturally.

Do you have a catalogue?
No, Wigs and Pieces.com Ltd does not print a catalogue. New products are added to the site frequently, so you need to visit the website regularly to keep up-dated with all the latest wigs, hairpieces & products.

Do you have a Shop?
No, we do not have a shop, we are a UK based Internet Retailer. We do however deliver to most countries. We do offer a consultation service.

Can I Contact you by Phone?
We prefer you to contact us by email - this enables us to respond to all your queries quickly and efficiently. Please ensure that your order number is included in all correspondence. Corresponding via this method has a lower cost to us than a call centre, and we have built this lower cost into our prices passing the savings on to you. Please note that in surveys, our customers have overwhelmingly and consistently said they wanted cheaper prices over anything else.

How do I fit or put on my wig?
First secure your own hair by pinning or using a wig cap. Hold wig by back(where the tags are) and shake if it's fresh from the box. Loosen the velcro straps or hooks in the back of the wig. You can resize later. Grasp the wig by the sides and slip it over your head. Adjust until the wig looks like your own hairline at the front.

How do I clean my wig?
Brush the wig thoroughly. Add wig shampoo to wash basin and fill with cold water
Let soak for 5 minutes. Swish the wig gently NEVER RUB. Rinse gently in cold clear water twice or until thoroughly rinsed. Apply generous amount of wig conditioner and gently work through hair with fingertips Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Drain and blot gently with towel DO NOT SQUEEZE OR WRING Allow to air dry on a wire wig stand or a slender object like a can of hair sprayDO NOT USE HAIRDRYER Brush wig only when completely dry.

How do I style my wig?
Your wig can be styled by using a wire brush, a wire pick, or your fingertips. Your wig was designed with a basic style but the variations you can achieve through styling are limitless. Added height can be achieved by gently lifting with the brush. If you want added fullness as well, tease or back comb and then smooth the surface hair over the teasing. To return your wig to it's basic style simply brush thoroughly, clean and allow to air dry.

What is the difference between synthetic hair and human hair?
Synthetic: easy to maintain (wash-and-wear), less expensive than human hair, easy to style, pre styled.
Human hair: more versatility, longer durability, custom styling and colouring available.

What is Monofilament Wig?
A monofilament wig is the cap within the wig that has a special two layer construction for maximum comfort and worry-free wearing. As shown in the diagram, the monofilament construction is comfort enhanced by a special weaving technique, which results in excellent ventilation. It also has the ability to match your own individual scalp colour.

Is human hair better than synthetic?
Not necessarily... choosing between a human hair wig and a synthetic wig is more of personal preference. For example, a person looking for a wig that is easy to maintain and less expensive would choose a synthetic wig...a person looking for a wig they plan on wearing everyday and that they can curl themselves would choose a human hair wig.
Keep in mind that just because human hair wigs cost more it does not mean they are the "better" wig to buy. Many times a high quality synthetic wig looks more realistic than a low quality human hair wig.

Why are some wigs more expensive than others?
Like most items you purchase, price is a reflection of quality. The higher the quality.. the higher the price. There are many different types of materials than can be used to make wigs, including various types of fibres and human hair. For example, some synthetic fibre is softer and silkier than other types, therefore, making the wig more expensive. Some materials used inside the wigs are lighter weight and more durable, therefore, increasing costs, and some are hand-sewn.

How often do I wash my wig?
Wash your wig after wearing it 10-12 times or when odours are present, depending what environment you are in. Soak in cool water and hand wash like a piece of silk, rinse in cool water and wrap in towel, comb gently or shake for a tousled look.

How do I care for my new Human Hair wig?
We recommend that you purchase two human hair wigs every year. The length of time that a human hair wig will last depends on how it is cared for and how often it is worn. When caring for your wig always comb or brush them with the greatest of care, paying particular attention to the skin top and parting areas, especially if the hair is tangled. Longer hair should be brushed from the ends first and when the hair is smoothed out the brush can be taken fully through the hair

Can I send in a hair sample for you to match my colour?
Yes, Internet Wigs will be happy to help you select the right colour by matching your hair sample to the closest available wig/hairpiece colour. For complete instructions, please see our customer service page.

Do you buy human hair?
No, we do not buy hair but we can advise you were to sell your hair.

TYPES OF WIG CONSTRUCTION

Machine Made Wefted

Machine made wigs account for the biggest proportion of wigs sold today, they have become lighter in weight due to different types of constructions, many of our wigs have capless tops to reduce the weight yet further. Our ready made synthetic wefted wigs are available in an extensive range of colours and styles all in top quality fade resistant fibre are excellent value. Easy wear and care make the Wigs & Pieces range of wigs, the best value wigs money can buy. Most styles have thin weftings to avoid that bulky look. The fibres are soft and pliable and move more easily than real hair. As synthetic fibres hold their style and shape, your wig will require less attention than your own hair would do.

Monofilament Top wigs

Monofilament top wigs are fast becoming best sellers with wigs and pieces, as they offer a more natural transparent top and hand tied baby hair or under knotting of the front gives a realistic hairline to the wig. Hairs are individually hand tied into an invisible micro mesh foundation giving a similar appearance to that of natural hair growth even under close scrutiny. They are extremely cool and light weight and very undetectable compared to the machine made wefted wigs. Monofilament top wigs have specific taping areas (for the use of medical double sided tape) at the front and sometimes at the ear tabs and back which provides the wearer with added security when worn. Monofilament top wigs are truly a significant advancement over machine made wigs but due to the hand tied work take much longer to manufacture, therefore the cost of these are more expensive than the normal machine made wefted wig. Some of our Monofilament tops are single layered like the Noriko wigs and others are double layered. Each Wig company have their own defined construction that differs with each manufacturer.

Machine made wefted

Machine made wefted wigs have adjustable Velcro fasteners or hook & eye fasteners which allow you to adjust the fit. Wefts are single rows of fibre or hair that makes up the construction of machine wefted wigs.

Fully hand made monofilament

Fully hand made monofilament wigs or as they are often called bespoke or custom made wigs have an excellent fit due to them being manufactured to your specific head shape but also can be taped anywhere around the invisible skin perimeter giving the ultimate security. We can recommend this personal service although we do not do bespoke pieces, we know of several companies that do and we can advise you accordingly.

Hand-tied Wigs

It is what is says...hand-tied, these wigs are delicately hand-made, every thread is single threaded, hence the naturalness of these wigs. Some of them are 100% hand-tied and some have a hand-tied crown. A few of the brands may do a hand-tied crown and include a wefted back, if you are unsure of the wigs contruction, please call us on 01964 631199 for more information.

Lace Tops

Lace Top wigs are machine made and the tops have fibre sewn in to the lace construction, which is great for short spiky and full styled wigs. Often teasing or back-combing of the fibre is seen at the rooted area.

Lace Fronts

The lace front wigs have an infinity beyond the front hairline of the wig. Often it is a protrusion of approx 1inch (2.54cms) that is left for you the customer to adjust by trimming or folding under the hairline. This must not be trimmed if you are returning the wig. It gives a very natural-look to the hairline and because this area is hand-made you really cannot define the wig's hairline.

It's all about Image

2011-11-18T11:04:00.007Z

When younger people speak of Wigs and Hairpieces today, it is usually about changing their image. This is due to the music industry wanting to promote a new look to re-launch their Star or simply to changer her look for the season.

This was noticed last night at the Chldren in Need concert in Manchester as Jessie J wore two different wigs and looked great in them. I posted on twitter last night the Jessie J Look and received an order almost immediately, whether a co-incidence, I will not know. Cheryl Cole gave the extensions market a huge boost when she wore hers on the X Factor stage as every week she was proud to show her weekly style.

Sadly some Ladies have to wear wigs through necessity, but it is now totally acceptable and not frowned on in any way as years ago. The advancement of wigs through my career from the 60's is just amazing. Now with hand-tied and scalp simulations, the looks achieved are often better than the customer can style themselves. We supply many actresses and even Royalty, so if it is good enough for them, it is for you, our loyal followers.

* The Wig in the image is the Star Wig

How to care for Human Hair Wigs

2011-11-16T09:56:00.002Z

HOW TO CARE FOR HUMAN HAIR WIGS:
To achieve a natural look and unique colour shading, all human hair wigs need carefully handling as they are chemically processed. To give your wig the longest life, it is very important to use sulphate-free hair care products that are specifically made for chemically processed hair. It really is important to use a colour-based care shampoo as the Human Hair Wigs are not cheap, so you need to prolong the life of your wig as much as possible. To wash your human hair wig, follow these steps:
1. Detangle the wig using a wig brush or comb. Start at the ends and work upwards to the base of the cap holding the root area with your other hand..
2. Lay the wig in cold water keeping the base out of the water, then rinse with the water flowing in the same direction of the hair to avoid tangling. Do not over-soak your human hair wig in a basin. This will cause the hair to tangle and matt together.
3. Using your fingertips and phosphate free shampoo specifically for human hair, distribute the shampoo evenly throughout the hair. Do this as if you were treating a silk blouse with great care.
4. Rinse with cold water to remove shampoo. Rinse so that the water is flowing in the same direction as the hair.
5. Remove excess water by gently patting with a towel. Do not wring or squeeze.
6. Condition the wig with wig conditioner, using your fingertips to distribute the conditioner evenly throughout the hair.
7. Remove the conditioner by rinsing with cold water. To remove excess water, pat gently with a soft towel. Do not squeeze or wring. Allow the wig to air dry on a folding wig stand or a tall can of hairspray.
8. In some cases you may wish to add a leave in conditioner at this stage, use this product as recommended by the manufacturer’s instructions.
9. Leave the wig to dry naturally before styling it. Do not wash too often.

2002/3

2011-11-15T18:04:00.005Z

The Whitney Wig from Rene of Paris...Lace-Front and 100% Hand-Tied...coming soon

During this time of wondering what my future would hold for me, I went to college to learn IT skills, this was the first time I was back in Education since I left school in 1967, but computers and websites were the way forward. My husband was a website developer and as a change of career, I supported his business by marketing and selling our business to the end user, encouraging business people to have a website was not easy, even though they had heard of the 'Wonder Web' as someone called it, we hosted the town's website and we were there before others .....it is so different now as everyone looks to the web for advice, buying, holidays, you name it and the Internet since 2002 has exploded.

One day a close friend came to me and asked me to get her a wig as she had developed Breast Cancer, she did not want to go to a shop or Salon, she wanted this done privately and as I had links with Trendco and others, I could supply and style it for her. Whilst the wig was on order we started looking for wig websites....on the 'InterWeb' thingy as another person called it......there was none of any standard and three in USA that was not bad, so...............the idea was born, I said to my husband, instead of making sites for everyone else, I think I would like one for myself.

So I became involved in the design,look and feel of it and wanted to control this as a small cottage industry.......little did we know how this would grow and grow to today, where we have the largest online wig business in the UK.

After 2004 we knew the business was flying, so we had a professional web designer, Leigh, design a first-class site for us as image is so important. We still have Leigh to do our design and we take advice and listen to him when he advise a change of look......keep it simple and easy to navigate with clean lines.

Now I have caught up with the years since 1963, I will update my blog and publish tips, offers, new designs etc on a regular basis. I will be happy to explain the difference between monofilaments, lace fronts, hand-tied and wefted wigs....back soon

1994 .........

2011-11-15T17:06:00.006Z

1994 - I decided that I would threw myself back in to Salon-based work and quit all the demos, I had bought a bungalow with Andrew and it was time for change. I cannot recall a great deal regarding fashion or new - looks, but I was satisfied to work and enjoy the salon, this phase was a complicated one, it entailed divorce, well-being of the children and trying to do the right thing....this continued up until 2002, that was the year I was 50 and it was on my birthday I decided to sell the salon. I returned from the Caribbean and announced to my staff that I was selling up after 35 years back-breaking but thoroughlly enjoyable career of hairdressing.

It did not take long for the staff to realise what a goldmine this could be to them as it had been for Marcia and I. Liz and Caroline, were my two proteges, liz was the most naturally talented apprentice I had seen for years and Caroline was the most willing apprentice and just loved hairdressing, a great team that developed in to great hairdressers, they eventually bought the salon and I had retired....so I thought

1993 onwards

2011-08-21T19:05:00.002+01:00

As I was a single working mum, I felt very torn at times trying to do the right thing, but somehow I managed, Kate often came to work with me after school and as she had grown up in the Salon environment, she was a natural with customers. Fashions in the hairdressing industry had veered to colour, perming was on the way out, therefore the cut was even more important. I would like to say that it was my 'Forte', I loved it, I was the most awkward cutter to look at as I held my scissors between my thumb and first finger, this was due to teaching myself to cut hair at 11 years old, I must add that I did teach all my juniors the correct way......only Stephen Jones of Manchester cut the same way as I did, and we both were in the world cup team.

Marcia and I were still with Tresemme, but cut backs were showing, eventually Marcia and I decided it was time to 'move on'.....back in to the salon - full-time. This was the winter of 93/4 and some days we had to travel to the Lake District or Newcastle and back in one day so our decision to leave Tresemme was the right thing to do for us. Marcia and I had both met our future husbands at this time (although we did not realise this at the time), we wanted to be at home on a weekend, Marcia with James and myself with Andrew.

Time for Change

2010-07-10T23:12:00.007+01:00

After 1992 I felt 5 years of competing had started to take effect on my life and business.....during this year, my husband and I had separated, which was coming for a long time. I had two children to singularly bring up, earn money and try not to appear distant or changeable from their former family life. I had great friends....Kate was only 7 and this worried me a great deal, as the guilt is always present.....Adelle was 16 and seem to understand that myself and her father were now two very different people. I had been approached by Tressemme to demonstrate their new colour creations tint range, Marcia and I discussed this at great length and realised that between us it would be an addition to our well-established business.....the money was great and the fact that we went in to other salons to educate stylists was quite a challenge, though often at times, tiring. The most tiring part of this was the fact that at our salon, we were so precise and educated, Marcia and I found it quite strange that other hairdressers were not as knowledgeable. Our work was greatly appreciated and that made all the difference.

We appeared in shows, seminars, at Wembley.....Earls Court.....the stage was our oyster....I loved it, I had the confidence to know I could perform, with great models, knowledge of colour and with Geoff, Chris and the TTT's behind the scenes supporting us, we moved onwards and upwards. The work was tiring, I know I was only 40...but I knew I could only do this for a couple of years or so.....which I did! The technical team from Tressemme were all over the country, it was a fabulous way to meet other stylists and learn the art of teaching colour and demonstrating. Marcia and I worked demonstrating on a Monday so as not to affect our Salon clientele and demand.

2010-03-18T14:49:00.005Z

After the Paris Championships, I was invited by the NHF (National Hairdressers' Federation ) to train the youth team, I accepted as this was a real honour for me and I loved working with with juniors. My business partner, Marcia Clayton was a member of the team as well as two students from Halifax College (Calderdale College). So the training was 'Yorkshire Based' although we did travel to various towns and cities to train the youth team.

The youth team worked with mannequin heads and had to create their styles, shapes and re-styles on their head. Prior to competing, we had worked out the colours of the season, the style and the drap to be accross the shoulders. We trained hard, but follwed the ladies line of bad luck and failed to pick up any medals. Paris was not lucky for us.

At this time I was also a lecturer at Calderdale College, as well as running the Salon.......oh and giving private demonstrations / seminars to hairdressers at various wholesalers. My life was very full, which was a good job really as my marriage was on the brink of breaking. As the Queen said of that year 'Orrible Annus', and Prince Charles and Prince Andrew and I all split that year. So I kept myself very busy with Tresemme as they launched their new tint 'Colour Creations'.

I did a lot of soul-searching and decided that as it was now time to end the unhappy marriage we were both involved in, so I was facing a single life at 40. I deided to have a Black Tie Dance for my birthday, so I hired the local Town Hall, and invited 250 for a fun-packed evening.....details to follow soon

Paris - The European Championships

2009-11-10T20:11:00.014Z

After the World Championships in Rotterdam, it was back to the drawing board to create a 'new design' for the UK team, this was in Christofer Mann's and Colin Lewis' hands, our manager and trainer. I remember being in a training session in Birmingham and watching Chris' hands work almost like a conductor with a Baton, Liz Shipton and I looked at each other and mouthed the words "what's he doing?".....Chris said will someone pass me an A4 piece of paper and a stapler please, this was the start of the creation. Up until now the hairpieces in the Gala section of the competition was placed within the hair at the crown of the hair, but now, this new shape was to sit in the central nape, and almost plaiting and twisting towards the front. We still only had 35 mins to convert the model's hair from the previous day style to the glamorous evening style. This was hairdressing at the very best that you can imagine, hairpieces had to be unique, individual and match the models hair so it's continuity was almost un-noticed.

The pieces were hand made with a monofilament base, we then stripped the base to a single layer of monofilament, then trimmed the base to the exact requirements that the competition rules requested. Each piece of hair was then colour matched, lightened and shaded with tint. We then razor cut the piece to reduce the density to a workable piece of art, after moulding our piece on a cork board, we then pinned it in to shape and sprayed Elnett on to the piece and as it dried I lightly stroked my fingers over the piece to smooth down any stray hairs. This process was repeated several times until my mastepiece was to my satisfaction. I then stuck minute diamontes to the edge of the piece and followed the pieces' movement with jewels. The piece was then placed to a poly head and placed in to a hat box for transportation.

We were all happy with this new design and after our training session, we went to our homes all over the country to create our masterpiece. Liz Shipton & Tino lived in Wales, Chris was in Scotland, Julio, Mark and I was from Yorkshire, so as you can imagine from the areas we all travelled, we were a dedicated team. We travelled to Paris, yet no matter how hard we practised, the Ladies' team never picked up a medal, where as the men's team, were still finding Gold.

Mark Hill was the most artistic in the Gala Style in our team, but even Mark was left disappointed. We all went back to our Hotel exhausted, gradually all hitting the pillow, except this particular evening Mark 'hyperMark' Hill, asked if someone would go for a stroll, go on then I said as Mark and I were good friends and Paula was exhausted...just a bit of fresh air he said, infront of us seemed a very small Arc de Triomph, 4 miles later we reached the Arc and just as he was about to walk back, he shouted 'come on Ang', this won't take that long, I stood until I got a taxi of which he joined me.....boy did I sleep well that night, the night the Arc got bigger and bigger.

The next day we all met up for lunch before a quick trip up the tower, Everyone was ordering their meal safely until Bob said "I am having the Beef Tartare".......little did he imagine what was coming to the table, the Raw Beef and Raw uncooked egg was presented to him by the waiter of which Bob yells out "Is the cooker broke?.....has the chef walked out?.....we were all in fits of laughter as he thought he was ordering steak with Tartare Sauce, I'll never forget the laughter from everyone that lunch time in Paris.

The World Championships

2009-04-19T20:17:00.011+01:00

I had attended the German World Hair Championships in 1988, and one of the requirements to be included in the team was by gaining points from International competitions. We trained every two weeks in different locations in the UK, but mainly in London. Our trainer was Colin Lewis who held the title of World Champion, so we were very fortunate that Colin shared his skills with the squad. Our manager was Christopher Mann of Salisbury, he, also a very gifted talented man that came up with the ideas and between him and Colin, we executed the design theme for that season.
We all aimed to reproduce the team style with our own version of this style. All the costs were met by ourselves, such as travelling to London and competing in Europe, but once chosen for the World Cup Team, these expenses were met by the Official body of The Fellowship of Hair Artists and the National Hairdressers' Federation. Once we had our style, we all went home and started to make our hairpieces, Mark Hill was by far the best at making these pieces, but the competition was not all about one section, it was a combination of points achieved by winning different points in each section.

Sometimes I would be lied awake in bed at 3am and get some inspiration, so I would get up and dress my piece and often edge it with individual diamontes, each jewel had to be stuck on with glue, evenly spaced to perfection and follow the shape of the piece, to be stylistic, artful and show your artistic side..... the piece had to follow the shape and style of the hair.......It had to be perfect, with not one hair out of place, we would carry these in a hat box and often on to the aeroplane and placed on our laps, as they could not be knocked and mis-handled(I will upload photos soon.)This skill factor brought out the artistic side of the team.

The team all got on well, but Tino Constantinou always kept his style close to his heart, often changing it at last minute, but he was previously in the Men's Team and his work often lacked the softness of most of the ladies team, but he was a winner, his brother Simon Constantinou was competing in the mens team at the same time, and Michael competed in the Junior Team, what a proud moment that must have been for their families.

That season I competed in Germany, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Holland and Belgium, collecting medals en-route. But now it is 1990 and it is the turn of Rotterdam to host the championships. The UK Ladies' Team had not won the title of World Champions, but the Men's Team had and we felt reminded of this all the time and the men this year were gaining wins everywhere, John Phelps was flying high as was Simon Constantinou........

As this was my first World Championships, I was entered into the Reserve Team Competition, jheld on the same day, this was to gain experience and support the three competitors who were representing United Kingdom....Mark Hill, Liz Shipton and Simon Constantinou, where nas Christine, Fay and myself was in the reserves. There was 50 in the reserve competition and I finished 7th in the championship.....I was so pleased to be in the top ten!

One of the difficulties in maintaining continuity with the models syle and hair, was hoping your model would be able to get time off work or college for practise, days off for competing and mostly, letting you do what you want to their hair with colour and cut, this was not easy, I was very fortunate as Marcia was my business partner so I could practise after work and Dionne was always willing to work with Marcia and I. Often we would get to the competitions and one of the team would have a new model, but we all did our best to include her in our fun time as well as serious training.

I had the Salon to run as well as compete and Katy was only six, so my friend Sharon would often step in and help as well as my husband, who took time off to look after the children whilst I travelled competing. But it was tiring, the next year was the European Chapionships in Paris, so I was really looking forward to competing there.......Ooh La La!!!!

Competing for Titles

2009-04-19T18:17:00.005+01:00

As soon as I returned from Verona, I upped my game and moved onwards and upwards in the competition scene, I was already area champion in Yorkshire but needed to make an impression for the team selectors to notice me and pick me for the team.

My first major title was the Lancashire Ladies' Championship held in Blackburn. I had made my hairpiece, with the help of Glen Jackson of York, who was my mentor, my idol, no words could explain what Glen could do with hair or hairpieces. I entered three sections of the competition that day, The Day Style, Cut and Blow Dry and the conversion from Day Style to Evening Style, using your own personally made hairpiece to dress and convert the style. The Day style was a 7 min style....wow, this was international level, I really had to up my game, but I finished it, with great pride, Emma looked fantastic and sold the style to the judges 100%, she was tall, elegant and confident.

My next style was the Cut and Blow Dry, my model was Debbie, this was my forte, I was known nationally for my cutting skills, so I had to produce a style 'outside the box'. I had been working with a fashion icon stylist...William McKenzie, he influenced me and steered me in the right direction. We went for a 'square' shape of haircut using blue black colouring, the model wore a mint green satin dress and looked amazing. I finished on time and had moments to look at my competitors, Mark Hill, Adrian Fuller, Tino Constantinou and many others. The Evening style was the ultimate, most precise in styling......but I did it, this was my first outing in such a prestigious competition, my models looked amazing, the styling was the best I could do so I waited in anticipation for the results.

Adrian Fuller picked up a third and second. Points are awarded for different positions, Tino picked up points and positions but so did I and Mark Hill....who would win? All of us picked up trophy's but the overall Lancashire Championship was awarded to.........Angela Stripe....Me!!!! This was my first major win, but not without scars as Adrian Fuller of Leeds decided to report his win to the Yorkshire Post and implied and claimed he'd won the overall title.

Can you imagine how I felt?... living just 11 miles north of Leeds and all my customers reading that he had won and yet the Trophy was standing in my Salon in front of me!! I could not let this rest, so I contacted the Yorkshire Post, who then checked out the results with Christine Brett, the organiser and confirmed that I had the title, so they printed a disclaimer....but who ever remembers the disclaimers?, the Hairdressers Journal then contacted me over this and published the true story of the lady who won the title fairly and showed up Adrian who had once held a World Cup Medal, why do this?.......it was not your title Adrian, it was mine!!

Blackpool annual championships was the place to be noticed, so I competed and did very well, picking up two wins, a second and two thirds, so now I started preparing for the British Championships at the G-Mex in Manchester, which involved five competitions, then all marks are collated to produce the British Champion. We stayed at the Brittania Hotel in Manchester which was were most of the British Team was staying, I was noticed by the officials and kept all the models in the night prior as it was important for them to look good, even though it was a party atmosphere in the bar, as the group 'Bros', was also staying there and was in the bar, sat next to our table. They were number one in the charts at that time, so the hotel was guarded by 'men in black'.

I was never backward at coming forward so I started chatting to them and I had three lovely models which made a big difference!!....I wonder if they rememberd that day as we do now. All my models were blonde so they decided to put shades on, plenty of lippy and left the hotel via the front door...all the fans were screaming and thought the girls were Bros' girlfriends, so they were asked what they liked to eat, etc and the girls went along with it and never let it be known they weren't!!!......we did enjoy the fun.

Models and myself to bed, we arose early and practised all the styles, I had Marcia as my model as well as Dionne and Emma, three great models, which makes all the difference. I was nervous, but Marcia, my business partner knew how to handle me. The cut and blow dry was 45 mins long, but as there was 35 competing it seemed to put extra pressure on me. I had everything under control,, my timing was to the minute, the colour was good and I was very confident as I felt this was my strongest of all skills. .... Scissors down, model positioned and now it was time for the jury to take to the floor as I watched from the wings. Everyone kept coming up to me to congratulate me on my execution of the style, but I needed William Mckenzie, Christine Brett, Leonore Wilding, Myles Sumner and Linda Windle to also like it. They all seemed very interested in it, looking very closely at the finish, as this was so important. Not a hair out of place, not a hair on her garment and the make up also to be perfect. They were looking for thye style thgat had all these qualities as well as standing out from the crowd. This is the case in all the judging of every hairdressing competition. Judging over, I had to wait until early evening and now prepare for the next part of the championship.

This was The Day Style, that had to be finished from start to finish in 10 minuets (7 mins internationally) After completion, the same model had to have a hairpiece added, which was pre-made. This was Mark Hill's area of excellence, he seemed to win every time he competed, and even though my model was beautiful I could not beat him in this area....and I didn't this day, he won the day style and evening style, but I won the Cut and Blow Style, so I was over the moon!, I came 3rd in the evening style and Liz Shipton came second and yes...Mark Hill won it and Tino Constantino won the overall title , but I came third and received my bronze medal.........and an invitation to joing the World Cup Team!.....Woah!!!!

Verona changed everything

2009-01-18T12:49:00.011Z

I was the President of the York Branch of the National Hairdressers' Federation and also their delegate for the Yorkshire Area, which meant going to meetings, educational seminars and conference. The Yorkshire Area hosted the conference in 1986, which occurred every 12 years. I loved organising, so this was a team challenge to show the rest of the UK, what we could do in Harrogate. We provided trips, an 'evening at home' and the Ball. The World Cup team were our guests for the Ball and gave us a demonstration of their skills - This blew my mind as Glen and Julio, who were in the Ladies' team gave a demonstration of skills that I can only describe as 'mind-blowing', what Glen can do with hair and hairpieces can only be described as 'World Class' - he showed the guests skills to be very proud of. At World Class competitions, you have only 7 minutes to dress your 'Day Style' from start to finish and then to present your model for judging. I wanted to learn how to do this, I had competed at Men's area level and I won the North East of England championship as well as Lancashire champion, but I wanted the Ladies skills. At the end of the Demonstrations Trevor Mitchell (who was team manager) announced that all would be welcome to support the team as in September the World Championships was to be held in Verona, Italy.

At our next hairdressing NHF meeting, we put forward the idea of a trip to Verona, to support Glen and Julio as they were from York and active branch members. As usual it was left to me to organise. We had 20 people who showed interest, Christine & Leonore from Lancashire, Joyce Parker and Laurence Bell from Huddersfied plus many more. We stayed in Bardolino at Lake Garda and took the coach to the Competitions in Verona. Wow, Wow, Wow what I saw in the Ladies' Competitions regarding skills, was just unbelievable, hairpieces that were made so that you could not see the start or finish, jewelled pieces, timing, dresses to die for - it was so exciting. The team that really stood out, was the Italian Team, I managed to watch their work from the barrier, which was about 5 feet away, so I did not move until it was finished, Annette and I was speechless with what we saw. The photo below is from the winning team produced by the Italian Team - Wow!!

The men's skills were just as good, but their work was quite solid and boxy, which was traditional competition work, we had a good team and John Wyndham and Trevor Mitchell led the men to medals, which the ladies' team never received any. Simon Constantinou and John Phelps were the real stars of the mens team, John was the most artistic and always produced work 'outside the box', he was the risk-taker, he decided to produce finger waves up the front of his style, this was a first as normal styling was so solid, John won the artisitc medal for this style and celebrated in the way John always did and maybe does now. ....... Sadly I have just heard from my good friend John Wyndham that John Phelps passed away in February 2008...RIP John, I am sure you have them dancing in the aisles 'up there'....

I spoke to Annette (my room mate, friend and confidant) that night and said 'I want to learn world-class styling' and I will be at the next World Championship in four years time, not watching, but as a competitor, that's my goal.........and do you know what? - I was!

1984 A Year of Change

2008-03-15T18:51:00.000Z

I was still low after Gemma had left our team, but we were as busy as ever, I was now in my early 30's and had enjoyed developing the business and even more so, learning the skills of competition work, but I was so over-worked as I had to take on Gemma's customers as Janet had a 'full book' herself as well as training and book-keeping. My friend Chris, taught me about double entry book-keeping, balancing and reconcilliation of bank statements, she was and is a star! I decided I would certainly think about selling up as I had my husband and daughter and home to look after also, during this time of pensive thoughts I still felt un-fulfilled as I still only had one child, she was now eight years old, she was artistic and a loner but loved being with me or her father at the farm..........Until I was pregnant again, I was quite excited, but after two mis-carriages, I did not get my hopes up, so here goes..... 4th time for morning sickness, still having to run the business but it was growing fast, I had Marcia as my Saturday girl, she was vivacious, keen and cheeky and she expressed a desire to take up hairdressing, but I had to convince her parents that Hairdressing is a good career and she would be good at it. She made the difference, I was not going to sell now, I was pregnant, and managed to sail through this pregnancy, until the final few weeks, but on June 21st 1985 I gave birth to Katy, she was almost a clone of Adelle, wow I was so thrilled that I had another daughter and Adelle helped me as she was a great age to love her little sister.

So it was September and I went back to work part-time and employed a nanny for Kate. Deborah was wonderful, she was kind, vivacious and she loved Kate, even 23 years later, she still asks me about her and sends her cards.

Reflections of the 80's

2008-02-21T19:20:00.000Z

Anne was a superb apprentice, always a smile and boy could she pull in the Gent's to the salon, all her school mates, infact everyone wanted Anne to do their hair - it was January, cold and the snow was thick on the ground, but this made no difference as it was her 18th Birthday, also it was Karen's 21st on the same day, (Karen was my other staff member), so I decided to give them a 'treat' on their birthday! We had been out the previous night to Riley Hall as there was a Disco on, so we were all a little delicate the next morning, Gemma was honking in the toilet, Karen as green as her uniform and Janet, the senior was trying to keep all customers happy on the shop floor - "They will be with you shortly" I could hear - we were all out on the salon floor, this was my Cue to open the window - "It's a bit hot in here, I need some fresh air" I got some strange looks but my plan was working, he was here, Nick - the Milk Tray Man, dressed in black, with ropes accross his shoulder, a balaclava on and he had the chocolates under his arm, he mounted the ladders and jumped in through the window and all because the ladies loved Milk Tray - screams, laughter, amazement and joy, the girls and customers loved it, he then left via the window (with his small payment) This was me at my best, trying to surprise the staff, I was so greatful of their contribution to the business that I was always looking to stretch surprises to the full, infact even customers used to say, Angela how can I pull off a surprise and I was away.

Towards the end of Anne's apprentiship, she once said "I can now cut any style, anyone, nothing phases me" - haha I thought, as you are coming to the end of your apprentiship I will make you eat your words...........so..........I arranged for our local farmer, Brian to bring in a sheep for a 'haircut', the nod and wink was on, Brian got the sheep in to the salon (ground floor) and Anne was in the staff room, I shouted "Anne, your next customer is here", so she picked up her scissors and opened the Barber Shop door to the biggest shriek, Dolly faced her, we all descended on the Salon and said, go ahead Anne, you can do anything now - she giggled and giggles to our sides hurt, but Brian plugged in the clippers and made her trim Dolly, and she did, by this time, the press had arrived and we got maximum coverage for a great fun day celebrating Annes completion of her apprentiship.

Then one day, the sad news arrived, Anne's father bought her or arranged the purchase of a Salon in Leeds, this was such a shock to me, it hurt so much as we were such a great team and I felt I had been used, but it was her choice to move in to the very undesirable area of outer Leeds, I was concerned for her, but knew she would survive - but not for long, I think a couple of years and then she went to Australia with her husband to emigrate.

Lesson learnt - I would not give as much to the next one, I even thought of selling the salon, that was how hurt I was, I took it personally, which since then and many years later, I realise that you must have a 'them and us' policy.

It's now 1979

2008-02-10T20:21:00.000Z

I did not really get in to the high fashion stakes in hairdressing in '79 as I was still very much a 'mother', I had suffered a mis-carriage this year which left me devastated, I never thought I could feel so empty and so alone, yet it is a very regular occurence with the majority of women. You don't think so at the time though, so another year passes and I am still enjoying 'keeping my hand in'. It is now spring 1980 and we decided to go to Majorca for a holiday, we went with Sharon and Keith, very good friends of ours then and still today. I was pregnant again and this was not planned, so I was not happy about the thought of maybe not carrying this child with 100% love that I had when I was pregnant with my first child.........Majorca was fun, sunny, warm and loved being together with our friends and my adorable Adelle, until one evening I realised I was losing my 12 week old unborn child.....again, so I was taken in to hospital in Palma and without going in to further details, that was it as far as I was concerned regarding having more children.

Then, when I came back to England, infections set in, so I was taken in to hospital at York and that's where I met my friend Chris Lacy, she was in the bed to my left, suffering from an ectopic pregnancy, but what a lovely lady, with two beautiful girls, Nicola and Jo-anne. Chris had her own Salon in Huntington, York. Eventually this friendship blossomed and Chris offered me a job in her Salon, I loved it, I helped develop Chris' thriving business by my input and this worked well for a few months. Adelle was at school, her Nana helped me whilst I worked.

In March 1981 a Gent's Hairdressing business came up for sale in Tadcaster, this was the opportunity I wanted, I needed and with the financial help of my Mother and Father in Law, this became possible. So I bought 'Mr Knibbs', it had great opportunities as it had a first floor which was un-developed. Within one week, I was in the shop, changed it's name to 'Reflections', we were at the side of the River Wharfe, hence the name as well as the mirror reflections. This business was turning over £3,500 per annum, but I raised it to £17,500 in the first year. The ladies' business was growing rapidly, the mens side of things was not what I really wanted, but did not turn down this as it was a regular form of income.

I joined the NHF, (National Hairdressers' Federation) as I was employing staff (Janet and Anne), this trade body and it's meetings were essential in helping me with the laws of employment, holidays, sickness etc. They also arranged demonstrations to demonstrate the skills of competition work, this was given by David and Michael of York. Wow! I was amazed at what these men could do with their models, ....I wanted to learn how to do it....and I did, by 1982 I was the North East of England Men's Champion Hairdresser! I learnt from David how to taper, texturise, create shape and most of all finish the style to perfection.

I was buzzing, I loved been competitive, I has a good model and it was not long before Anne ( we called her Gemma as their was an Ann previously at the Salon) wanted to compete, so as a team we toured the north and entered at all available competitions, finally to Blackpool - this was the the icing on the cake. I had been to Blackpool exhibition in the 70's with Michael Aldrich from Jack Lee's as he arranged a salon trip, so I knew it was a huge event...............

1969 Onwards

2008-02-07T15:11:00.000Z

It is now 1969, I am working in the city of Hull, famous at the time for it's Fishing Industry, Hull was a troubled city then, as is now, the reason was that nearly the whole of the city relied on the industry of fishing, then with cut-backs, industrial action, the cold war, it was on a fast down-turn. I went to work at a City-Centre Salon called 'Paulines' of King Edward Street, this was a massive culture shock for me, as I had lived on the coast and my apprenticiship was formed in my home town of Withernsea, but after two years, Susan Lear (my talented boss), decided it was best for both of us to part company and finish my apprenticiship elsewhere as we had a massive personality clash:

I wonder whether it was to do with; Deena (my senior and still very good friend) and I decided to mimick the advert for Newfarm Eggs, this was 4 hens in a row, singing "Always ask for Newfarm, Newfarm eggs, fresh from the farm for you" -( I have looked on uTube for a link, but it's not out there, sorry), so there we were trouping this song down the full length of the salon, in front of all the customers, when Susan walked in!!!! or was it my impressions of Pete Cook and Dudley Moore, Hilda Baker, Morecombe and Wise or The full Monty Python Sketch that was on the TV the night before, I don't know why really she was upset as the customers loved it........except the posh ones and Susan loved the posh ones.

So Pauline introduced me to her 32 staff!!!!!! that each was assigned to her work station and wall hairdryer - we were allocated 7 mins per combout and 5 mins per set, I found this so hard as I had been taught to put rollers in with no 'root drag', all neat and tidy, infact Deena was the most immaculate, setter and perm winder to learn from, but she did not have the ability to teach, I watched and replkicated her work - Pauline said 'Grab a steel comb and a bottle of 'Bel-Aire' and we'll show you how to do this - I had to back-comb hair vividly in the roots, lock it in and then back-comb the ends so the hair stood vertical, when all the hair was done, I then had to bend the ends over into a roll or barrell, these sat on top of each other to give height. It was a great way to learn how to dress hair in a manufactured-typed way but not the beautiful way I had been taught. I was confused

One lunch time after been paid, I went to Boots Chemist and bought a dusky pink Moulineux hand hair dryer, up till then, they were slow heavy like this image above, so this new light-weight modern hair dryer was brilliant to hold and work with, so I persuaded one of the juniors to have the Quant-look, I worked away in the corner, creating my masterpiece, after cutting it, I blow-dried it using brushes as I has seen this on a programme about Vidal Sassoon, Wow, what a feeling to think I could do this, all the staff, slowly came back from lunch admiring this new total-look, but when Pauline herself walked, she hit the roof with excitement "Did you do this?", yes I was pleased to say, she said things are about to change, I'll get the builders in, and we'll create a corner of the salon that is modern and fashionable, and she did, this was 'my area' for youth and creativity'.

The 1970's was strange period in my life as I had 'found my feet', spoke up for mysef and was a stylist as good as the rest, so when I got married in 1974, I moved to York and went to work in the most famous salon of it's time at Mason Lee's, the owner Jack Lee, was tall, handsome debonair, a small thin 'tache and always had pretty young girls around him, as well as Mary, his wife.

He was a showman, he lead, others followed. He used to throw Pool Parties and you can imagine the life-style that went with it. Jack gave me the opportunity to work at his Cut and Blow Dry Salon in Coney Street, this was called 'Mopps', Graham was the manager and was a great stylist, this was the first time I could look up to someone for inspirational ideas. Michael Aldritch was the manager at Mason Lee, and one night he asked anyone to stay behind if they were interested in a photo shoot, so I did. I created my first Wedge haircut on one of the staff and they shot it in black and white, this photo adorned the walls of the salon and was published in HJ, our trade magazine, this gave me the greatest buzz and confidence, I'm glad I took this direction as 'Afro Perms' came in to fashion and the new 'stack winding', I hated perming, so I carried on in the cutting dpartment.

Until.........1976, the hottest summer of the decade and I chose to have my first child in September, all I wanted was a daughter, my husband was not bothered, so I kept hoping my dreams were fulfilled as I would have the baby in September and be back at work in December, until September 14th 1976 and Adelle Mary was born, how beautiful my child was, yes she was a breach, which means no distortion, she was dark, black hair, brown eyes and perfect as she still is to this day. This changed me completely, I did not want to go to work, I wanted to stay at home, learn to be a good mum and wife and adapt to rural-living, this was helped with a friend called Jackie in the village, she taught me all sorts from baking bread, making Jam, casseroles, how to grow plants etc, the list is endless but was great to have someone like that as I did not want to be away from Adelle at all, my late friend Christine from Burnley once said, you only have your children 'on-loan', before you know it, they will be gone, and now sadly Christine has departed but her wisdom stays with me. Adelle is a writer and it is her who has persuaded me to write this blog, I told her I'm not good enough, but she insists that I put down what's in my head, so i hope it's going OK.

I carried on hairdressing at home, as mother said in her early comments, doing my friends, their mum's, ladies from 'play-school' etc, this kept my interested ans earned a fair bit of cash. By 1978 we bought a new house and the interset rates rose enourmously in 3 months to I think about 15-16%, so the extra money was handy.

2008-01-27T19:45:00.000Z

1963

2008-01-27T18:58:00.000Z

This year, 1963 was the start of my interest in hairdressing, I was 11 years old and was a pupil at 'High School'. At that time, women's careers (in my mother's eyes) were temporary, as a woman was to 'be there' for her husband, in other words a slave to Housework and to produce children....so hairdressing was a 'good idea' as it could be left and picked up again in the kitchen for 'your friends', whilst the children was sleeping.

I went along with this as I was very much infuenced by mum, who is still a very astute woman, where as my father was an ex-hairdresser, so it was 'in my blood'. His father Ralph Hall of Hull had hairdressing shops in Waterloo Street in Hull, but failed to sign Dad up as an apprentice, as why did he need to?....then second World War was declared and he was an age that was 'called up' to serve his country.

My mum told me that I needed to practice my skills (which she showed me), so I permed her friends hair, with a product called Twink, this was the most foul smell ever at that time, it should have been enough to put anyone off the trade, but not me. So i started taking appointments like a 'real hairdresser', perming and setting mum's friends, cousins, aunties and of course Grandma.

One day, Aunty Doreen (which of course was not a real aunt, mum's friends all had to be called Aunty something or other, even to this day, ' Aunty Molly', gets her title when we see each other) said "Will you trim it today please?"........trim?, I thought, how do I do that? She realised by the look on my face, I had not done many (infact none at all), so she said "Cut the same amount off each piece in a straight line, then put the perm paper round it and wind it up"....so I did, and that's how it all started until Twiggy and Mary Quant hit the fashion world,.......now that's a different story.

Excitement, pleasure, intrigue....I needed to do these styles, not shampoo and sets every 15 minutes as by 1967 I was in full-time hairdressing.