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05
Mar 2021
Ripon hairdressers prepare for the long road back
A long road back from lockdown and lost trade lies ahead for Ripon hairdressers Deborah Chalmers and Sharon Bielby.
The friends own and run hair and beauty businesses less than 100 yards apart on North Street, Ripon.
Deborah's Love Hair & Beauty Boutique depends heavily on the wedding market.
Sharon, whose shop bears her name, is a barber who cuts men's and boys' hair.
For both, the priority following the stop-start year of 2020 and the closed-down first quarter of 2021, has been to keep their heads above water.
Now they are buoyant at the prospect of reopening in six weeks time on 12 April and finally earning some money again.
Their loyal and now long-haired customers have kept in touch and they are looking forward to a busy post-lockdown period.
Deborah, who ensures brides and their bridesmaids look beautiful for the big day, told the Stray Ferret:
She used a government small business grant to pay for overheads while living off the crumbs that came from the dramatically scaled-down wedding table.
The same applies for Sharon, who said:
Her shop will have an appointment-only policy in place from reopening day. She joked:
Deborah, who has created her own brand of lip balm as a reopening thank-you gift for her customers, is looking forward to a very busy summer.
She said:
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An additional factor gives Deborah hope that she can make up for some of the lost business she has experienced over the last year.
She said:
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