Halifax hairdresser Debbie top of the crops after 40 years in business
Debbie Hollingworth, 59, of Deb n Hair, started working at the shop on Ovenden Road as a Saturday girl aged 14 while attending Holy Trinity School when it was called Leslie Ingham's.
"I wanted to be a nurse, so I was going to stop on at sixth form," said Debbie, who lives in Ovenden.
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Hide Ad"Leslie (the previous owner) sold the shop and a girl called Joan took over, and she said she didn't want the apprentice, she wanted the Saturday girl.
"So I worked for her for about nine months, and then I started as an apprentice at 16.
"I worked with Joan for three years, and she decided to sell-up, and told me I was buying it!
"I can't believe it's gone so fast. I can't believe I've been here 45 years, and I've owned it for 40 years.
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Hide Ad"I've brought two children up here, bringing them to work with me.
"I've enjoyed it, and I've enjoyed it more as I've got older. It's been hard at times, but for the last 20 years I've found it a lot easier.
"I don't have an apprentice, I just have help from college when I need them.
"A few of my customers have been coming since I took over.
"They've all been very supportive, very loyal.
"There's so many salons that open and then shut.
"But my customers must feel that they feel at home here I suppose."
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Hide AdDebbie says she has certainly noticed a few changes over the years as fashions have come and gone.
"I think once you know the trade, you know how to do stuff," she said.
"The more you practice, the better you get too.
"There's not a lot of perms now, it's more colouring. That's very popular now.
"Then everybody had straight hair, now a lot of young ones are going back to having it curled.
"I still do perms but not as many as I did."
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Hide AdDebbie says she has no plans to hang up her scissors and curling tongs yet.
"I'm not 60 while next year, you don't get a pension until you're 67, and this is my pension really," she added.
"I think the time to pack it in is when I don't want to come in anymore, but at the moment I'm quite happy."