Hairdresser closes her Wigan salon to retire after 43-year career

Sheila Anderton closed the doors to her salon Hair 17, in Hindley, on Friday and bid farewell to her clients as she began her retirement.

It marked the end of a long career in hairdressing, which started when Sheila was just a teenager.

She said: “I have been doing it since I was 16 years old and I’m 59 now. I don’t know how I got into it. I used to go to the hairdresser’s with my mum every week. It’s all I have ever done.”

Sheila, from Hindley, was initially employed as a hairdresser, before opening her own business, The Salon in Standish, 30 years ago.

She spent six and a half years there before leaving to have her first child.

Sheila opened Hair 17 26 years ago and says she has “loved” everything about working there.

"It’s about the people in this job,” she said. “I have had lovely customers and a lot of them are still with me from the day I started.”

Sheila’s husband retired earlier this year and she decided to sell the shop and retire too.

They are looking forward to going on holidays together, DIY projects on their home and spending time with their four children.

And despite closing her salon, Sheila admits she may not quite be finished with hairdressing yet.

She said: “I am retiring from the shop, but there are some people whose hair I’ll still do. I have a summer house at home so might do a few little bits for them.”