Family’s 106-year link to Wigan salon ends as hairdresser retires

Christopher Ball said farewell to his clients at Christopher ladies’ salon and barber’s shop in Orrell last Friday, 47 years to the day since he opened it.

He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather’s brother Harry Ball, who had opened a barber’s shop in the very same building on Church Street in 1914.

Christopher, 67, who is profoundly deaf,is now beginning his retirement after cutting hair for decades.

He said: “I started on July 24, 1973 and it is a coincidence that I finished on the same date.

“I am ready. All good things must come to an end.

“I have seen changes in the community. I have seen changes on Church Street. At one point there were nearly 30 shops on Church Street, it was quite a busy street and you could get everything on Church Street at one point.”

Christopher’s great-uncle Harry ran the barber’s shop from 1914 until he died in 1949, after which his wife rented it out as a women’s hairdressers until 1953.

When she died, the shop was taken on by someone the family knew and continued to operate as a women’s hairdressers.

Christopher took over in 1973 and has been there ever since, cutting the hair of both men and women.

“I have enjoyed working here,” he said. “Now I am seeing the grandchildren of the people I first saw. I have gone through generations.”

Among the many things to have changed over the years were fashions and hairstyles desired by his customers.

Christopher, who was president of the National Hairdressers’ Federation for Wigan and Leigh in the late 1980s, said: “Men used to have perms. It was started off by Kevin Keegan. Long hair comes and goes. Hairstyles have changed a lot over the years.”

Christopher, who lives in Orrell, reopened the shop on July 4 after the coronavirus lockdown, with a range of safety measures in place, so he could say goodbye to his loyal clients.

He said: “I have seen most of them, though I haven’t been able to see some.

“My personal thanks goes to all the customers.”

Christopher is looking forward to having more time for walking and gardening during his retirement.

He is married and has two children and two grandchildren.

While he is moving on, he will still own the building and is delighted that his letting agent has found someone wishing to use it as a salon.

Christopher said: “I wanted to keep it in the same profession, because it has been in this address since 1914. I wondered if it is the longest profession in the same address, I have no idea.”