Donaghadee hairdresser retires after 40 years
A HAIRDRESSER has hung up her scissors for the final time after 40 years of serving the Donaghadee community.
Adrienne Johnston (67), who ran Adrienne’s Hair Salon on High Street, began her hairdressing career almost 50 years ago in 1976.
After obtaining her City & Guilds qualification in hairdressing, Adrienne learned the tricks of the trade after completing her training in May’s Salon in Donaghadee, where she worked for over five years before heading back to college to do her advanced exams.
Having found her passion and proved her potential, she went on to work for well-known Belfast unisex salon owner John Turley, who also ran a men’s barbers on York Street with a women’s hairdressers upstairs, which Adrienne looked after with two other stylists.
In the five years she worked for John Turley, Adrienne was also coming home to do friends’ and family’s hair in the evenings.
In 1985, a lady called Mrs Cooper who owned the retail space on High Street, Donaghadee, offered Adrienne the opportunity to rent it to start-up her very own salon.
“I had to think about it, it was a big step to start my own business,” said Adrienne. “I thought, if it works, it works. If it doesn’t, I can always get another job – and it worked.”
Adrienne’s Hair Salon became a staple in Donaghadee’s town centre over the years, attracting clients from Belfast, Helen’s Bay and across the peninsula.
Family members soon joined her in the salon including her sister, Joan, who played a pivotal part in shaping her hairdressing career before sadly passing away last August.
“My sister Joan worked with me. She was there from the start of my career as my model for training and exams at Bangor Technical College, until she stopped to look after her grandchild.
“[Joan’s] daughter Elaine also worked for me. She came in after school and started training with us, then went onto the college too.”
After losing both her sister and brother last year, Adrienne said ‘it was time’ to take a much-needed break after working full-time for so long.
With the salon completely cleared out now and bought over by neighbouring business J Wright & Sons, a local butchers in the town, Adrienne says while it is the end of an era, she is looking forward to some well-deserved time off as she enters her first few weeks of retirement.
“I have no plans, but who knows what’s round the corner.
“I’m just doing day by day and hopefully have a wee holiday later. I’m still sort of acclimatising like I’m still on holiday for a week and I need to go back.”
When asked about career highlights, Adrienne said: “I enjoyed every minute of it. It wasn’t like a job, it didn’t feel like one. I just enjoyed doing what I did – it was always my passion.”
She describes her clients as feeling more ‘like a family’ as she got to know the community over the last 40 years.
“I would like to thank all the girls who worked for me over the years keeping my salon going and also my clients who were loyal, kind, thoughtful and generous to us.
“Also a big thank you to Jennifer for staying with me for 35 years through our ups and downs in the business. I will miss it all,” said Adrienne.
