When it opened its doors 50 years ago, a WIRRAL salon was the first in the borough to offer specialized precision cutting and blowing.
Christopher Boyton, 78, from Prenton started hairdressing aged 17 and was training as an apprentice at the Pride salon in Liverpool.
After working in several salons in the city, at the age of 28, Christopher opened his first salon, Christopher Boyton Hair Salons, at Birkenhead.
Christophe told the World“I never had the ambition to open my own house. When I worked in salons in Liverpool I always saw my future being the manager of one.
Three years later, after the success of his first show, Christopher was offered the opportunity to open a second base in Heswall.
Christopher Boyton
He said, “At that time, after my first salon opened, we were very busy and people were visiting us from all over.
“We offered cut and blow-dry, which was new at the time and no other salon did.
“A friend of mine had opened a sauna in Heswall which didn’t work and he was selling the premises and offered it to me so I thought of opening a second salon.”
The Heswall salon opened on Pensby Road, which has since moved to its current residence on Telegraph Road.
Current Heswall Saloon on Telegraph Road
Christopher Boyton salons celebrated their 50th anniversary in February, an occasion Christopher says “amazes him”.
He said: “It feels like yesterday since we opened, I can’t believe how old I am.
“It amazes me when I look back and see how long it went on.
“I remember years ago when I was cutting older clients’ hair and they were telling me they didn’t feel old and now that’s how I feel.”
Current Charing Cross, Birkenhead Saloon
Since he started hairstyling 60 years ago, Christopher has noticed all the latest styles come and go, from cropped cuts to long waves.
He said: “When I started hairdressing, it was the start of cutting shapes in hair.
“People stopped having their hair done like the Queen or Margaret Thatcher and started having modern hairstyles that were done with rollers or dry.
“A lot of young people had short hair back then, but now there aren’t so many young people with short hair.
“Color is also a much bigger thing now than it used to be. It’s not very common to see a youngster who hasn’t colored their hair now.
