Wallasey barber shop marks 20th anniversary with a free hair cut

Andreas Barber Shop in the heart of Wallasey Village is hosting a celebration party this week (Saturday, July, 31) to mark when they first opened their doors to customers in August 2001.

Despite celebrating the 20-year milestone, the family have been trading in Wallasey Village under other businesses for 50 years.

Andrew Williams, whose parents owned Toronto Motors on the adjacent plot opposite the Lighthouse Pub, told the Globe the family business continued when his wife, Andrea Williams, bought the barber shop 20 years ago.

Andrew said: “It first started with my mum and dad, Jerry and Carol Williams, who bought the church hall in 1971 and turned it into Toronto Motors garage.

The plot has been in the family for 50 years

“Then my parents bought the plot where Andrea’s barber shop currently is which used to be Cawoods Coal because it was adjacent to the garage.

“So the property has been in our family for 50 years and we have been operating in Wallasey Village ever since.”

Andrew said he started working in the garage alongside his mother and father from when he left school until they sold the plot several years ago.

“Everybody in the village knew my parents. We have a memorial bench outside for them and a lot of customers who were also their friends come to sit and talk to them.

“There’s a lot of sentiment really.”

Now Andrew runs his own tattoo laser removal business at the back of Andrea’s barber shop.

“It’s totally a family unit,” he explained.

“My daughter Natalie has been working in the barber shop for years so ultimately she will be carrying on the business when my wife retires.”

Andrea and her daughter Natalie work in the barber shop together

Like many businesses Andrew explained how despite struggling over lockdown, the shop was kept going by the loyalty of their customers.

He said: “It’s brilliant to be able to celebrate being able to stay in business for this length of time especially after covid because when lockdown hit, we thought is this going to be the end as so many people were cutting their hair at home.

“It’s so nice that we have such a loyal customer base in the village and now we can come out the other side and look at the next 20 years.

Andrea has been cutting hair at Andreas Barber Shop for 20 years

The celebration will see the shop decorated in balloons, banners, cakes, beers and a free hair cut and bottle of prosecco for their 20th customer of the day.

Andrew said: “We’d be lost without our customers, so this celebration is a thank you to them and their loyalty and to celebrate being able to stay in business for this length of time.

“We have a lot of customers who started coming as children to get their hair cut and now still come as adults bringing children of their own.

“It’s a lovely thing.”