George France Hairdresses- Chapel Walk

[Clive Dyson]

I worked there for a short time about1965-66 really great staff there we had some really good nights out as a group.Mrs Henry reminded me of the charactor from are you being served.She has just died.I can remember being absolutly gobsmacked when she asked a client,''good afternoon madam,what was it you was wanting''I left shortly aftrewards.

[Nomad66]

Did anyone used to work, or go for their hair doing at George France on Chapel Walk around early seventies? I remember Mrs Henry and her son Andre who owned it. Also Kevin who was Andre's partner. Most people who worked there were not called by their own names, because they had a tanoy system to call you to reception so if, as in my case, there was already someone who worked there with your name you got given another name mine was Gail... The people I remember( not sure if these were their real names or the made up ones!!) Mary,Gillian, Marian, John, Paul, Terry, Miss Millington (receptionist).

 

I worked at George France for about two/three years 82-85. I remember Mrs. henry, Reception was Miss Havenhand, Paul, tracey (carol Barnsley) Gillian, valerie, Joan (the scone) Tony Conelly, Mark, Lisa, Betty (the shampoo lady) Stephen, Kevin McCool, Andre (David Snowdon, I think) Carol, Sandra (Husband called Tomy) Debra Bean (Shaun Bean's the actor first wife)......it all seems so long ago, but i rememebr having some great times. It's true that everyone had different names because of the tanoy system. So I guess I never really new most of their real names.

[lockycocky]

I know this is an old conversation but I have only just seen this..... I was a junior at George france in 1986 I wasn't there along time but I remember Betty bless her she used to give all the gents a good old scrub with her marigolds on when we were busy in the gents side. Mr Andre only had a select few clients and I must admit I used to get away with jokes with him. Miss Havenhand was on recep. Val with beautiful long wavy hair (even though she was a lot older) and Joan still there, Sue Hardy and Debbie with the fantastic tan and sue ying lee was in the gents side with I think Tracey. my name is Janet and I was on a YTS at the time. I did see Miss Havenhand in the early 90s and she told me Mr Andre had passed away.

[victormh]

My mother worked there for a while - part time - doing shampooing. She was a fully trained hairdresser (started in 1938) and formerly had hairdressing shops, and after retirement decided she wanted to "keep busy", and went to George France - that would be around 1970 - her name Jessie Hutchinson - anyone remember her ?

 

Grey Eminence - Subang Jaya - Malaysia

[bullerboY]

I had the best haircut ever there a girl cut it with tiny scissors and it was brilliant,that would be around 1976 I wish I could find one as good these days and yes I still have all my hair now ime an old geezer but i like to be a bit stylish even now,to hell with all the polished bullets.

[dangizzle]

cooool stuff man

[Anne S]

I went straight from school to George France as an apprentice. it would have been 1973.  I didnt have to change my name which was Anne. i remember working with Mary who had beautiful red hair, Jackie, long dark hair married then to Steve. Marie whose boyfriend worked at the mens clothes shop across from salon called Harry Fentimans. Wendy, Gail,  Mark, Leonard, Paul, Judith, Hazel, John, Bernadette, Kay, Joan, Nicholas now owns changes on glossop rd.

We used to go to the crazy daisy night club on fargate sometimes after work as we didnt finish till 8.00pm thurs and friday

I earned £4.95 a week and £1 had to be paid for our uniform. last uniform was a green pinafore dress and floral blouse.

my bus fares were £1 and i gave mum £1 board. What i did with that £1.95 i cant remember.

we would buy scones from local bakery for our breaks. Mrs Henry would creep about and make sure we were all working. Mr Henry followed on like an old shoe.  Mrs Henry would show juniors how to brush hair and wash it, totally ignoring the client, never asking the client if it was ok. On mondays the juniors had to clean the salon, i used to clean the glass cabinet at top of the stairs.  One Monday Andre asked me and Bernadette to go and buy flowers from a street flower seller outside boots, him and Kevin were going to the Fiesta night club to see Shirley bassey and they wanted to throw the flowers on stage.

Kevin would call me miss Anne, i once threw a brush across the room at him because he would antogonise staff. he always forgave us though. on another saturday he had upset one girl (cant remember her name) and her boyfriend came up the fire escape at back of the shop dressed in white overalls covered in blood, he worked in the fish market and he came to put Kevin in his place, Kevin ran away. it was so funny,  on another occasion Andre was being challenged by another Sheffield hairdresser Andrew Hook  because they were on each others territory and in those days staff has to agree not to work within 5 miles of George France after they left and one member of staff had moved under the 5 mile.  We were in night school on wednesday night and Andre locked us all in and only let us out to go home one at a time, he was looking up and down chapel walk and we had strict instructions to not answer the door if anyone knocked, only models were allowed in. He was terrified an altercation was going to happen. I remember them always falling out and not talking to each other, it was like a comedy when you think back. Andre wouldnt buy enough rubber gloves for perm solutions and dyes so we would re use them and they were always wet and ripped, it was horrible but things were different back then. We often had actresses in from the crucible theatre and if it was anyone famous Andre would pre warn us and he always did their hair. Mrs Granelli was a saturday regular and i usually washed her hair, clients used to bring a solution in to pre apply to their hair before shampooing to remove all the hair laquer.

i had to leave because i had severe dermatitus from the products but i would have loved to have stayed.