ERIC IS STILL A CUT ABOVE AFTER 50 YEARS

BARBER REOPENS

Today is a momentous day for hair salons all over Renfrewshire as they open again - but it’s particularly special for Johnstone stylist Eric Black as today also marks an impressive 50 years in business.

It was in July 1970 that he first opened the doors to Intrim Hair Stylist salon on Johnstone High Street.

Over five decades, he has cut the hair of generations of families and has become a pillar of the Johnstone community who has to go a long way not to be recognised by customers - having even bumped into one on a busy street in New York.

Now aged 71, Eric is still as busy as ever and is delighted to be back in business, having never had so much time off in all his years of running the salon.

He told the Express: “I am so glad to be finally opening back up again. I don’t think in all my years, if you add up all my days off, it would even come close to as long as this has been.

“I’ve had a lot of people through my doors over the years. We have always been busy and I know so many people in the town.

“It has been great to be open for all these years and I’m so glad we will hopefully be able to get things back to normal over the next few months. I’m proud to still have a successful business after all these years.”

Eric was just 21 years old when he took the plunge to set up his own business after completing his hairdressing apprenticeship.

Using all his savings, he applied for the property and six weeks later the keys to the property were handed over.

As the years went on, thousands of customers would come through the doors of the busy High Street salon.

And as Eric’s business grew, so did his family.

He married Norah, his wife of 35 years, and welcomed two children - Jennifer, 34, and Fraser, 32.

Eric, who is also granddad to Eilidh, 11, and one-year-old Jessica, added: “I went to college and did my training and was working in another salon but I knew I couldn’t work like that forever.

“I quickly realise that if I ever wanted to make any money doing what I do, I would need to go out on my own.

“It was a big decision to make and I was just a young man at the time, but it went fairly well in the beginning and it has been running along nicely ever since.”

With 50 years of experience, Eric has been cutting hair through some of the biggest style changes of every decade which has passed.

Starting out in the 1970s, he has gained a wealth of skills due to ever-changing hair trends from the perms of the 1980s to the chunky highlights in the 2000s.

And Eric says he has enjoyed adapting to the different styles throughout his 50 years in business.

He has also been lucky to have a loyal team of staff that have worked alongside him for more than 30 years.

He added: “It has changed a lot over the years but it’s great that I have my staff who have been with me for years.

“When I started out in the 1970s everyone’s hair was long but you see so many different styles now.

“You just have to adapt to all the new things that come around and I still enjoy it as much as I used to.”

Eric - who still works five or six days a week - has no plans on slowing down, and even finds the time to get in a game or two of golf at Ranfurley Golf Club.

He said: “I like to stay on the move.

“The last four months have been terrible and I have missed seeing my customers so I’m just glad we are on our way back to how things were and I can keep myself busy again.”

I’m so glad we will hopefully be able to get things back to normal over the next few months