A long-serving barber who has been part of the Fulwood community for more than a decade is preparing to hang up her scissors.

Julie Cartwright is retiring and says she’s already seeing a bumper surge in bookings to her Boys Lane barber shop since telling her regulars the news.

She told Blog Preston: “It’s been really overwhelming all the lovely comments already.

“I was working out with a friend the other day I must have done more than 100,000 haircuts during my time here.”

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Julie – who has been a barber since 2005 and took on the salon in Fulwood in 2009 – said she is stepping back to spend time caring for her father.

She said: “Sadly my Dad has dementia and I can see the toll it is taking on not just him but also my mother too.

“I felt it was a choice between carrying on working or stopping and being there for my family. So it was only one choice, especially given the rapidly rising cost of care.”

Julie has built a loyal following at her salon and says her final day is already full for appointments but she will continue her walk-ins on the final Saturday from 12noon to 2pm as usual.

She said: “The gate will shut at 2pm, as long as you’re in the queue by then I will do the cut.

“I think it’s going to be very emotional as a lot of people have been saying ‘but what am I going to do Julie?’

“As a barber it’s a very special thing to be trusted to cut someone’s hair.

“I’ve seen boys become men, men have children and raise families themselves, and for a lot of the elderly people I cut the hair for I might be the only conversation they have that week. I’m a part of people’s routines and lives and I’m very lucky to be that.”

Julie will work her final day on Saturday 20 July.

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