The co-founders of a hair salon are celebrating 40 years in business this month.
Bobbles salon on Market Street in Tottington has been serving the community since July 1984 and have built up a list of loyal of clients and team members across four decades.
Owners, married couple Kathryn, 59, and Mark Tonge, 65, are still a hands-on part of the business and take pride in the fact that most members of their team choose to stay at the salon for their entire careers.
Kathryn said: “We want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our clients and team members for helping us reach this milestone.
“We really couldn’t have done it without them.”
The couple train their team in-house through the Bobbles NVQ training centre which was established in 1991 and have trained more than 100 apprentice hairdressers.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the Bury Times morning newsletter as well as our breaking news alerts
Speaking about how the industry has changed since they first opened doors, Mark said: “When we first opened in the 80s, people wanted perms. We would do about eight to 10 a day!
“Now most people are looking for colours and cuts and we’ve evolved to meet that need.
“We make sure we keep up to date with new trends and techniques and provide regular training for all the team.”
The pair celebrated the milestone achievement by hosting a party and BBQ at their Greenmount home for the whole Bobbles team.
Husband and wife duo Karen Brockway, 65, and Frank, 67, have been visiting the Tottington salon since it first opened.
Karen said: “We like to support local businesses and have got to know the team here well. They’re always professional, friendly and know exactly how I like my hair doing.”
When the Tottington salon first opened, it had just four chairs and two trainees.
Today, it consists of two large buildings and the team has built up a loyal client base.
Although some customers have moved away from the area, they still regularly travel back from places like Lytham, Chester and Llandudno to visit their favourite stylists.
Salon manager Susan Eardley, 54, has worked at Bobbles for more than 38 years.
She said: “The fact that I’ve been here for so long says it all. For me, it really does feel like a family and our unique culture helps us stand out from the crowd.
“Our customers they know that they will always get an incredibly high quality of service here and have built up trusted relationships so are happy to keep coming back.”
To mark the anniversary, the Bobbles team are holding a raffle with all funds raised being donated to Bury Hospice and Bury Cancer Support Centre.
Ticket can be purchased in the salon.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here