Former student is a cut above

A former College student has proved to be a cut above the rest in the hairdressing world, after opening her own successful salon in Yorkshire.

Judy Spink studied NVQ level 1 and 2 hairdressing at the College from 1997 to 1999. After gaining experience at several different salons, her own business, Mirror Creative Images, opened in Saltaire in May last year.

The salon offers both men and women's hairdressing, including cutting and colouring, and was recently featured in local society magazine H2B, which highlighted the luxurious surroundings and welcoming atmosphere Judy had created.

She said: "I had worked in a few salons in Birmingham, one in the city which was a trendy young salon and one in Harborne which had a mixture of clients. This experience gave me an insight into which environment I enjoyed working in.

"When I left college I went to work at a hair salon in Leeds city centre called Box Creative Hairdressing. I was renting a chair at Box and built up a good clientele over four years. I then moved to another salon just outside Leeds, Simon Warner Hair, where I also rented a chair for two-and-a-half years.

"I'd always wanted to open my own salon, but I was apprehensive about what it would involve. I'd moved to Saltaire with my boyfriend and had thought that it would be a good area to set up a salon. I knew that if I didn't do it soon, I'd never do it so I took the plunge!"

Judy said her time at the College prepared her well for working in the hairdressing industry, and she now had high hopes for the future.

She added: "College gave me the confidence I needed for my skills as a hairdresser and in myself. The tutors especially gave me good advice with my career, and gave me the determination to open my own salon. Studying hairdressing at the College gave me all the skills and knowledge to create a salon that I love, and hopefully others will too.

"I'm currently looking for more stylists to rent chairs and I'm planning to expand the salon to the next floor, as a colouring lounge. Who knows I might even open another salon!"