A SHREWSBURY hairdresser at the top of his profession has found a unique way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of opening his first salon.

Philip Minton, a Bond Street stylist in the Swinging Sixties and owner of K2 hair salon in the Darwin Shopping Centre, is giving his prices a quick trim on special offer days to roll back the years to the 70s.

He has found an original price list from the days when he opened his first salon, Kameo, on the town’s Castle Street back in December 1971 – back in the days when Ted Heath was Prime Minister, Sir Alf Ramsey was manager of England and Bennie Hill’s ‘Ernie, The Fastest Milkman In The West’ was keeping T Rex’s ‘Jeepster’ off the number one spot in the charts.

Customers who visit his website and sign up could find they are entitled to a restyle and blow dry for under £5 or a shampoo and set for £1.50.

Philip, 62, of Weston Lullingfields, who has a second salon in Newtown, said he wanted to share the special anniversary with his loyal customers and think back over his career which started when he was only 15 and was inspired by Vidal Sassoon, the inventor of the bob.

He said: “I do remember the moment I wanted to be a hairdresser. I was watching TV and Vidal Sassoon came on one of these Saturday night programmes with two lovely girls on each arm and these two women just stood there and shook the beautiful bobs he had created for them.

“I just loved the way he was selling himself and his company and I thought to myself, I would like to do that.”

By the age of 22, Philip, who is married with three children, was opening his first salon and four years later he was profiled in the Christmas edition of Vogue magazine.

But little did he know that the first wife of the man who inspired him to take up hairdressing would later become a valued customer.

He said: “When we opened our second salon in Newtown 12 years ago, Elaine Nations, Vidal Sassoon’s first wife decided to come in and give us a try because she was interested I think to support the new local salon.

“She is a really nice lady and I have had some fascinating conversations with her over the years. It is quite special to think that I am now styling hair for a lady who has had it done by Vidal Sassoon himself.”

Philip has worked with some of the industry’s greats including taking part in a hair show and demonstration with the late New York stylist John Sahag who cut the hair of Hollywood’s finest such as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.