Owner of Silhouette hair Salon looks back on 30 years in the community

“Back in the day, we used to have a lot of people that came in weekly, they just felt like it was a home away from a home. (Silhouette) was a very welcoming, sociable place where getting your hair done was a bit of a bonus.

“I think it was more the social aspect that people came in for. We always did a lot for charity, there was always something going on in there. I think people just felt it was homely and comfortable. It was just that familiarity and comfort of going to a place they knew with people they knew.”

So said Suzie Coppard, the former owner of Silhouette hair salon in Yapton, which, last month, closed its doors for the final time after more than thirty years in the community.

Although it came into its own under Mrs Coppard, Silhouette was already an established name in Yapton when she took over in 1992, having worked there previously in 1989.

30 years is a long time to do anything and, asked what kept her in one place for so long, Mrs Coppard answered “Yapton. I’m Yapton born and bred, so it meant a lot back then. My grandparents moved to Yapton in 1939, and my mum was born here as well.

“Although it was my salon, my mum was always a big part of the salon, she worked with me. She wasn’t a hairdresser. She was just a character, a part of the salon.”

Losing her mum in December 2019 was a big part of Mrs Coppard’s decision to leave the salon behind. Between that, and the difficulties of the pandemic, she said working at the salon just wasn’t what it used to be.

“It wasn’t the same sort of social hub that it was. Without my mum it was very, very different.

“(Closing) was a heart breaking decision,” she added.

But saying goodbye to Silhouette doesn’t mean saying goodbye to what it stood for. Mrs Coppard is now working as a mobile hairdresser and still visits many of her oldest customers, keeping the spirit of Silhouette alive, even if the salon no longer exists.

“I’ve really dedicated my life to caring for my customers. I absolutely loved my customers. I felt very, very blessed to be so well supported in the village and I’ve always been busy,” she said.