10 Years of Zeitgeist Hair
Hello everyone, finally we have a significant date in our diaries (not the dinner for two, best pants on kind!) but a very exciting one all the same. So, it looks like April the 12th will be the date when we can (hopefully) open and make you all look and feel wonderful again.
Although April the 12th will be a special date this year, at Zeitgeist Hair March 1st is especially important ; as this is the date that Debbie first opened Zeitgeist and more significantly this year it is our 10th Anniversary!
To celebrate this huge achievement, Debbie and Justin (the very talented photographer we work with) have created a video of some of the fabulous work we have created over the last decade, we hope you enjoy watching. http://www.jags-photography.co.uk
So, it only seems fitting that this month’s blog should reflect all our wonderful achievements and memories from the last 10 years of Zeitgeist.
In July 2011, we had our first official opening at the Town Hall with the photos from our Town Hall shoot on the wall. Red Tin Dave played hairdressing related tunes in the background, lots of friends and clients dropped in to see us and wish us well and we celebrated with sparkling wine, nibbles and some very elaborate cupcakes made by Naomi.
http://www.hebdenbridgeartsfestival.co.uk
In the early days, the salon receptionists were the unique and brilliant Kate and Naomi the craftiest, brilliant blog writer and baker. Kate was always known for her incredible style ad had a very strict dress code for her colleagues:
No visible knicker lines,
No whopping cleavages to distract the gents trying to relax whilst Amy wields a cut-throat razor,
No hippy attire,
No stilletos worn with jeans………… the list went on and on.
Kate also had definite views about what should be listened to at Zeitgeist; Will Young and Michael Buble were not an option, only the very cool playlists were allowed. I think Beth and I have managed to keep the fashion legacy, but I am not sure Kate would always approve of our choice of music (I think One Direction and Little Mix have their place!)
Always keen to develop their creative skills, the team have regularly visited hair shows; the first one was in September 2011 where they went to London for the day to visit Salon International at ExCel.They saw a non-stop programme of amazing live events showcasing the season’s styles, cutting techniques and colouring trends. Throughout the decade the team have also visited Sassoon, Mahogany and Noise shows. Mel was invited to take part in creating hairstyles at London fashion week and had a great time. Keen not to miss out on education and training Beth (the best job share anyone could have) and I travelled to London for a product training session by Bumble and bumble whose products we use in the salon. Never keen to stand still and always wanting to progress and grow our skills we have also done some amazing photoshoots (take a look at our gallery on our website for the fantastic results). We often did these in collaboration with other businesses in our great town; in particular with Chrissy from hat therapy http://hattherapy.co.uk/. One of our photoshoots‘Boy, a girl and a bike,’ was even featured on the front of the Yorkshire Post back in May 2014. Throughout the last decade of our creative journey, we have also encouraged our clients to express themselves in a creative way. We ran a ‘design a haircut’ competition and also asked our clients to make a poster to adorn our window during the first lockdown and you certainly didn’t disappoint!
Hebden Bridge is a great community and Zeitgeist is proud to be part of it; over the years we have always been happy to support events in the town. We have decorated our windows to support the Duck Race, the Great Pumpkin Festival and the Arts Festival as well as Valley Pride. We have helped with hair for the people parading in the fabulous spectacle that is the Handmade Parade. We regularly used part of the salon as a pop-up shop. Many people have walked up our stairs to visit people selling furniture, vintage goods, pre-loved clothes, children’s clothes, jewellery and Christmas gifts. Heart gallery even used our space to sell their goods when they had been affected by one of the floodshttps://heartgallery.co.uk. When our space wasn’t doubling up as a pop-up shop it was also used as a gallery space showcasing the work of photographer’s Justin Garner https://jags-photography.co.uk/and Jack Henriques as well as displaying the work of Talya Baldwin a mixed media artist.
We all love supporting a charity at Zeitgeist and we have hosted many events and raised a lot of money over the years. We love making a cake (and eating them!) and every year have hosted a Macmillan Coffee morning and brought out our signature bakes. We have supported Movember, where Amy donated money taken for wet shaves to its cause and have shaved many locks off to support Brave the Shave for Cancer Research and Young Minds as well as cutting off Rapunzel-like ponytails for people to donate to charities who make wigs for people.
We also like to go out socially and any excuse will do (like does the month have a ‘y’ a ‘u’ or an ‘r’ in it!). Even when we stay in, we get together virtually for bingo nights, film nights and book clubs. We always like to celebrate our anniversaries; our first one was spent at the Edwardian Radisson Spa, we’ve been to Northcote Manor for lunch, had an amazing afternoon tea at The Midland in Morecambe and our most adventurous one yet was to spend a couple of nights in Amsterdam! When it’s Christmas we like to make sure it is marked ‘Zeitgeist style.’ In the early days we went forafternoon tea at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester. It was most splendid! Posh butties…swanky tea cups (pinkies up!)… gorgeous cakes…Champers…We have enjoyed the splendours of Gimbalshttps://gimbals.co.uk/ and were truly spoilt with the tasting menu at The Moorcock https://www.themoorcock.co.uk/; we really know how to enjoy ourselves!
Having read the past blogs to write this month’s I would thoroughly recommend you having a look at them again (all found on our website www.zeitgeisthair.com; they really put a smile on your face and are full of brilliant ideas for things to do and places to go. There was so much more I could include about what Zeitgeist has achieved and the incredible journey it has been on over the last ten years.
Obviously Zeitgeist wouldn’t have such a great reputation were it not for all the great stylists, colourists, trainees and receptionists past and present, so a huge thank you to everyone for being part of its ambitious story.
But it goes without saying, we wouldn’t be the business we are and had the success we have had were it not for you, yes you!
You, our lovely clients are amazing, you continue to support us and recommend us and inspire us. You make our lovely atmosphere, contribute to the interesting chats and support us with your lovely reviews. You make Zeitgeist, so thank you and here’s to the next ten!
Thank you to all the businesses we have collaborated with over the last 10 years.