Last updated at 19:54, Thursday, 05 April 2012

Maryport's newest barber shop is traditional in every respect – except that the barber is a woman.

Rachel Lister

Rachel Lister, 23, of Central Road, Dearham, opened her business in Wood Street last week.

She has transformed a shop that was previously Jazz Hair Studio, which has moved into a new premises in Crosby Street.

The walls at Rachel’s Barber Shop are decorated with icons of the 50s and 60s, including Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix.

Rachel trained as a stylist at Da Vinci’s in Workington, where she enjoyed cutting men’s hair best. She moved to the town’s Guise were she was manager and where she spent three years learning her skills as a barber.

She hopes to eventually introduce hot towel shaves, complete with cut-throat razors.

She said: “This shop will make men feel more comfortable because they don’t have to sit next to women in foils, for instance.”

She has learned one secret in her years as a barber already – men gossip more than women!

“I was quite amazed. You think it is women who gossip but the men are worse,” she said.

First published at 19:23, Thursday, 05 April 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk