A HAIRDRESSER who has been cutting hair in Chippenham for nearly 40 years will finally hang up his scissors on December 23.

Alan Shepherd, 68, of Oak Road, moved to Chippenham, from Reading, in 1977 and begun his own business on Fleet Road near John Coles Park.

He created Alan Shepherd Hairdressing in an existing gentleman barbers in the road and bought the adjoining semi-detached house from fellow barber George Whitehead.

Mr Shepherd said: “I had some great laughs and some really nice customers.

“I would like to thank everyone for their custom and friendship over the last 20 or 30 years, a lot of them customers I have been doing since 1977.”

In 2003, Mr Shepherd sold his shop but decided to continue cutting hair by visiting his loyal customers, many of whom stayed with him, as a mobile barber.

“I really enjoyed the freedom. At the shop, customers would ring up at nine or ten and where they were also friends it was very difficult to say no,” he added.

“On a mobile phone we can turn it on at 8am and turn it off at five, which was great.

“It’s all been good.”

Mr Shepherd was helped in the business by his wife, Elaine.

“I am sure I will be bumping into many of my customers whilst visiting town, the coffee shops and garden centres, but I would really like to say a big thank you from both Elaine and I for being such a big part of my working life.”