HE’S been styling the villagers’ mop tops, barnets and bobs since the 1960s.
And now Kirkburton hairdresser, Linton Bentley, has reached a massive milestone at his own humble salon.
On November 1 it was 40 years since the budding barber set up on his own as a 22-year-old stylist with ideas.
Linton, who hails from Skelmanthorpe, began cutting hair in 1965, having left school aged 15.
He first trained at Bradford Technical College and then at a barber’s in Golcar.
But after working in Leeds he decided to pursue his dream to have a business in his home area and launched his own salon in 1972.
Forty years on and the Linton Hair salon is still going strong.
Said Linton: “I can’t believe I’ve done it for so long. It started out as a male hair stylist and over the years we’ve developed it. The first two or three months I thought it wouldn’t make it because it was a bit quiet, but after the Christmas it picked up and it’s been great ever since.”
Linton launched the salon as somewhere for men with longer hair to go.
In the early days he snipped many a Beatle cut and moving through the 80s and 90s he saw fashions come and go.
But he said his favourite era for hair was the current one.
He said: “There’s a wide range of styles now and people are more adventurous and more willing to spend money on their hair!”
Despite the radical changes in hair styles, Linton has managed to retain a loyal clientele for four decades.
“We’ve got generations of families that have come here – I’m doing grandchildren of lads that I did 40 years ago.
“There’s quite a few that have lasted all that time – a few school friends who have had their hair cut here through the ages.”
Linton, who met his wife Joyce on the day he opened his shop, quietly celebrated the salon’s ruby anniversary with a glass of champagne with some of his loyal customers.
