HAIR and beauty salons across Northwich have welcomed the news about the possibility of being able to re-open on April 12.

When the Prime Minister announced his roadmap out of lockdown on Monday, it included four stages, the second of which applied to non-essential retail.

While owners of salons across the town are naturally pleased at the sight of some light of the end of a very long tunnel, there is also some caution as to whether the headline dates will be kept to.

Charles Rose, who owns Crate Cheshire, a male hair salon with shops in both Northwich and Knutsford, said he was hoping there would be no more backward steps.

"The news of hair salons potentially re-opening on April 12 was welcome news to us after a long period of closure," Charles said.

"We are really hopeful this date won’t push back, as it really feels like the light at the end of the tunnel.

"By releasing the lockdown slowly, hopefully this means there won’t be any backwards steps and further lockdowns in the future.

"We are feeling really positive after seeing how well the vaccine rollout is going and the rates seem to definitely be going in the right direction."

Charles was quick to praise his customers for their ongoing support during what has been a difficult time for everyone.

He added: "We are so thankful to our amazing clients who have been so supportive through the entire pandemic and when Boris announced his roadmap, our booking system went crazy with bookings.

"We cannot wait to get back to the salon to catch up with our clients and get back to doing what we do best."

Northwich Guardian:

Professional Eyes Studio in Northwich, with owner Liz Hurrell hoping this will be the last lockdown.

Liz Hurrell, who owns Witton Street-based Professional Eyes Studio said she had been left overwhelmed by the demand for appointments since the announcement was made.

She said: "After he made his announcement and I opened the appointment book, I nearly cried I was so overwhelmed people were so keen to come back to us.

"I've got three members of staff who I've been paying 100 per cent of their wages and the company has had ten months of not bringing anything in.

"It's just so heartwarming to know that the books are getting filled and that the local area is supporting businesses like this."

After everything that has happened during the last twelve months, Liz went on to say that the prospect of opening was relying more on hope than expectation.

"I don't think we can do anything else but hope," she added.

"Everything's crossed and it's a case of just seeing all these bookings coming in and hoping we don't have to cancel them further down the line.

"I just hope when the budget gets announced next week we all get a bit of extra support for the next seven weeks, because I've still had bills to pay, despite not being able to make any money.

"I know it's like a big giveaway and we're all going to have to pay it back, but I'd be happy to do that once we're up and trading."

Liz has at least made the most of not being able to open by provided her staff with as much additional training as possible and revamping the studio so that it is now a state of the art space, with some Covid-secure features remaining, even after restrictions have been eased.

She said: "The glass partition between clients will be staying in place because we think it's a good thing going forward.

"I think the general feeling is that this really needs to be the last time.

"They've made it so long, we can't do it again.

"We all need to be able to get back on our feet again."