Four decades ago, a young 23-year-old hairdresser took a leap of faith, woke up to see a local shop for sale, and changed the fabric of the Chilton community forever, writes Sue Reece.
This month, Marylyn celebrates the 40th anniversary of her beloved namesake salon, marking generations of haircuts, family milestones, and endless cups of tea. For Marlyn, it feels like only yesterday that one of her now customers nine-year-old son was handing out promotional leaflets at a local wedding to drum up business.
Starting out as a Saturday girl at Mills salon at just 13, hairdressing was always the dream. But opening the shop on Eden Terrace wasn’t easy. “I couldn’t get a mortgage back then,” Marylyn recalls. “You were buying a house and a shop, and the rates were entirely different. But the lad who owned it rented it to me for six months until I could get my accounts in order. It was just meant to be.”
That first day, a young local lass rang up to offer a helping hand, and Marlyn’s very first customer—who lived on the Wimpey estate before eventually moving to France—walked through the door for a cut and blow-dry.
Over 40 years, fashion has come full circle. While the industry has swapped handwritten appointment books for computers, the hairstyles of the past are making a comeback. “Fashions come back around,” Marylyn says. “The big, bouncy hair from back then is back in fashion now, and curls are coming back too.”
The salon has truly been a family business. Daughters Zoe and Sam eventually joined the ranks, though their introduction to the trade was built on classic local work ethics. “They had to come to work if they wanted proper pocket money! It drilled it into them, and they chose to continue with it.” When their dad suffered a heart attack, prompting a realization that there was more to life than standing in the shop every single day, Zoe and Sam stepped up to keep the wheels turning. Working together so closely for years is an achievement in itself: “I think we’ve done amazing to only have had two verbal warnings!” joke the family.
In a close-knit town like Chilton, Marylyn’s has always been far more than a place to get a trim. It has served as a community hub, a sanctuary, and at times, a therapy room.
“You keep getting customers, listening to their stories, and you sort of live things with the-you go through the happy times and the sad times. You know the ins and outs, the divorces, the ailments, and the arguments. You see it all.”
The salon’s dedication to Chilton runs deep. Over the years, they have closed the shutters to march in the streets for community causes and support local events. For many of the town’s older residents, the weekly appointment is the highlight of their week—a chance to get out, catch up, and feel part of a family. Today, Marylyn routinely styles little girls whose mothers, and even grandmothers, had their hair done there.
It hasn’t always been easy. Running a business whilst raising a family meant Marylyn giving birth on a Sunday and being right back at the salon chairs by Wednesday. There have been a few miscommunications over the decades too—deciding exactly “how short is short” or “how dark is dark”—but customer and staff loyalty have always triumphed.
To say a massive thank you to all of their loyal customers and the wider community who have supported them through it all, Marlyn, Zoe, and Sam are hosting a special anniversary event.
Everyone is invited to join the celebration on Saturday 10 October at 3:00pm at the Chilton Community, Sports and Social Club. It promises to be a fantastic afternoon and evening, complete with live entertainment from the brilliant Stevie D party band.
And for those wondering if full retirement is on the horizon after the party? Not just yet. While Marlyn hopes to cut down on the gruelling 7:30am starts and long hours on her feet, she isn’t ready to pack it in. “I’ll be continuing for the foreseeable,” she smiles. “I’m not ready to give it up yet.”