Beauty salon in Hayling Island gets a lockdown makeover

Paula Hodges, who runs Willow Beauty in Station Road, Hayling Island, was devastated when coronavirus restrictions meant she had to shut up shop – but not one to be defeated or sit still, the motivated businesswoman persuaded her husband to work his magic and refurbish the salon.

Paula’s husband Scott runs a building and carpentry company, and he is usually oversubscribed for work, but lockdown meant that he had a rare opportunity to spend time at home.

Instead of sitting around waiting for the rules to be relaxed, he got cracking on improving his wife’s workplace.

He said: ‘I was struggling to get back to work when Paula suggested that I work on the salon. It was looking a little drab in there so I was delighted to work on it.

‘I have done this as a job of love. Now it looks a lot better, it needed doing, and we are pleased with how it turned out. I finished the work the day before she was allowed to open it up again.

‘It kept me busy and working and it looks nice – all the customers who come in say how wonderful it is now.’

Paula, from Hayling Island, opened the salon three years ago after being a beauty therapist for 20 years.

She has been married to Scott for 14 years and they have two children – Erin, 13, and Finley, 11.

She retrained in beauty at South Downs College as a mature student after leaving a job in care – and now she offers a wide range of treatments including manicures, pedicures, gel polish, waxing, tinting and massage.

She said: ‘I looked at lockdown as something that was out of my control. I am very much a get on with it kind of person. I knew my clientele would be there for me when I reopened.

‘But the salon needed a bit of a freshen up and lockdown gave me the time to think about it. I was sat at home, with my talented husband, who was also sat at home not being able to work, so I thought we should make the most of the opportunity.

‘He did everything for me – and everyone says how lovely it is now. It is such a nice relaxing area. It is great as when people come in they all say how beautiful it is.’