A POPULAR hairdresser has celebrated 40 years in the trade by throwing a hog roast party for about 100 clients.

Nicky Drawbridge-Harding, 54, who moved to Barry when she was 12, threw an "enjoyable" and "splendid" thank you party, which included a hog roast, at Spinney, Sully on September 10.

Mrs Drawbridge-Harding, who worked for 25 years as a freelancer, said: "I fell in love with hairdressing when I was about 14 and I used to ‘mitch’ off school to go and help out at Phillip’s in High Street, Barry.

“Those guys gave me the best start in my career. Boy were they hard on us but we had some fun as well.”

Stephanie Venton, who attended the party, recalled anecdotes of the hairdresser.

She said: "She used to practice her highlighting skills on me when I had to wear one of those old skull caps. It didn’t half hurt at times.”

But due to ill health Mrs Drawbridge-Harding, who has two sons and two grandchildren, left the salon she was working at to set up a mobile hairdressing business, Classical Hair.

Mrs Drawbridge-Harding added: "Apparently I’m known around Barry as ‘that disabled hairdresser’. Only once did that offend me. Now I’m proud to say. 'Yep that’s me!'"