'Our passion for what we do, our amazing teams and our loyal clients have made the last 30 years the best,' say owners of Harley's Hairdressing in Chesterfield

The business, which first opened at Holywell Street with a small but passionate workforce of just four people on August 14, 1995, has now grown to a team of 15 working in a salon on Chatsworth Road.

Owned by Nick and Az Ward, the hair salon has many clients who have been loyal since day one and staff members who have been with Harley’s for decades. Katrina has been part of the team for 24 years, Mick for almost 20, Adele for over 15 and several others for many years. It truly is a family affair too as daughter Sofia works in the salon, and granddaughter Aliya helps out after school.

Specialists beyond hair include sports massage therapist Tara, care coach Paul and make-up artist Tiegan.

When Harley’s first opened, there were far fewer salons in Chesterfield, and nothing like the number of barbers there is today. Despite fierce competition, including the arrival of big chains like Toni & Guy, Harley’s and fellow local salon John Nicholas have stood the test of time.

It’s not been all plain sailing. Harley’s has weathered recessions, the challenges of Covid and the bittersweet times when talented team members left to open their own salons. Nick and Az said: "We’re proud to have trained many of the salon owners in Chesterfield. It’s rewarding to think we’ve helped give them the skills to succeed.”

One of those stories is close to home – Nick’s brother Ollie, was one of the original four team members when Harley’s opened in 1995. Just over a decade ago, he set out on his own to open Magnolia Barbers, which has gone from strength to strength. “We’re incredibly proud of what he has achieved,” said Nick and Az.

Beyond the salon chairs, Harley’s has made its mark on a much bigger stage. The team has worked at major hair shows in London and abroad, produced photo shoots and magazine work, and even done hair for television. One particularly memorable moment was stepping in to style the hair of legendary actress Honor Blackman.

Nick, who began hairdressing straight from school, and Az, who came from a business background before retraining in colour, still love the creative buzz that they get from transforming a client’s look together.

Opening their salon 30 year ago was a leap of faith. Nick and Az said: “It was a year in the planning, buying everything we needed. It was scary, but we were ready.” A year later they married – over a weekend, of course, and went straight back to work.

For 23 years, Holywell Street was home to Harley’s. In 2009, a second salon was opened on Sheffield Road, which later relocated to Chatsworth Road in 2012. Then in 2018, the Holywell Street salon was moved to Chatsworth Road, merging the two into one large salon team.

That move seven years ago is something Nick and Az will never forget. “It was stressful and challenging, we had to do it over a single weekend!” they said. “We closed the Holywell Street salon on a Saturday, knocked walls down at Chatsworth Road, redecorated, and reopened on the Tuesday morning. We still don’t know quite how we pulled it off!

"It’s been hard at times, with ups and downs, but our passion for what we do, our amazing teams and our loyal clients have made the last 30 years the best. We can’t wait to see what the future brings.”