Unexpected FRIENDSHIPS

Three women share their experiences of finding connections in unlikely places

- GILLIAN HARVEY

'She's taught me so much

Emma Vardy, 49, Professor of Geriatric Medicine, lives near Warrington with her husband James, 50, and their 11-year-old daughter.

Anyone with fine hair knows, the wrong haircut can be a disaster. So when I first went to Claire, now 43, in her salon in Leeds for a cut 23 years ago, I knew we'd see each other again - she did such a brilliant job! But I didn't imagine we'd become such close friends. At the time, I was a trainee doctor in Leeds working in respiratory medicine, so our occupations were very different, but we clicked straightaway. As the years - and haircuts - went on, our friendship evolved out of the salon.

Over the years, we've been there for each other supporting each other through family illness, raising our daughters and even meeting up at Center Parcs with our families.

I get my hair cut every couple of months, and we often have quite in-depth chats as she cuts my hair. This led to a lucky moment several years ago, when we were discussing Claire's daughter's struggles with dyslexia. The lady in the next chair passed her a card-she worked for Dyslexia Alliance Yorkshire, a charity that ended up providing brilliant support.

I've followed Claire from salon to salon, but in 2011 I moved away to Newcastle and was forced to choose another hairdresser. We stayed in touch through regular messages - then when I moved to the north-west in 2015, I began driving across the Pennines to get back in her chair.

During the pandemic, we kept each other's spirits up, and when I decided to dye my hair electric blue, she persuaded me not to - I just dyed a strand instead!

Most of our real-life meets are still in the salon, but I'm sure she puts extra time aside for my bookings so we can natter to our heart's content.