Three Salons at the Seaside

We've just watched this on BBC4. What a lovely and quite moving piece this is. We see the salons and the owners and staff, and of course the customers who almost exclusively old ladies. If it were made today, there would be an 'hilarious' voice-over by some camp comedian, but there is no narration at all, just the voices of those involved, and each has their own story as told to the hairdressers. Holidays, husbands, hospitals, care homes and death seem to be the main topics, along with 'bad falls' outside Kwik Save. Although it would be very easy to chuckle at this kind of thing, we found it quite touching. It was also surprising that despite its 'old' look, it was filmed in 1994, not that long ago. We could easily watch it again.

This documentary has no voice over, no pieces directly to camera. It's just a camera observing the comings and goings of 3 hair salons in the backstreets of Blackpool one day in 1994 and it is beautiful from start to finish.

Unlike today's reality TV 'Three Salons' is real - no Turkey teeth, no fake tans, no fame hungry wannabes.

It just focuses on the owners and elderly female customers of the salons featured as they get their hair done, talking about Chinese food, new windows, death, and other aspects of normal life. It's funny, touching and sad all at the same time, and shows us a glimpse of life that perhaps doesn't exist anymore.

My absolute favourite participant in this documentary is Hillary who runs the Vanity Box - big glasses, perm, tabard, that very particular Lancashire accent, and just how lovely she is. Going from talking about a handbag she lends out to customers attending funerals to a hilariously funny (yet obviously still sad) description of someone dying on her toilet. Her description of a Chinese meal she had is just perfect too and will raise a smile in everyone.

The 40 minute film is like Alan Bennett and Victoria Wood plays taking place in real life.

After it was originally shown it faded in to relative obscurity, a little curiosity of a film, largely forgotten. But in 2022 someone uploaded it to YouTube and it became a huge cult hit. It's even back on the BBC iPlayer. I recommend everyone watches this to be uplifted and to see a real slice of life gone by. The BBC no longer makes this kind of film which is a real shame.

I would guess most if not all of the women who were the main stars of this film have long passed away, along with the salons they either ran or were customers of. In a way the hairdressing is actually the least important part of what those salons brought. It's the support, the friendship, the place to gossip, confide, laugh and cry that really show through.

A lovely, lovely film that can be watched again and again.