SANDRA Bishop’s plans for a peaceful Bedford retirement were dashed when the hair salon on Hope Street became available.
She couldn’t resist it. Bishop is an award-winning stylist who had previously been featured on the TV show, Top Billing. However, when she and her husband, Garth, relocated from Port Elizabeth, she planned to devote herself to her hobbies like knitting, crochet and her latest passion, gardening.
Now, after a short gap year, she has given up on retirement and opened Chatterbox, a combination wool shop and hair salon, both welcome additions to the Hope Street Hub, which is the daytime social centre of the town.
She also seems to have spread the enthusiasm of her new project to her husband.
Garth Bishop had already been retired for four years, but he couldn’t resist the challenge of instilling new energy and fun into the Sugar Shack fast food eatery a short way down the street from the Chatterbox salon.
Colour creates the identity for both businesses. Sugar Shack is painted in bright funky pastels and at Chatterbox, Sandra’s prestigious L’Oréal ‘Oscar’ (colour trophy) confirms her expertise as a hair colourist.
Her shop also boasts rainbow balls and skeins of yarn from vibrant primaries to subtle tints on the wall racks that speak of a colour craft celebration.
Sandra has hand-spun some of the skeins herself and has invited knitting and crochet enthusiasts to linger and relax in the salon when it is raining or too hot in the hotel’s nearby courtyard.
Sandra started knitting and crocheting about 20 years ago, but she has been in the hairdressing sector for more than 35 years, having opened her first salon when she was 23. She has judged local and national hairdressing competitions over the years; compered hair and fashion shows and showcased styling demonstrations and makeovers around the country.
She has completed a Dale Carnegie motivational speaking course, attended a creativity operational workshop in New York and made informative visits to L’Oréal Paris, including being one of the few South Africans invited to their 100th anniversary celebrations.
In addition to Chatterbox and the Sugar Shack, the Hope Street Hub now also features Twigg & Co fashion boutique, Butcherbird Restaurant, Words and Music shop, the Art Lab gallery and studio, The Apprentice Deli, Pam Golding Properties and attorney Bruce Ross.
The Duke of Bedford Inn Courtyard, gym, spa and swimming pool completes the package.