TRIBUTES have been paid to an eccentric pioneer who brought style and flair to Colchester’s hairdressing scene.

Paul Griffith died in October at the age of 83, but the extent of his efforts to bring a level of professionalism to Colchester’s fashion scene will be long remembered.

A long-term business partner of Ralph Cook, the two opened their first salon, Faces, in Scheregate Steps – now better known as Eld Lane – in Colchester back in 1974.

The two ran the business as a joint venture until the mid-1980s, when Mr Griffith took sole control of the Eld Lane salon, with Mr Cook moving to Crouch Street.

In the early years, however, the salon brought innovations to Colchester which, though familiar with many Londoners, had not been encountered in north Essex.

Such was the clamour for the salon, three months’ worth of bookings had filled up in advance of it opening; from there, the salon went from strength to strength.

It was not just the style and the professionalism of Mr Griffith which made him so well-known – it was the sharing of his skills and how easy it was for people to warm to him.

People wanted to learn under his tutelage, not just because he was highly regarded, but because he was known as a gentleman who wanted to see others appreciate the profession like he did.

Wayne Hudson, who runs Faces hairdressers alongside his wife, Allison Hudson, was one of the hairdressers who worked with Paul in the 1980s.

He said: “Paul was a great believer in training the next generation of hairdressers, many of whom have gone on to work in London.

“I was one of the people he trained – I was already a hairdresser but I was headhunted and went on to be a manager there.

“He was my employer and went on to become a really good friend, and was the best man at my wedding.

“He was always interested about the job, keeping up with modern trends, and bring them to Colchester – we were always trying to get ahead of the curve.”

The 70s and 80s were a time when Colchester was known for its exceptional array of small, independently run businesses which had people travelling into the town, and it was an era Mr Griffith was a major part of.

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Mrs Hudson, who runs Faces alongside her husband, said: “You’ve got to imagine how Colchester was 45 years ago – it was a thriving market town but didn’t have a top notch London salon.

“If you didn’t go to London, you went to Paul and Ralph’s Faces – it was just so inviting and fresh and different.”

Born on March 14, 1939, Paul Griffith grew up in Croydon and had four siblings, moving to Colchester in the early 1970s.

When Mr Griffith sold his salon to Wayne Hudson in the late 90s as he prepared for retirement, he spent time on his many other interests, which included fashion, art, and cars – his Jaguar R-Dynamic was a motor he particularly cherished.

‘Eccentric’ remains the first response from those who are asked to sum up Mr Griffith in one word, and anecdotes about his goldfish and boating escapades perhaps explain why.

Mr Hudson recalled: “He only lived round the corner from us, and one day, he turned up on  our doorstep in joggers rolled up to his knees, with a fishing net which had a gold fish in it.

“He stood there and said, ‘One of my gold fish has died’ – it was so random, but it was so Paul.”

The two also owned a chug boat together, which was moored in Rowhedge, but it was not all plain sailing, with Mr Griffith on one occasion managing to swing the boat into a jetty.

Again, the typical vim which emanated from Mr Griffith meant few held the jetty incident against him for long.

When he wasn’t causing havoc on the banks of the Colne, Mr Griffith was often turning his attention to charity work, completing a bike ride in Cambodia to raise money for orphanages and deprived children and families.

“Everyone loved him,” Mr Hudson continued.

“He was a larger-than-life character and so enthusiastic about everything – he was a glass half-full person.

“Paul was the first London-type hairdresser and raised the standards all around – he led the way and others followed.

“His legacy is the staff he trained who went on to go to London or travel all over the world and work all over the world and establish their own salons.

“He always tried to get everyone to better themselves.”

Paul Griffith is survived by his wife, Shirley Griffith, whom he married in 1964.

He died of heart failure on Saturday, October 15 at the age of 83.