Michael (mike)
Mike grew up in Portsmouth on the hill slopes of Paulsgrove.
His career started in Kingston rd at Michaels Unisex a very popular Mens salon back in the 70`s and 80`s as was the time of men having a wash & blowdry with a haircut.
Finishing his apprenticeship with the Melanie Hair Group (coop) in Ladies hairdressing and obtaining City & Guilds plus “The Incorporated Guild of Hairdressers Wigmakers and Perfumers general certificate in hairdressing and winning the southdowns collage mens hair competition and an award for outstanding achievement in mens hairdressing his career took off.
by the age of 21 he had his own shop this evolved after a move or two to Commercial Rd Portsmouth where at one point he had two salons one in commercial rd one in charlotte st at the times of the yuppy filofax and mobile phones like bricks this did see the re emergence of the short back n sides and flattops. Mike was well equipped for this having worked along side Award winning Barber Michael Walters as an apprentice.
Buy 1989 he sought to move on with trials in France at the ski resort Bourg St Maurice, Belgium and Minnesota USA, then ended up barbering in Cosham at the well known Ian Henry barbers. or should it have been called “flattops r us” lol.
Moving on years past, Mike sought pastures new and a stint in Sweden with his husky dogs soon past and was back in UK when an opportunity to take over a business in Park Parade Leigh Park having lived in Leigh Park since 1988 and his two daughters attending school there, he knew it was a golden opportunity to bring his ideas to Leigh Park.
Establishing the Zoom company in 2002 with his wife who has a beauty salon next door and daughter joining the business years later its been a family business for 20 years now.
Dedicated to employing local people and creating a environment as nice as home, some would say its been a success.
Mike still has a few years in him at 58, though he thinks hes 20 lol. still loves the craft of Barbering and Hairdressing always looking for inspiration to stay on top and learn new things, Mike has just joined the British Master Barbers Alliance and is a State Registered Senior Barber and aims to achieve Master Craftsman status in the coming years.
