A growing list of new customers could lead to a second ‘barber bus’ being on the streets of Tynedale.

Susan Wray, 51, of Hexham is the owner of the mobile ‘The Barber Bus’ and despite the setbacks that Covid sent her way - she says she now feels like she has come full circle.

The pandemic forced her to temporarily close her business and even after reopening there were a lot of changes to contend with.

She said: “Covid affected me and my business quite dramatically. I was working most days then suddenly not. It also affected me financially too.”

Susan first opened the mobile business in 2015 after deciding that working for 23 years in a barber shop was enough time to go solo.

She said: “I was ready for a change and my boys were getting older so I thought now was the time.

“I realised there were so many people that travelled for a haircut from rural villages so I thought why not travel to them?”

And that is how The Barber Bus was born.

When Covid hit, despite not being able to physically cut hair, Susan was able to use her barber skills on video platforms to do tutorials.

She said: “I hired a spare pair of clippers out and did an online tutorial to help my customers with their unruly hair.

“It also made money which I donated to Hexham foodbank, as yes I wasn’t earning but there were people out there worse off than me.”

Although Covid was a bump on the road, Susan has been resilient in trying to get her business back at full strength despite a lot of difficulties.

She added: “Since reopening after the first lockdown, it was really hard going, much more to do and consider, plus more expenses with PPE, sanitising etc.

“The hardest thing was going from no appointments where I just used to turn up and people could queue to having lots of appointments. It was a new way for customers.”

The future is bright as Susan's determination means she has a list of customers which is still growing and she has plans of a new van in the, sometime near, future with a second seat.

She said: “I would like to thank my customers who have stuck by me, they have been very loyal and understanding.

“I have lost some customers on coming back but also gained new customers too.

“I have in place a good appointment system and most rebook each time.”

For anyone who wants to book an appointment they can ring, text or use the Facebook Barber Bus page.