It is with sadness that I write to announce the recent death of my former boss, Frank Stevenson, at the age of 92. He was a consummate professional and master of his craft. His skill lives on in the hands of the many hairdessers during his long and illustrious career. He trained in his father's hairdressing business in Crewe, Cheshire, before spending six years of the Second World War abroad as a wireless operator in the RAF. On returning to England, he opened a salon in St Peter's Square in Manchester and enjoyed enormous success in the world of competitive hairdressing. This culminated in his becoming European Champion in 1949. In 1950, he moved to the Jaeger Building in King Street, also in Manchester where he stayed for the next 21 years. In 1956, he and his friend, Cyril Ashley, co-wrote the book Hair Design and Colour, which was reprinted for the next three. After his time at the heart of Manchester, he opened a small studio near his home in Alderley Edge in 1972. Despite its complete anonimity, his clients still beat a path to his door. He retired aged 70 and spent many happy days walking his dog in the Cheshire countryside and sailing in the Mediterranean sunshine.
Judy Ross, Hairdressers Journal, April 2010
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