Hairdressers go back to their roots

12:25pm Friday 5th January 2007

A SOUTH Lakeland businessman and his family who upped roots to start a new life on the other side of the world have returned home with a cautionary tale to tell.

Hairdresser Jonathan Winn, his wife, Dawn, and their two young children left for New Zealand more than three years ago.

But the move did not work out as they hoped and the couple have now opened a new hairdressing salon, JR Hairdressing, in Bowness, not far from where they previously traded for some eight years.

Mr Winn said when he left England in 2003, he was somewhat disillusioned with life in this country, but has returned with a very different opinion of his homeland.

The family spent some two-and-a-half years in New Zealand, where Mr Winn worked in a hairdressing salon in Christchurch on the South Island before opening his own salon in the city.

But the high cost of living - mortgage rates of nine per cent; lower pay rates yet similar food, fuel and clothing prices to Britain - made it hard for the family to make ends meet.

Mr Winn said New Zealand had a poor accident record on its roads, with people allowed to pass their test at 15 and drive without insurance. Crime was quite prevalent in Christchurch, while the popularity of wood burners in winter could create a choking smog, he said.

However, despite the difficulties that the family encountered, Mr Winn said they had no regrets about their life-changing experience.

He said New Zealand was a beautiful country with some "fantastic" scenery and the people had generally been good to his family, but the time spent there had changed his outlook.

"When I went over there, I slagged off England. But when you have been somewhere where it's really tough to make a bit of money, it makes you appreciate what we have got here.

"We have a lot of infrastructure, which is not there in New Zealand. They can't afford it, with only a population of four million," he said.

The New Zealand experience has also made Mr Winn rethink his work/life balance now he is back in business in Bowness.

"When we had a salon before, I was working long hours and I had stomach problems. In New Zealand, even at one of the top salons, a lot of staff didn't work on Saturdays. I worked on Saturdays for 17 years, but now I want to see my two children and want to spend time with them."

As a result, the salon in North Terrace is open until 7.30pm or 8pm on Mondays to Wednesdays, but closed at weekends, and many of the couple's past customers are already beating a path to their door.

Mr Winn said his family's experience was not unique, and he knew of several other British couples who had second thoughts after emigrating to New Zealand.

His advice to others considering making the bold move was simple: "I would say go over there and have a look around and do your homework - look at the finances and everyday living costs, and how much you will earn."

BACK HOME: Jonathan Winn and his wife, Dawn, who have returned from New Zealand and re-started a hairdressing salon in Bowness. (D6K083GG04)