THE hairdresser who brought the blow-dry to Worthing is retiring and closing his salon after 61 years.

Tony Papouis, 79, has been trading as Anthony Michael Hair in Goring Road for 45 years but began working as a hairdresser when he was 14, immediately finding a flair for hair.

Wife and salon manager, Sarah Papouis, 54, said: “He used to work at his Uncle George’s barber shop, which was quite a traditional place.

“But Tony used to go to the movies and see all the stars of the time, and he learned to give haircuts like the ones he’d seen in the films.”

She revealed that Tony soon had queues of young men waiting outside his uncle’s shop, wanting to have their hair cut like Tony Curtis.

As his next job, Tony joined the army as a services officer, but often found his hairdressing services were in demand from colleagues.

So when he left the services, he returned to hairdressing and went to work in London for The Shell Centre and quickly adapted to the fast-paced lifestyle.

Sarah said: “He used to earn most of his money at lunchtime when all the businessmen would come in on their breaks.

“He would have to give haircuts every ten minutes and this is where he learned the ability to cut hair at speed.”

Tony’s talent did not go unnoticed and he was talent scouted by a large hairdressing chain.

Sarah said: “They approached him and asked why he was only cutting gentlemen’s hair, saying he should be cutting lady’s hair instead.”

After being put through a short period of training, Tony was offered his first salon in 1967 at Hubbards department store in the building now occupied by Debenhams, and it was here he introduced the town to the blow-dry.