Taupō hairdresser Mr Raymond retires after 56 years

Hanging up his clippers after 56 years hairdressing. Mr Raymond owner Raymond Seaton with long-time customer and friend Lianne Fraser. Photo / Rachel Canning

A master of his profession and a friend to many, Taupō hairdresser Raymond Seaton retired last week.
The longstanding owner of hairdressing salon Mr Raymond, the Glaswegian could have lived anywhere, but he chose Taupō.

Rising to the top in a highly competitive industry, in the 1970s Raymond was cutting hair at Vidal Sassoon, London. It was the time of the Beatles, mini skirts and thigh high boots. At Sassoon's, he would enter through the staff door and soon learned his place in the order of things.

"I was invisible. Just there to cut hair. I learned to keep my mouth shut."

"Mr Raymond your client is here" was a frequent refrain from his fellow workmates, and for his future Taupō salon, it would reference a background in high fashion.

Time spent at pub The King's Head in Earl's Court had him make friends with New Zealanders living in London.

"The Kiwis were so warm. They weren't up themselves. The Kiwis would talk about New Zealand and say you could do anything."

Increasingly fed up with the way of life in the UK, Raymond and his wife Linda decided to emigrate.

"London was fabulous but you were always running out of money."

Before he left he wanted to broaden his work experience, so it was back to Glasgow to colour hair in a salon near a big theatre.

"The customers were dancers at the theatre and everyone had long hair. The stylists at the salon were artists."

Raymond Seaton and his wife Linda Seaton both play in the Pumice Valley Whoopee! Band.

He remembers dancing girls having their hair coloured pinks and blues. It was the 70s and pain and exposure to hazardous substances was an acceptable trade-off for beauty. Stylists didn't use gloves and were equally exposed to risk.

"The pain they [the dancers] would go through. The bleach we used would blister their scalp and then when we put the colour on, it would sting even more."

Back in London, an ambassador's wife guaranteed Raymond an introduction into a salon in South Africa.

"I could have had servants! Thank God I didn't take her up on it. There's more to life than making money."

In the end, Raymond and Linda and their two young children Lindsey and Victoria moved to Taupō. Family was important and Linda had a cousin in Tūrangi. Raymond had placed a work wanted advert in all the major New Zealand newspapers.

"The advice from New Zealand House was, 'Come back if you get any replies'.

"Within a few months, I had 16 job offers. Four of them were for partnerships and I didn't have to put any money in."

He and Linda wanted to get away from big city life and remained undaunted by the fairly rural life on offer in 1970s Taupō.

"We arrived in 1974 - there were pumice roads. You couldn't buy things you needed. clients going overseas would come back with professional combs and scissors.

"When we first arrived, everyone was so welcoming. We were getting asked out for dinner. We didn't have a car, people would come and pick us up and show us around. They were interested in us and wanted to talk to us."

Raymond says New Zealand and New Zealanders have been good to him and his family.
As a hairdresser he feels privileged to have an insight into people's lives. Over the years clients have been very special to him and made him feel part of the community and he has been doing some clients' hair so long they have become friends.

Client and friend for 30 years Lianne Fraser says Raymond has met generations of her family. He styled her hair on her wedding day, and over the years has cut the hair of her three children, her mother, her aunt and her uncle and when the older people could no longer go to him, Raymond would take his hairdressing kit and go to see them at their retirement village.

Hanging up his clippers after 56 years hairdressing. Mr Raymond owner Raymond Seaton (right) with long time customer and friend Lianne Fraser. Photo / Rachel Canning

"Raymond has given a lot back to New Zealand. It will be a sad day when he hangs up his clippers," says Lianne.

At one point Raymond employed nine people at his salon and for many years was the head examiner for the local hairdressing association.

Always creative, he fed his artistic side by entering hairdressing competitions and a weekly magazine from Britain would keep him up-to-date with the latest look. He would see someone on the street with a certain look and ask them to sit for him in the evenings while he perfected a new style.

"I would walk up to someone in the street and say 'I want to create a new look.' They would say 'What?'."

He recalls winning a competition in Rotorua. The model had been plucked off the street in Taupō and coached into her role.

"She had so much potential. She had on a designer dress. We had a makeup artist. I showed her how to sit so she was in the way of the judges. She looked a million dollars. We won that day and she burst out crying!"

For now it's business as usual at the Mr Raymond salon. Hair stylist Jacquie Gilmer has shared the Mr Raymond Heuheu St premises for nine or 10 years and has her own clients.

Raymond's retirement plans include music - he will continue to play strings in the Pumice Valley Whoopee! Band, and playing more golf.

"I had five sports cars, but I couldn't take the grandkids. I've got a grandpa's car now!"