Thallon Soulis – still curling after all these years

Thallon Soulis has owned and run his shop on Roseburn Terrace for 49 years, and moved to live locally some time back.

He did his apprenticeship at André Bernard on Rose Street during its heyday, left there at the age of 18 when he reckoned he had learned what he could and opened his shop on Roseburn Terrace.

Thallon said: “It was a slow start, but halfway through my career I had seven people working for me for about 20 years.

“I love cutting and perming hair. I do have the skills to colour hair but it is just not my thing.”

Ricky who is also in the business likes to colour hair as well as styling and he is the one to ask for if you need an updo for something special.

Thallon said: “Ricky and I have complementary skills, but I guess my clients are now a little older. They were all about 40 or so when we started out.”

It is clear that he is well-known in this street as our interview is frequently paused for him to say hello to passers by.

“We are a long-established reliable business with good service and good value for money. We like to attract the client back again.”

This was the perfect career for Thallon who explained: “I knew I wanted to work with my hands, as I had difficulty with reading and writing when I left school. Even now as an adult I send texts which say the wrong thing. I could have been a motor mechanic or a joiner but I had a friend who had a scooter with all the mirrors and a parka.

“He worked part time in Salon Henry and I just thought I would love to be that guy. I got a part-time job in a hairdresser and the rest is history.”

Thallon Soulis 21 Roseburn Terrace, EH12 5NG Phone: 0131 337 1760

This article was first published as part of a paid for advertorial in our April newspaper.