A hairdresser and salon owner in Newtown has announced she will be retiring after 41 years in the business.

Sara Mills-Evans, owner of Strands Hair Design on Crescent Street, has announced she will be selling the business after more than four decades of cutting hair in the Powys town.

She announced that she would be retiring from Strands earlier in July, but as she is waiting to sell the business there is no set date for the salon’s closure yet.

On her decision, she said: “I fell and broke both my wrists back in February of this year. That really felt like a turning point as it was while I was recovering at home that I started to think about what I wanted to do going forward. I had three months off so it was plenty of time to contemplate what to do.

“I’ve been here for 41 years and I had just had enough of the business side of things and thought life is too short to be worrying about it for years to come.

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“I’ve had a fantastic time doing this and I’ve loved every day. The social side of things especially is what I’ll miss. I’ve had customers who have been with me for decades so at this point they’re more than customers, they’re loyal friends.

“It was a hard decision, but I think there always comes a point where you know it’s the right time to make such a hard decision. I’ve still been shocked by how many people have got in touch to wish me well and say they’ll miss the salon."

Earlier this year Sara attended the Welsh Hair & Beauty awards at in Cardiff where Strands picked up a top prize, which she said felt like “ending on a high note”.

She added: “It definitely makes it feel like the end of an era. I was 18 when I first opened Strands, straight out of college in 1983. I know lots of hairdressers in Powys who started training with me and have gone on to start their own businesses, which feels like a nice legacy.

“But plenty of people have said they’re secretly hoping a buyer doesn’t come for another 20 years, which I take as a compliment.”