A head for hair

THE story might be deemed indelicate, but it is telling nonetheless. It highlights Andrew Barton's character - refreshingly frank and down-to-earth - and also illustrates his life now he's become a household name.

"Recently I was at a club in the urinal and the guy at the next urinal recognised me and he was staring at me," he says, his dark eyes twinkling with amusement. "He said 'my girlfriend thinks you're the best thing on telly'."

While no doubt Andrew was bemused by this encounter in the gents, you know he would have answered graciously. He is unfailingly polite - "I'm Andrew Barton," he says on meeting you, then proffers his hand for you to shake, and with his subtle Yorkshire accent, he seems a friendly Northern bloke. The only thing that clashes slightly is his dark, exotic looks, but as he's happy to explain, his roots are actually quite humble.

"I'm from Barnsley originally - I was born there and I started my hair apprenticeship there," says Andrew, who's just turned 40. "I'm from a mining village and my father was a miner and his father was a miner."

Yet, from a fairly tender age, he clearly differed from his forbears. At school a bright, creative child, he ended up at Bretton Hall, a Leeds University campus just outside Wakefield, where he began a fashion course. It wasn't long before he found that his real passion was for hair.

"I got dragged into hairdressing," says Andrew. "I was just excited by the buzz and vibe of a salon - they're quite cool, trendy places and they're fun places as well. At the time I don't think I realised just how creative hairdressing was, but I learned that very quickly."

So he decided to leave college and take up hairdressing instead. There surely must have been a stigma for a simple lad from Yorkshire? "I think 25/30 years ago that was definitely the case," Andrew agrees. "When I made that career decision my dad wasn't around and I think my mum initially was excited that I was going to college, even though it was fashion, but she's been incredibly supportive. She's still my absolute best friend and she was a great guide."

It was his mother who insisted that Andrew started an apprenticeship. He was accepted by a salon which gave him quite a rude awakening. "It meant that I had to travel on three buses to get there, which took me an hour and a half each way," he says. "It was everything from nail inspections to boot polish inspections on a morning. It was very strict and very disciplined - at the time I hated it, but it was a really good foundation."

From there he went to live in Australia, where his mum's sister lived already. It was a hedonistic time and one which broadened his horizons. "I think what Australia gave me was a bit more of a cultural melting pot and a bit more worldly experience," says Andrew. "It was a great breeding ground for my creativity and skills."

Fired up by all that he had learned, he headed back to live in London. He may have still been quite naÃve, but he was bursting with ambition. "I think it was Dick Whittington and the streets are paved with gold," says Andrew wryly. "I went straight to London and for quite a few years I was with our competitor (Toni and Guy - he's now creative director of Saks). Then I was approached by Saks and they offered me this position and that was a real turning point in my career."

He's held the key strategic role for what will shortly be ten years, in which he's overseen a countrywide expansion. Yet, while he may be at the helm, he feels connected to the workforce. "I think my job always sounds very important, but it's basically quality control, so it's great to go into the salons and meet the staff and be with them and work together," says Andrew, who's come to do just this in Harrogate. "A lot of my career has been and still is based around education and training - it's where I've made a niche for myself if you like. It's a passion and I enjoy it. I'll visit about 20 different countries this year presenting shows and seminars."

Of course, his television fame has really helped to raise his profile, and being named Hairdresser of the Year was just the icing on the cake. When he recalls the grand occasion, he can't help sounding rather proud. "You're nominated by the beauty and fashion press and peers within the industry and it's the most important award - it's like the Oscars of the hairdressing industry," says Andrew. "I had my mum, family and friends and people from work around me and the most exciting bit of the whole evening was when I was accepting my award and giving my speech, the realisation that everybody in the hall was giving me a standing ovation. That was the most amazing moment of my career."

Despite the level of his success, he's still quite touchingly concerned with being approved of by his industry. He knows it's served him very well and feels he has to pay it back. "I think after the initial excitement (of winning the award) it's then the realisation that it's a huge responsibility," says Andrew. "So in my year of wearing the crown I've taken a couple of charities to heart. One is for our industry - the Hair and Beauty Benevolent - and also I've taken on HIV and Aids awareness. That's what I want to do - I want to make sure that I do something with it, not just use it for personal gain."

As far as future projects go, he's keen to see Saks' name spread further. From starting out as just one salon back in 1974 - this stood on Darlington's High Row, and Darlington still holds its headquarters - it's grown to reach 140 throughout the length and breadth of Britain. The next domain will be abroad and there's a foreign branch already. "We've recently opened our first international salon in Brussels," says Andrew. "We're constantly approached from the Middle East to Asia about opening Saks salons abroad. In five years' time there'll definitely be 500 salons."

With Andrew driving this expansion it seems quite likely to succeed. He may have left his Yorkshire home, but he's retained its strong work ethic. "I come from a family that worked. I went out delivering papers at 11/12 and I worked for the local butcher delivering meat at weekends," he says. "I don't think hard work hurts anybody. I think it's what makes someone successful."