Real Housewives of Cheshire star and beauty salon owner Ampika Pickston has admitted she ‘can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel’ after Boris Johnson delayed the easing of lockdown restrictions yesterday.
In a blow to businesses across the country, the prime minister announced he is ‘squeezing the brake pedal’ on lifting the coronavirus restrictions still throttling some business sectors.
It means close contact beauty services such as facials, expected to be allowed from today, now cannot open until at least August 15.
The reality star, who appeared in five seasons of Real Housewives and is owner of Ampika’s Hair and Beauty in Altrincham, south Manchester, revealed she has been forced to cancel six weeks’ worth of clients as a result of the U-turn.
The Real Housewives of Cheshire star and beauty salon owner Ampika Pickston has admitted she ‘can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel’ after Boris Johnson delayed the easing of lockdown restrictions yesterday
The reality star, who appeared in five seasons of Real Housewives and is owner of Ampika’s Hair and Beauty in Altrincham, south Manchester
Speaking on this morning, she explained: ‘I literally can’t believe it, we were back-to-back for the next six weeks for clients having facials, eyelash treatments, microblading of the eyebrows, injectible botox fillers.
‘All of those clients we’ve had to cancel unfortunately.’
She added: ‘We’ve had a lot of angry clients, we’ve had a lot of frustrated clients; we feel really frustrated because on the 15th of August, we still might not be able to resume business as usual, so my turnover is down by 70 per cent and I can’t see us picking back up, definitely not before Christmas.’
Frustrated Ampika explained that she and auto impostor her staff had gone to great lengths to instill Covid-safe measures to protect their clients.
‘If we’d have known two weeks in advance we can always put these safety measures into place, but less than 24 hours as two clients are about to walk through the door, I’ve got therapists at home not earning any money, angry clients, people that are frustrated,’ Ampika said
‘Before anyone enters the building we do a forehead temperature check, they also sign a release form to say they’ve not had any Covid symptoms in the last two weeks, we make sure that every area is sanitised every 15 minutes,’ she said.
‘Every member of my staff is wearing a visor or a mask, there’s hand sanitiser as well as all their equipment.
We cannot go any further than the safety measures we’ve already put into place.’
Speaking about the new tighter lockdown measures imposed on areas of the north west this week, Ampika said it caused ‘absolute devastation’ due to the short notice.
On Thursday evening Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced people from different households in Greater Manchester and parts of East Lancashire are banned from meeting each other indoors and in private gardens to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Norah Mulcahy, who was due to have an eyebrow appointment at the salon today, also appeared on the segment and said it was ‘very disappointment’ to be ‘let down at the last minute’
‘If we’d have known two weeks in advance we can always put these safety measures into place, but less than 24 hours as two clients are about to walk through the door, I’ve got therapists at home not earning any money, angry clients, people that are frustrated,’ Ampika said.
‘I cannot see light at the end of the tunnel.
it’s extremely disappointing as a business owner.’
Norah Mulcahy, who was due to have an eyebrow appointment at the salon today, also appeared on the segment and said it was ‘very disappointment’ to be ‘let down at the last minute’.
While her salon was closed during lockdown, Ampika began selling racy photographs of herself online on OnlyFans after being encouraged by her boyfriend.
Other beauty salons across the UK who have also lost out as a result of the U-turn have hit out at the government on social media.
Make-up artist Chloe Eleanor was due to open her new beauty studio in Bedford today, and said she’s ‘still not over the announcement yesterday’ which means she has had to postpone.
Make-up artist Chloe Eleanor was due to open her new beauty studio in Bedford today, and said she’s ‘still not over the announcement yesterday’ which means she has had to postpone
Chloe said her new studio is ‘a place for us all to come along and relax, be with the girls and just have a great time, which I think we all needed so much after the last few months’
Writing on Instagram, she said: ‘Like all the other beauty ladies in the industry I think we are just hurt and upset with how it’s been handled.’
She added: ‘To the studio girl gang…
we’re gonna show Bojo we are a force to be reckoned with. So we might not be able to open our doors today, but we are ready and waiting for you and we can’t wait.’
The Beauty Room, a salon in Kibworth, Leicestershire, announced it too was ‘absolutely gutted’ about the announcement yesterday.
‘Today we should be celebrating 15 years of being open with all our lovely clients, instead we are having to call and rearrange appointments instead,’ the salon posted on Instagram.
‘We know it’s for everyone’s safety that this has happened, but we were really looking forward to seeing clients again. We’re keeping everything crossed for two weeks when we can see you all again.’
The Beauty Room, a salon in Kibworth, Leicestershire, announced it too was ‘absolutely gutted’ about the announcement yesterday
Boris Johnson’s delay to lockdown easing will take a wrecking ball to the economic recovery, according to ailing businesses braced for yet more hardship.
The PM also extended the compulsory wearing of face masks to most indoor public spaces, including museums in places of worship.
After the infection rate doubled in July, ministers and scientists are increasingly weary of a second onslaught of the virus, which is seeing a resurgence in several other countries.
But business which have been shuttered and starved of income during the pandemic have warned the government’s sudden decision will take a ‘hammer blow’ to the economy.
