London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2026

'My dad built me a beauty salon in the garden'

'My dad built me a beauty salon in the garden'

Amy Harris' career prospects look good - thanks to her dad building her a beauty salon in their back garden.


The beautician, 18, feared coronavirus would have an impact on her career when she qualified this summer.

With fewer jobs, and salons tentatively reopening with strict Covid-19 guidelines, Amy's dad Andy decided to build her a business - literally.

"Having a salon in the garden was only mentioned two weeks ago - now it's up!" said Amy.

"It's great because I felt a lot of stress, I didn't know where my income was going to come from. I had bills to pay and felt a lot of pressure because when Covid happened my income stopped."

Amy realises how lucky she is, especially because while unemployment figures have remained stable for most age ranges, for 18 to 24-year-olds it has risen since the start of the year.


Dad Andy Harris is building a back garden beauty salon for daughter Amy


Latest official figures show jobs vacancies have gone from a record high of 795,000 in the UK in February to a record low of 333,000 in June, with research suggesting young people were "most likely to lose their job" in lockdown.

The pandemic hit at a critical time for Amy's beauty therapy qualification at Filton College in Bristol and it led to her being furloughed from her part-time job at a beauty salon near her home in Monmouthshire.

"Obviously the idea is to go to college, get my qualification and get a job," said Amy, who lives with her parents in Caerwent, near Chepstow.

"But it's quite daunting for some leaving college now after Covid, as there seems to be less jobs out there for those looking to start their career."


The back garden salon cost the family "a couple of thousand of pounds"


Like many in the same position, she was naturally worried about whether being furloughed might translate into ultimately losing her job. Fortunately for Amy, mum Becky had a "bright idea".

"My dad converted their study for my first salon," said Amy.

"But with social distancing guidelines and new health and safety procedures in mind, we felt that was not safe for my clients or my family for that to continue.

"Mum suggested 'why don't we build a cabin in the back garden?'. Dad said 'yeah ok' and within a few days, the materials started arriving and now here it is.

"Without my parents I wouldn't be able to do it, it's great having that backup and support - I can't thank them enough."


Amy brushing up on her skills while working on her mum Becky's nails


The garden transformation cost "a couple of thousand of pounds" but property maintenance worker Andy was "glad to make an investment to his daughter's future".

"You'd do anything to help your kids, wouldn't you?" said Andy.

"My work has dropped off during Covid, so I had a bit more time and people starting out in the middle of this have got it tougher than most - so I'm happy to do anything I can to help."

The Beautify by Amy salon has running water, electricity and heating, and is insulated to make it "cosy" on those cold winter nights. Crucially, it can also be accessed via a footpath outside the house to make it Covid compliant.

"I want it to feel relaxed and welcoming for my clients as well as safe," said Amy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
Greater Manchester Councils Gain Powers to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shops
Coroner Finds Treasury Workplace Failures Contributed to Personal Assistant’s Suicide
English and Welsh Courts Ban Meta Smart Glasses Over Recording and Privacy Risks
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Double UK Inflation and Trigger Recession, Forecasters Warn
UK Expands Global Talent Visa Scheme to Support Research-Intensive Companies
UK Equity Funds Suffer Record One Point Six Billion Pound Outflow Amid Capital Gains Tax Fears
Three-Quarters of England Enters Drought as Fifth Summer Heatwave Raises Economic Risks
UK Hiring Stabilizes for First Time Since 2022 as Employers Adjust to Higher Payroll Costs
UK Chancellor Orders Whitehall Spending Cuts as Public Debt Exceeds Three Trillion Pounds
UK Manufacturing Output Records Fourth Straight Month of Growth
UK Condemns Russian Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners and Recruitment of Foreign Nationals
Long-Lost Royal Navy Warship HMS Tiger Found in English Channel After 118 Years
Northern Ireland Finance Minister Seeks Urgent Treasury Talks Over Regional Budget Pressures
UK Government Targets Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts in New Consumer Rules
Alleged Cartel Boss Daniel Kinahan Extradited From Dubai to Face Criminal Charges
AI Chatbots Challenge Traditional News Consumption and Raise Job Concerns
Andy Burnham Government Promises Crackdown on Exploitative Business Practices
UK University Funding Model Faces Growing Pressure From Unsustainable Student Debt
Government Urged to Subsidise Energy Bills for Vulnerable UK Households
UK Military Spending Plans Threaten to Deepen Infrastructure Funding Gap
Israeli Government Rejects US Peace Framework for Gaza
New Labour Government Signals Closer Economic and Strategic Ties With European Union
Amber Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across England as Temperatures Threaten 36 Degrees
UK Economy Expected to Grow Despite Energy and Supply Chain Shock From Iran Conflict
Foreign Social Media Accounts Drove Disinformation During Belfast and Southampton Riots
Record Number of Migrants Cross English Channel in Single Vessel as Smugglers Deploy Mega-Dinghies
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Reports of Mark Zuckerberg-Linked Superyacht Declining Rescue Assistance Draw Maritime Scrutiny
Preserving Three Banksy Artworks in London Has Cost Taxpayers Nearly £150,000
Four Ugandan Athletes Disappear From Delegation After UK Sporting Events
French Authorities Report Channel Interventions as Cross-Border Migration Dispute Continues
Home Office Admits Error in Settled Status Case Involving Long-Term Italian Resident
Unite Calls for Independent Review of UK Budget Watchdog's Fiscal Forecasting Rules
Thinktank Calls for £175 Annual Energy Bill Cut for Low-Income Households
Foreign-Linked Social Media Accounts Amplified Recent Unrest in Belfast and Southampton, Analysis Finds
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Orders Westminster to Drop Proposed Soho and West End Hospitality Ban
Royal Navy Deployments to Monitor Russian Activity in UK Waters Rise 25 Percent
UK Economy Expected to Grow 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter Despite Geopolitical Pressures
Andy Burnham Launches Cost-of-Living Measures Targeting Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts
Hyper-Realistic Reborn Dolls Draw Collectors Seeking Comfort and Craft
Gen Z Cuts Back on Dating as a Night Out Nears $200
Patients Turn to Artificial Intelligence for Therapy as Psychiatrists Warn of Privacy and Clinical Risks
Couples Embrace ‘Sleep Divorce’ to Protect Rest and Reduce Tension
Meta Ordered to Pay $567 Million and Change Facebook and Instagram Safeguards for Children
Up to only 10 Months in Prison for Swedish Officer’s Murderer Sparks Anger
Success: Nvidia Turned Gaming Chips Into the Engine of the AI Boom
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s Father and Longtime Agent, Dies at 68
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
×