The Chronicles of Stone Hair Art

Welcome to our continuous historical account of all things Stone Hair Art aiming provide informative and entertaining information about the period they cover.

We hope you enjoy reading them.

For the Finest in Hair & Beauty

Rossendale Free Press - Friday 25 May 2001

 

Last October saw the opening of a top-flight hair and beauty salon, which boasts clients from literally all over the country. Stone Hair Art, situated at 23 Market Street is run by brother and sister Loucas Giorgio and Ria Loucas, who originally hail from the sunsoaked island of Cyprus. 

Lucas is the artistic brains behind the business and his pedigree makes for impressive reading.

He has done hair and beauty work on the sets of feature films and worked on shoots for top drawer fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harpers & Queen.

Lucas and Ria run a grooming school for models and already, local girls from the Bacup area have made it onto the big time catwalk and photo shoot thanks to Lucas and Ria. The salon prides itself on its cutting and colouring work which is of the highest quality and the latest in fashion as you might expect.

As well as many local clients, they regularly receive clients from many miles away including Wrexham and France! Although only recently having moved to the Bacup area they confessed to have fallen in love with the place and have a great deal of hope in the future.

They also have a tremendous interest in the local community and have recently been helping out with their expertise at the production of Oliver at the Royal Court Theatre. Jan Shutt of Rawtenstall’s Sunday Best is working alongside Loucas and Ria for a photo shoot for Passion Magazine.

Business at the moment is booming for Stone and the waiting list is gradually building up, so to avoid disappointment it would be as well to book an appointment as soon as possible. Stone consists of six highly gifted staff.

Stone me, it's Rossendale Pathway the the World

Headliners - Friday 18th May 2001

 

The fortunes of three well-known English landmarks are set in stone quarried from the Rossendale Hills. 

Number one is Stone, Bacup hairdresser Lucas Giorgio's salon, so-called because Lucas noticed so much of it when he came to the area.

Numbers two and three aren’t bad either - Trafalgar Square and the Blackpool Tower. Stone expert Arthur Baldwin of Rossendale Groundwork said: Stone quarried from the moors above Stacksteads and Britannia was used as far away as the Bombay docks. Trafalgar Square is flagged with it and the supports of Blackpool Tower are probably made with it but not the Eiffel Tower as local folklore has it. The Mayor of Bacup did go to the opening of the Eiffel Tower, but that’s as far as the connection goes. The Stone is very hard and durable. It’s astonishing to think it was extracted by hand. 

Stone mining was the third biggest industry in Rossendale between 1880 and 1900. At least 1000 men would’ve been working in the quarry is above Bacup around that time he said. 

He added: “Valley residents who moved away didn’t recognise the landscape of their childhood when they returned. The tops of the hills had been quarried away. It was a moonscape.”

Mr Baldwin said When some flags in Trafalgar Square needed replacing in the early 80s after 150 years service matching stone was taken from scout moor in Edenfield.

World Hair Force

Rossendale Free Press - 4th  May 2001

 

Brother and Sister prove doubters wrong and put Bacup on the world stage. By Brian Corrigan.

A Team of sylists is exporting the latest designs around the globe with a little help from international hair magazines.

From London to New York and Paris to Tokyo, the name of Stone Hair Art in Bacup is making waves in the world of hair couture. Their work has been featured on the front cover of three magazines since they came up to Bacup in October, proving a point to doubters who said they would never get any industry recognition working in the town.

And with business booming, the brother and sister team of Loucas Giorgio and Ria Loucas is looking for more talented valley hairdressers to join their ranks. Loucas said: "People said we were mad coming to compete for recognition with salons in cities like Manchester and London. But we are thriving here because it is a specialist business and people are prepared to travel if you have a good reputation. The looks we are creating are being used around the world by the fashion industry. Now we are looking for more valley talent to join the team so we can concentrate on expanding into nationwide seminar work, teaching and shows."

The Stone team regularly does hair and make-up for Bacup Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society shows. They will have similar arrangement later in the year for East Lancashire Railway's stage show of Murder on the Orient Express and a charity show for Breast Cancer Awareness in Rochdale.

The Face

Rossendale Free Press - 15th  Feb 2002

 

Star quality of 'girl next door' Carrie. By Laura Ashton.

They say the camera never lies... and the proof is here to see. Face of 2001 Carrie Edwards is a star in the making. By day Carrie (15), of Dobbin Close, Cloughfold, is a GCSE student at St Hilda's RC Girls School, Burnley. At weekends she struts her stuff modelling clothes and hairstyles for a top local beauty salon.

She was the winner of the Free Press Face of 2001 and has not looked back since. As part of her prize, Carrie spent a day at Horncliffe Mansion hotel and restaurant, Bury Road, Rawtenstall, having photographs for a modelling portfolio taken by Free Press photographer Tony Cross.

Two of the prime movers behind face of 2001, Loucas Giorgio and Ria Loucas of Stone Hair Art, Bacup, cut and styled her hair and applied make-up, before she posed for pictures in a variety of outfits.

She said: "I felt like a film star or pop singer. I was a bit nervous at first, because I had never done anything like that before, but once I had got used to it, it was good fun."

Carrie evidentely impressed Loucas and Ria - she has since modelled a number of times for them. She will soon appear in international hair magazine Passion and has modelled clothes from Gypsophila Bridal Shop, Bacup Road, Rawtenstall. She will also appear in advertisements for St Mary's Chambers, Rawtenstall.

Carrie said: 'I have not been paid for any of the photo-shoots, but I get free haircuts at Stone, so it's great. I have been really enjoying it. I keep on thinking, "Why me? I am just a normal person - I don't deserve all this!" But it's very exciting."

She added: "I think I would like to model for a living if I could but I am realistic and hope to take A-levels at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School when I finish my GCSEs - probably art and English. I am interested in interior design and that is something I would like to do.

Shopping will be murder

Rossendale Free Press - 14th  Sep 2001

Shoppers will turn detective to guess who killed Cassandra Wymark on the steam locomotive 'The Rossendale Express'. A murder will occur after steam train packed with guests and celebrities leaves Rawtenstall for Bury next Saturday night.
Bacup and Rawtenstall Soroptimists have organised the tale of murder, mystery and suspense, acted out by six professional actors.
The soroptimists are inviting shoppers in Rawtenstall's Asda Supermarket to solve the murder to raise funds for Rossendale Samaritans and Rossendale Hospice. The fund raising group will have a stall in the supermarket tomorrow (Saturday) with photographs of the suspects, where the customers can pay £1 to guess the perpetrator from the 'Rogues Gallery'.

Mary Fish, president, said: "All the tickets for the train are sold out, so we thought this stall would raise extra money and get more people involved."
The 'Murder on the Rossendale Express' is set in the 1920s and the actors are dressed by Gypsophila and Novaks, and The Last Trading Post, and made up by Stone Art.
The winning ticket holder will receive six bottles of French champagne.

Photo Caption: WHODUNNIT?.... From left, suspects Peter Roberts, Victoria Knight, Peter Aston, Anne-Marie Francis, David Vann and Annie Emery.

Take a slide projector, a pulsing sound track and an empty hairdressing salon. Add three talented young women and a lot of hard work. These were the ingredients for an original graduation show at the Stone salon in Market Street, Bacup, on Sunday.
It was performed by three students of hair designer Ria Loucas's grooming course - Ashley Edwards (15), Hayley Corbett (16) and Sheila Suthers (21)
The four-scene performance was on the theme of evolution and growing up and involved the three girls in quick changes and a race through human life from birth to womanhood, from pre-history to the present day.
Ria Said: "The girls have learned hair and beauty treatments, healthy eating and modelling techniques. The have also done drama work with Maggie Harman, a performance arts teacher from Bury, which resulted in this wonderful performance.

The girls were inexperienced when they signed up four months ago, but motivated and hard-working. They never complained about late-night rehearsals."
Hayley said: "Ria's a wonderful teacher and we have all made strong friendships. The course was not designed to turn us into models, but to build up our confidence. We have learned so much that will be useful in whatever we do in our lives." Ria hopes to run another grooming course next year.

Photo Caption: Above: Three 20s style girls - which one will get the man? Far left: Birth, a dance in celebration of having a body.

On with the show

Rossendale Free Press - 23rd Nov 2001

'True pro' actress mum hides worry for sick daughter.

An actress showed her professionalism by comparing a pampering evening for women, even though her four-year old daughter was in hospital with a rare viral illness.
Anne-Marie Francis helped make Bacup and Rawtenstall Soroptimists International's friendship evening one of the best ever, despite concern about her daughter, Cassie.
The littler love of her life was spending a third week recovering in Pendlebury Children's Hospital.
The evening's organiser, Mary Fish, is Anne-Maries's mother, and was very proud of her daughter.
Mary said: 'We knew Cassie was on the slow road to recovery and Anne-Marie did not want to let the 130 guests down.
"There was a wonderful atmosphere at St Mary's Chambers in Rawtenstall, thanks to staff there and stunning entertainment, led by Loucas and Ria at Stone Hair Art, Bacup.
The Stone team created avant-garde hair designs using coloured foil and did a make-up demonstration.
Sheila Finesse boutique, Rawtenstall, clothed the bevy of models.
Leanne Carr and Jonathon Eio provided live musical entertainment, and Trevor Denson provided exotic nibbles and chocolates.
The evening was graced with the presence of three Rossendale beauties from the Free Press Face of 2001 competition, including the winner, Carrie Edwards of Rawtenstall.
The more serious side of Soroptimists' work was reflected in the two cheque presentations, an impressive £2,300 each for Rossendale Hospice and Pendle, Burnley and Rossendale Samaritans. The money was raised at the recent 'Murder on the Rossendale express' staged on an East Lancashire Railway train.

Photo captions.
TOP: You know our faces: Face of 2001 entrants from left, winner Carrie Edwards, Sonia Razzaque and Stacey Keyes.
BOTTOM: Cheque this: Mary Fish, centre, presents cheques to Glenys Duerden of the Samaritans and Marie Lupton from the Hospice.

An Amazing Year

Rossendale Free Press - Friday 3rd May 2002

Mary Fish looked back on 'and amazing year' when she stepped down as president of Bacup and Rawtenstall Soroptimist Club.
She handed over her chain of office to Michelle O'Beirne and heard how her year in office had resulted in £7,161 for charity.
Mrs Fish said: "Thats a major achievement by members and I'd like to say a big thanks to the people who helped us raise the money."
Highlight of the year for us was 'Murder on the Rossendale Express' day on the East Lancashire Railway. The trip raised £4,800 which was split between the Rossendale Hospice and the Samaritans.

Members enjoyed a visit to David Robertson's garden in Helmshore, which raised money for the North West Air Ambulance and a 'friendship evening' attracted more than 130 people who where entertained to a hair and beauty demonstration by Stone Hair Art of Bacup and Finesse dress shop of Rawtenstall.
Mrs Fish said she was most proud of putting on a play - Tissue - which explored issues arising from breast cancer.

Duo will have finalists purring with delight

Rossendale Free Press - Friday 10th Aug 2001

They may have started working life as builders, lawyers or supermarket shelf stackers but one thing is for sure - models are made rather than born.
That is why Bacup's couture king and queen - Loucas Giorgio and his sister Ria are eager to get their hands on the finalists for this year's Faces of 2001 competition.
Loucas said: "Models are not specially bred for the job, they come from lots of different walks of life. Over the years I have worked with top models who where originally computer salesmen, lawyers, supermarket workers - even masculine tradesmen like joiners or builders have found fame and fortune on the catwalk."
Next months show will be directed by stage pro Anthony Williams and based on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Actors will assist and, at £10 a ticket, it will be a show not to be missed.
There is still time for lads and lasses, aged 15-23 to enter. Next stop could be a modelling assignment in the Seychelles or Bahamas. Judges will select 10 men and 10 women to take part in Royal Court Theatre, Bacup, extravaganza on 28th September.
This is when Loucas, Ria and the beauty team at Stone Hair Art in Bacup will get busy creating swans from duckings.
All finalists will have nine hours of deportment on three consecutive Sunday sessions with Ria, starting on 9th September. She said: "The deportment course will teach our finalists how to look and feel their best through exercise and healthy eating, how to use make-up and how to project themselves to an audience.
It is about knowing how to present your personality and conducting yourself with a sense of professionalism. Looking fantastic is no longer enough in this business."

Prizes in the contest, organised by the Rossendale Free Press in conjunction with E Sutton and Son, include Airtours holiday vouchers, a drinks hamper, extra model training and a professional photography session.

Photo caption: Three-mendous: Hayley, Ashley and Sheila have all gone on to do photo shoots for top hair magazines.

Glitter, glamour a spectacular show and two teenagers take centre stage

Rossendale Free Press - Friday 5th Oct 2001

Teenagers Carrie Edwards and Aloan Talbot took a step closer to the glamorous world of beauty and fasion when they walked down the catwalk at Bacup's Royal Court Theatre as Rossendale's Faces of 2001.
With the sound of applause and rave music ringing in their ears, the happy pair looked stunned and delighted to be in the spotlight of success.
Runners-up were Hayley Corbett, Annalisa Turner Sterling and Chris Clarke. Another winner was the Royal Court itself that made £700 for it's charity. The event was a real spectacle to look at, set in a glittering green woodland, peopled by Shakespearean fairy folk and throbbing with ex-Ibiza DJ Mark Tempest's original dance music.
Despite nerves and last-minute rehearsals, the 24 entrants gave their all to this Beaty show with a difference where they were judged not just on looks and deportment but also personality and attitude.
They had to negotiate speedy costume, make-up and hairstyle change, from casual to evening wear, and answer a question posed by compere Ann Dickinson.
Backup actress Ann kept the show moving smoothly and her relaxed style put everyone at eaae.
And their dance routine to 'It's Raining Men' was filled with dynamic choreography that gave the contestants a the chance to shed their shoes and inhibitions and show the audience a bit more of their personalities.

Apart from the competition, the audience was treated to other theatrical entertainment. A pulsing opening dance sequence with Shakespeare's fairies, Titania, Oberon and Puck, played by Louise Freeman, Nathan Kershaw and Jason Cain, set the scene. Louise Freeman's faultless singing of 'The Sun and I' opened the second pat of the show.
While the judges deliberated, the audience enjoyed a George Michael tribute from Joseph.
The judges were a diverse but experienced group: Ben Butterfield and Tony Gregg from Manchester's Model Plan and Adrian Purslow, Editor of the Free Press. Ria Loucas from Stone Hair Art, Backup and co-director of the show, said: "The judges made very good choices and the standard was good with lots of star potential. Carrie has the looks and height of a professional model, Alan was very professional, even though he was so nervous. He has the looks and personality to be a character model. But they will both have to work very hard."

I've won - it's brilliant
Carrie Edwards' modelling career could have started last year when she was 14.
She was approached by a modelling agency when she was lying on a Los Angeles beach with her boyfriend. Carrie said: "But my mum said I was too young, so I just forgot about it."
Carrie of Dobbin Close, Higher Cloughfold, is doing art and design GCSEs at St Hilda's School Burnley and is thinking about a career in architecture or interior design. Her sunny personality and tall, blonde elegance was a winning combination. Now modelling is another option for a girl of many talents. "I was pleased just to get my picture in the paper the first time. But to end up winning - I am still shocked and overwhelmed. It is absolutely brilliant. I did not know any of the other people before the show, but I got to know everyone and we all had a great laugh. I never imagined we would have to dance. I certainly never imagined it would be such fun." She added: "Being in Face of 2001 has given me more confidence in front of people. It has spurred me on to try new things."

Mum's secret
Alan Talbot was on holiday when his mother secretly entered him for Face of 2001.
"I'm so glad she did" said Alan.
Alan (19) of Crowtree Avenue, Stacksteads, who works for a local kitchen company, has never modelled before and hates being stared at.
He said: "Luckily, I could not see anybody in the audience because of the lights, but I could hear people screaming and cheering so that helped."
Alan's jaunty walk and friendly manner hid a big bag of nerves. "Before the show started, Ria said 'Just Breathe, enjoy yourself and make the audience laugh' so I did. When they called my name out as the winner, I had to ask the girl standing next to me what they had said and she pushed me on to the catwalk. I was buzzing"
Alan said he would certainly be interested in someone offering him a modelling contract.

 

Photo Captions:
Winners by smile... From the left, Annalisa Turner Sterling, Alan Talbot, Carrie Edwards, Chris Clarke and Hayley Corbett.

It's Raining Men... Contestants putting on the singing dancing style. Left, Face's youngest entrance. Thomas Aston, 14.

Glamour: girls in evening wear.

Maddie's short cut to catwalk

Rossendale Free Press - 13th Feb 2004

Stunning Maddie Stocks has been accepted by a top model agency - but the brainy beauty will complete her degree first.
Maddie (20), a former Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School student, was discovered by Tyson Raza, manager of Stone Hair Art in Market Street, Bacup, who transformed her appearance.
The student at St Martins College in Lacaster used to have long flowing blonde locks until she went into Stone. She said: "I fancied a change so one stylist cut it all off and then Tyson gave me this cut." The salon then had professional photographs taken of Maddie with her new funky cropped hair. She appeared in international hair magazine Passion and when agency Boss saw the images they offered to put her on their books.

Maddie, whose parents Mark and Pauline live at Hazel Grove, Bacup said: "The next five months are going to be crazy for me with exams, but I'm going to complete my degree in sports studies and sports history and then look at modelling."
Salon owner Loucas Giorgio said: "If Maddie does decide to do modelling full-time I think she will do really really well. When I used to interview models, I'd only get one percent that would make it - Maddie is that one percent. You get a lot of pretty girls but if they don't have the personality and attitude then they can't survive because it's a tough world out there. Maddie has the personality and the attitude and the camera loves her. I am on the lookout for more models both for head and shoulders work and full figure if they are 5ft 7ins or above.

Photo caption: Next step the catwalk? Beauty Maddie Stocks.