Wilkinson Smith Salon

66-68, North Station Rd, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1SE

About us

Welcome to Wilkinson Smith Salon.
Formerly The Hair Factory.

Here at Wilkinson Smith Salon we believe that your hair should be beautiful and should complement your individuality. Our stylists are highly trained in the latest techniques to ensure that you get the very best treatment available.

We hope you to enjoy the best from our team and that we fulfil our aim to give you beautiful, manageable hair that you can enjoy each day. Our job is to make you look and feel fantastic.

Read more...

Opening hours

Monday Closed
Tuesday 08:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 19:30
Thursday 09:00 - 18:00
Friday 08:00 - 19:00
Saturday 08:00 - 16:30
Sunday Closed

Reviews

4.95
429 verified reviews
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Martin

Anonymous
11th Jan 2022
5.0

Fabulous salon with amazing cutter and brilliant staff

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Excellent

Neil Peachey
6th Jan 2022
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

I get my hair cut regularly at The Hair Factory. They’re always so warm and welcoming, it’s always a great experience. Lovely people!

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Fantastic

Christine Wheatley
6th Jan 2022
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Excellent experience as always, Martin is a genius.

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Perfect cut

Julie Thompson
4th Jan 2022
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Martin restored my straggly hair to a sleek, shaped and shiny layered bob. He’s a magician with scissors! Thoroughly recommend!

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Hairdo

Julie Guarnieri
4th Jan 2022
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Always a pleasure and a good hair cut

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‘Best haircut of my life!’

Emma Chambers
21st Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

The title of this review was suggested by my daughter who has just visited the salon to have her long hair cut short. Her hairdresser was Rachel and she has been absolutely fantastic. Rachel considered pictures of hairstyles that my daughter liked and that we sent her in advance. She then listened carefully to what Emma wanted and helped her to choose a style that fitted what she was imagining, that would suit her hair and that would still be realistic to manage day to day. She also helped us to donate Emma’s hair to charity. Throughout the cut Rachel made Emma feel really comfortable. She did an amazing job of the cut, taking her time, sharing tips for how to manage the style along the way and making sure Emma was happy. To be fair, it didn’t take a lot to ensure Emma was happy as the smile was shining right through her mask. I think Rachel has made my daughter feel more like herself than she has ever felt. She practically skipped home and couldn’t wait to show her friends. As always everyone at the salon has been so friendly, helpful and professional today. Thank you ??? xxx

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Good experience!

Kate Fitzgerald
18th Dec 2021
4.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Friendly staff , professional cutters and very pleased with results

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Excellent colour and cut

Helen Simpson
17th Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Thank you Julie for another great colour and cut. Always looks lovely and natural. A very friendly and professional salon.

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Good experience

Alison Bingham
17th Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Fantastic, all friendly and helpful. Lovely cut and finish by Jodie. Booked my next appointment!!

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Wonderful team

Jo Pickering
16th Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Can't speak highly enough of the team at The Hair Factory. They are always professional, forward thinking, honest and very kind.

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My Christmas Haircut

Carole
16th Dec 2021
4.5

I had a lovely, relaxed visit to the salon and was looked after by Martin in his usual friendly and professional manner. Always get a really good cut and have all my questions answered in a realistic and informative way. Have been a customer of Martin’s for 17 years, so why go anywhere else.

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Ready for Christmas!

Judi Bastow
15th Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Always a pleasure - thanks Julie

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Hair Cut & Blow Dry

Anonymous
15th Dec 2021
5.0

Excellent Hair Cut from Martin as always.

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Hair colour

Julie
14th Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Had a fantastic colour and cut by Jody
Thankyou.

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Friend

Mo Hoffmann
14th Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

As usual Martin my hairdresser brilliant as normal. It was and is lovely to see the other hairdressers. All are kind and friendly. Great to seevJulie today.
Merry Christmas to them all.

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The hair factory

Julia simmons
14th Dec 2021
5.0

Lovely friendly stylist Julie and as always made my hair look and feel amazing

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Great Professional Experience

Anonymous
10th Dec 2021
5.0

A relaxed, friendly professional experience. Another great hair cut. Thank you to Julie and her team. Happy Christmas to all at the Hairfactory ?

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Excellent hair colour advice and service

Louise Ng
3rd Dec 2021
4.5
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

It was my first time made my hair colour done in a salon for a long time. I am always afraid of being ruined my hair until I met Jody! Jody, very talkative, friendly and she gives helpful advice about how to do the my hair before the appointment. She is such a talent with expert experience who knows well of my need. I will definitely visit again in the next few months.

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Fantastic cut and colour by Jody, once again

Joanna Bell
3rd Dec 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

This was the second time Jody cut and coloured my hair at The Hair Factory. She was as kind and friendly as last time, really put me at my ease and gave me an absolutely gorgeous cut and colour. I thoroughly recommend her work. Thanks, Jody.

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Thank you!

Lily Chambers
27th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Always so happy with my hair after a visit to The Hair Factory. Rachel is brilliant and always brings my visions to life perfectly. Thank you!!

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Todays hair cut

Anonymous
25th Nov 2021
5.0

Thank u for an amazing time, as a gent it is a pleasure to come into a salon and enjoy all the services. I am extremely happy with my hair cut today, thank you Julie and staff I wish you a very merry Xmas and New Year

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Superb experience

Amanda B
24th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

I am trying to grow my hair. In the past (pre-Julie) I always reached a stage where I wasn’t happy with it and would just get it cut into the short style I’ve had for years. I booked an appt last Friday with Julie for exactly that. Julie sat me down and took a lot of time to hear me out about what I did and didn’t like about my hair. She then observed that it really sounded like I still wanted to grow it (and was right, as usual) but had reached a tricky stage. We talked through a plan to get it longer. Julie was realistic telling me that there will be times I’m still not totally happy/ positively grumpy but it would be temporary. She then trimmed it into a slightly different style while keeping most of the length. Julie then suggested I come in before my already scheduled cut / colour appt to have a tint to see where we might go on colour - the blonde highlights which were lovely in the summer now made me look pale and washed out here in the winter. I agreed and she explained there wd be no charge as this was experimenting prior to the colour appt this coming weekend. An incredibly good and generous suggestion after already spending 1.5hrs with me last week over the ‘plan for the hair’ cut. The tint was today. Rachel took care of the tint, Ellie did the washing and Julie did the blow dry. The whole experience was relaxing, relaxed, educative, insightful - and just brilliant really with lots of laughter. The temporary colour is inspired and I’m very happy. I’m looking forward to my next visit for colour on Saturday. A very big thank you to Julie and her team ?

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Recent visit

Anonymous
24th Nov 2021
5.0

Excellent service as usual. Started off with a lovely head massage. The haircut and colour is perfect and easy to manage. Staff are very customer focused and making everyone feel at ease working to COVID-19 guidelines.

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Wash and blow dry

Mandy Bugg
20th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

I had Ellie Moore who is an apprentice to do my hair. I was really pleased with the result. She was excellent at washing my hair and giving me a lovely head massage. She will make an excellent stylist!

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Always a pleasure

Denise Rought
20th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Rachel has been my hairdresser for over 10 years now and she knows exactly what to do with my hair! She listens to ideas and recommends styles and products. Rachel is an experienced stylist and I wouldn’t go anywhere else!

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Cut and colour

Juile Hitchcock
18th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Excellent service as always from Martin and Jodie.

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November 16th

Anonymous
16th Nov 2021
5.0

A very cheering experience

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Mens style haircut

Simon Ellis
16th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Polite, welcoming and friendly staff, was shown to my chair and offered a hot drink, excellent service.
Facilities are well laid out and very clean.
Brilliant haircut I will definitely be going back again.
Thank you The Hair Factory.

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Love my hair!

Francis Liddy
13th Nov 2021
4.5
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Thank you Jodie and everyone at the hair factory. I had a lovely visit to the hair factory. Love my hair. X

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Great experience

Carol Ford
10th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Meaningful and helpful advice. Great colour and cut. Rachel is tops!

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Fabulous again

Diane Mac
9th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Another perfect cut by Martin. He listens to what YOU want from a cut.

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Finest cut again and again

George Kolankiewicz
9th Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Rachel is a wizard with the scissors Over the years that she has tended my ageing hair I cannot remember a less than excellent cut.

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Cut & colour

Anonymous
4th Nov 2021
5.0

A wonderful experience as always.

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Hair style

Janine Sestak
2nd Nov 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Hair massage great after shampoo good cut a style by the talented Martin..

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Hair appt

Brigitte Coles
31st Oct 2021
4.5
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Rachel always does a fabulous job with my hair

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Great Experience!

Neil Peachey
28th Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Great haircut!
Great people!
Great atmosphere!

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First experience and forever :)

Mridula
27th Oct 2021
4.5

Well understanding, experienced and friendly.. Booked a next time visit already!

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MS Coleen Hurrell

Colleen Hurrell
24th Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Fantastic . Martyn is the best and I feel good .

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Amazing, as always.

Sophie Ward
21st Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Can’t recommend The Hair Factory and Jody enough. Had a consultation a few weeks before and she took almost an hour out of her day just to talk me through options and the best route for my (fairly damaged!) hair. She explained every step of the process and made sure to check in that I was happy with how it was looking throughout. When I asked for some more highlights to give my red a bit more punch she didn’t bat an eyelid despite it meaning she’d be a little late for next appointment. Not to mention the fact she’s lovely to chat to, very funny and really took care of me and made sure I was comfortable all day. You can tell that Jody absolutely loves what she does and puts her whole heart into it. The whole team at the Hair Factory is amazing and just such a lovely bunch of people to be around. I’ve been to THF on and off since I was a teenager and I’ll always come back through every hair phase because the service and the skill has never once strayed from fabulous ❤️

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Fabulous

Sarah Chambers
17th Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Just absolutely brilliant. 5 star treatment and results that leave me feeling like a new woman. Thank you Julie and your lovely team.

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Fab haircut

Margaret Tyler
12th Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

I always love how Rachel cuts my hair, its very curly and she understands it perfectly. Always a relaxed salon atmosphere as well

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Lovely salon

Tanya
9th Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Very knowledgeable, friendly staff

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Never felt better

Harriet
8th Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Rachel and the whole team were extremely welcoming, friendly and professional. Felt at ease the second I walked in the door (Was a lil nervous as I’ve actually not been to a salon before)

The job Rachel did have me an instance confidence boost and it’s the first time in years I’ve even felt comfortable not hiding away under a hat or a hood

Thanks girls you genuinely made my day and will definitely continue going there ?

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Great Highlights

Marion Holding
7th Oct 2021
4.5
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Julie made a great job of my colour today as always really professional blow dry and colour

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Lovely cut

Lousie Thompson
6th Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Was very pleased as I am very fussy but she did a amazing job.

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New me

Cheryl Greene
2nd Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Always a professional job with Martin love my hair appointment time and my hair always looks wonderful as it has for many years. Thankyou

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Rachel is

Monica
2nd Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

the best hairdresser ?

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Thanks martin

Lesley Polliket
2nd Oct 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Having felt unwell for the last few months it was so good to have my hair cut, and given me the boost I needed, it looks and feels great.
Thanks Martin you always do a great job X

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Highlights

Jackie Jones
28th Sep 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Amazing transformation from dowdy hair to shiny crowning glory

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a great haircut

Viven Mcmillan
22nd Sep 2021
5.0
Appointment verified by SaloniQ Software

Going to Martin guarantees you'll be getting a really well cut style.

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