Who would have thought, when hairdresser Nigel Taylor moved to Pembrokeshire 10 years ago, that he would end up travelling to Africa and working with disadvantaged young people? It's been an interesting journey!

When he came to Lamphey in 2003, Nigel was ready to leave behind the hustle and bustle of city life, having run busy and successful salons in Birmingham, and also worked in senior roles in education and training.

Nigel's goal was to open a small, high quality salon in the village he now called home. This he did, and supported by a team of locally recruited staff, Taylor & Co soon built up a reputation for its style, professionalism and ambience.

Meanwhile, Nigel retained his long-established links with the world of education, undertaking work for VTCT, an awarding body that specialises in hairdressing, barbering and beauty qualifications. As an external verifier, he visited training centres across his 'patch' along the M4 corridor and in the Valleys, carrying out quality assurance visits.

VTCT recognised the wealth of experience Nigel brought to the organisation, drawing him into a range of high level projects such as developing new qualifications. Four years ago, VTCT offered Nigel a fantastic opportunity - to become their Chief Verifier for Hairdressing and Barbering, a role that would see him travelling the length and breadth of the UK, across to Ireland, and beyond.

"One of the most exciting things I have ever done in my career has been, as VTCT's Chief Verifier, visiting Kenya and Rwanda supporting a charity called 'Shair'," said Nigel. "Shair is unique in providing free training in hairdressing and barbering for underprivileged people. This gives an opportunity to train for a career, achieving recognised world-class qualifications which give the students a means to support not only themselves, but also their families.

"The first Shair academy was established in Nairobi," Nigel continued, "and I have spent a week there every December for the past four years, working with the staff and students and celebrating their success."

In 2012, Nigel made his first visit to a new Shair academy in Kigali, Rwanda - initially just a flying visit during his week in Kenya, to see the academy getting ready to start work. In 2013, he extended his visit to Africa so he could spend a week at each academy.'

"The experience of working in Africa has been amazing," said Nigel. "It's inspiring. The opportunities offered by Shair are so highly valued by the students - for them, it's truly life changing."

Also during his work with VTCT, he was recognised by the Hairdressing Council as a Master Craftsman, an award with which he was presented last year during a visit to the Houses of Parliament.

"Registration with the Hairdressing Council is not currently a requirement for hairdressers," explained Nigel, "but many in the profession belive it should be, because State Registration would give an assurance to clients that their hairdresser is fully trained to a required standard."

So what has been going on in Lamphey while Nigel has been on the road?

His dedicated team have been busy maintaining the business he established in 2005, and have continued to provide a valued service to Taylor & Co's clients.

Now, Nigel has decided it's time to come back home full-time, and is looking forward to spending more time in Pembrokeshire, and working alongside his team in the salon. With his infectious enthusiasm and wealth of ideas, he plans to ensure that there is never a dull day as long as he's there.

"During March, we've been making lots of changes," he said. "The salon's undergone a facelift, we've extended our opening hours, and installed a computerised bookings and record system."

Does Nigel see himself as retiring, now that he's stepped down as Chief Verifier?

Far from it. "I'm excited about what lies ahead for Taylor & Co, and I'm delighted to have the time to get out and about to tell people all about what we have to offer, as well as spending time in the salon - I've had a passion for hairdressing for over 40 years, and that's still as strong as ever!"