Astley Bridge's old bank building to be transformed into salon

Dionne Leece has taken on an old bank in Astley Bridge to bring it back into use as a beauty salon.

The 36-year-old has taken on the Blackburn Road building which dates back to 1890 and still has its original features.

Dionne said: “I have seen this building since I was a child because I grew up in Astley Bridge, Smithills, Halliwell, all around here and I have never ever seen this building be a functioning building.

“It has just stood here like sort of sad looking and I’ve took over it and I am going to turn it into a salon.

“Everyone I have spoken to has just been so excited because they said I am just breathing new life into it.

“So, I spoke to the landlord and asked what the building was before and he said it was an old bank, so I rang Bolton History Museum for more information.

“Inside it has all the old original period features, its just beautiful and its just a little gem, I love it."

Now she is looking to combine her two passsions to breathe new life into the building.

For as well as being a qualified beauty therapist, Dionne studied interior design at university.

Dionne has been a beauty therapist for more than 20 years moffering clients a range of treatments including semi-permanent makeup, tiny tattoos and has helped breast cancer patients by restoring their hair loss and giving them brows.

Once completed the business will be known as The Dressing Up Box and will be a hub for beauty, permanent makeup, tattooing and training.

Dionne Leece (Image: Dionne Leece)

She said: “I am a beauty therapist and semi-permanent makeup artist, but I have always been in somebody else’s premises, and it has been my dream, because I have been a beauty therapist for 20 years, to have my own salon.

“In between my beauty life I went to university and did interior design and so I absolutely love historical, period old buildings, I have an appreciation for them, and I never set out to have my own salon in a period building, but this particular building came about, and I had seen it was up for let and I just thought wow.

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The side of the building (Image: Dionne Leece)

“I got the keys at the weekend, and it’s all being renovated now, and I am just super excited about it, it is like a dream come true and it is in a building that I absolutely adore.

“I have about four or five weeks now to literally get all the renovations done and have it looking how I want it to, so I am hoping to open on June 1 or 2.

“It is just a dream come true, it’s super exciting and I am just ready to do this.

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“I have built up a good reputation and some clients have followed me for years and everyone has been messaging me and said it sounds amazing and the interest is there.

“It is not your average Joe salon, it has got grandeur to it and I’m not tearing out the heart of this beautiful old building, I’m keeping some of its original features and I’m just on a high at the minute, I’m really excited.

“Obviously I am a bit nervous at the same time because it is a lot to take on board, but it is different and it is not no ordinary salon, its just got something a little bit different to it.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno