A BUSINESS owner from Strachur who lost her business in the fire that engulfed one of the busiest streets in Glasgow said it’s ‘hard to fathom’ what has happened to her.
Annabel Mirrlees operates Willow Hair Salon, which was situated within 111 Union Street, but has found herself picking up the pieces of what’s left of her hairdressers after the inferno which began in a vape shop gripped much of Union Street from Sunday afternoon.
And Annabel, like many others, only found out about the fire through social media, arriving on the scene to a graver situation than she ever could have imagined.
She said: “I found out through a friend sending me a picture of the burnt out vape shop.
“I tried googling the fire and nothing was appearing, so I assumed it was put out and would just be smoke damage to the units above it. I drove into the city centre on Sunday evening to find out when we would be able to get back into the building and I arrived to the roof collapsing in and flames tearing through every room – I had no idea it was as bad as that.”
The blaze has left Annabel with an intense sense of grief for her lost shop and a long list of bills and to-do’s to get her business up and running again.
She continued: “It’s pretty heartbreaking.
“The financial side of it is obviously extremely stressful, whilst trying to reschedule weeks of booked in clients until I find out where I’ll be based going forward, but the emotional side of it has also been hard.
“Thinking about the hours I spent renovating the space and all the tiny little details to make the visit special for clients, plus all the gifts clients have given me over the years that I kept there. It’s hard to fathom that absolutely everything is gone.
“I’m hoping to get back up and running in a few weeks – I have been trying to replace some bits of my kit so i can start doing basic services like cuts and then in time will be able to buy stock again for colouring services. I keep trying to make plans then realising that I don’t own any of the tools that I need to follow the plan through. Hopefully in a month things will be returning to some sort of new normality.”
A crowdfunding page has been set up to try and restore as much of Annabel’s business as possible, which at the time of writing sits just shy of the £10,000 mark.
Although it is nearly double the amount the GoFundMe aimed to raise, Annabel admitted it was ‘hard to say’ how much it will take to get her business fully up and running again.
Annabell commented: “I renovated the salon over three years ago and it cost thousands to kit it out, however the bigger problem is now that rent prices have dramatically increased in the city – plus there just seems to be a lot less availability.
“The cost of furniture and fittings alone is thousands and then all the stock and tools needed and trades work that will go into fitting, plumbing and more [is immense].”
However, the hairdresser hasn’t lost sight of the generosity of the people who have donated, adding: “I am so extremely grateful for every pound donated.
“I actually cannot believe how generous people can be in times that are already financially tough for so many people – I’ll be forever grateful for how much help people have offered.”
At the time of writing, firefighters continue to dampen down hotspots at the scene of a large-scale building fire on Union Street in Glasgow.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews are using high reach appliances and ground monitors to assess and cool off areas of the four-storey structure, which has partially collapsed.
And the impact has been felt deeply in Cowal, with another hairdresser from the area losing his business to the blaze.
Sammy Cameron from Dunoon was due to open his new salon at Cut Loose Barbers the day after the incident, before the fire took everything.
Cut Loose also has a fundraiser, which currently sits at more than £11,500, as they also deal with the impact of losing an entire business to a tragic event.
In a post on social media, they said: “We had only just finished painting and decorating the new larger studio the night before and we were due to open its doors today – we had not yet set up contents insurance.
“If anyone is able to donate something to help us get back on our feet I have started a fundraiser. Thank you for all the kind messages and I hope to see everyone in a new location soon.”
The incident sparked a major operation from the Scottish Fire Service, with more than 250 firefighters attending the scene since the initial emergency call shortly before 4pm on Sunday, March 8.
As of 4.30pm on Tuesday, March 10, four fire appliances and one high reach vehicle remain at the scene.
At the height of the incident, 18 fire appliances and specialist resources, including a high-volume pump drawing water from the River Clyde, were deployed to the scene.
There are no reported casualties, however the fire has caused extensive damage to the building and the loss of the building’s historic dome.
Crews are still working with structural engineers to assess the stability of the remaining building. SFRS will also work with partner agencies over the coming days, including Network Rail, Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council.
SFRS deputy assistant chief officer, Ian McMeekin, said: “This has been a significant and complex incident, and our crews have worked tirelessly at the scene since the initial call on Sunday afternoon.
“This includes limiting further fire damage to nearby buildings, including Glasgow Central train station, and to bring a large-scale fire under control.
“This incident has required significant levels of resource, and we will continue to remain on scene as we move into a recovery phase alongside our multi-agency partners.
“We understand the disruption this fire has caused, and we are grateful for the patience shown by the public as we work to bring this incident to a safe conclusion, before the site is handed over to partner agencies.”
QR Code these links: Willow Lounge Hair Studio https://gofund.me/d35989cd6
Cut Loose Barbers https://gofund.me/53fd758ab
