Miss May gave up hairdressing for vending

By Anthony Henry, Star Writer

Peggy Graham (left) serving a customer at the Papine Market recently.

TWENTY years ago 50-year-old Peggy Graham decided to leave her profession as a hairdresser to become a vendor.

"It wasn't working out. You don't make back your money right away. People come into your shop and you do their hair and they get up and tell you month end. When you selling in the market you see back your money right away," Peggy told THE STAR.

She said that she sold her hairdressing equipment, stocked up on goods and headed for the market - and the location she chose? The Papine Market.

"I started out small selling little things then I upgrade," she said, glancing at her stall filled with yam, pumpkin, escallion, oranges, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetable.

Although it requires more work to be a vendor than a hairdresser, Peggy or Ms. May as she is called by other vendors and customers, believes that when it comes to collecting her money it is better than if she operated a hairdressing parlour.

"It is a long time people doing hair style and said that they don't have any money, some don't even tell you before you do their hair. It is after you finish them tell you that they don't have any money," Peggy said.

But why not another profession? Peggy said that her mother was a vendor and naturally she followed in mommy's footsteps. "My mother used to do this and I just come into it," she told THE STAR.

The stout woman, who looks young for her age, said she would do nothing different even if she had her life to live again. And when she cannot go on any further in the market life, "I'll just sit home and collect my pension," she said while laughing.

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