A STANFORD-le-Hope couple are 'living the dream' as they work together on a business venture in the town.

Cole Palmer and Beverley Clayton launched the Hope café and barbers on the town's High Street in January and it has quickly become a local community focal point.

Cole originally worked in the mortgage industry but when he was 42 decided he needed a change and retrained to become a barber and for several years worked in Stanford.

At the turn of the year he and Beverley, whose mum Rev Shirley Clayton was a former Methodist minister in Stanford, decided they wanted to work together and so the idea of a café and barbers going hand-in-hand was born.

The couple live on King Street and they renovated, adapted and moved into premises at nearby Stanford House and the rest – as they say - is history.

Cole has his barber's downstairs and Beverley runs the café, concentrating on coffees, cakes and the increasingly popular iced drinks. When he's not cutting locks Cole also works on the coffee and cake counter.

The café is very informal – and dog friendly!

The downstairs salon

It has proved a hit and a focal point for many local people who enjoy sitting in its quiet, contemplative atmosphere while enjoying a tasty brew and a cake.

Fiind out more via its Facebook page.

Cole said: "We wanted to do something different and the combination really seems to work.

"People seem to like the ambience of the café, where they can pause and stop and take a little bit of the strain of the day off their feet by sitting and chatting with friends.

"The haircutting is going well, again it's a little different and very relaxed. Appointments can be made at the cafe or via the Facebook page here."

And the community atmosphere that the café has quickly generated includes support for local good causes.

A peaceful haven for coffee and cake lovers.

Every month a new charity or cause is nominated and all tips and donations are given to it.

Currently the café, which opens from 7am to 4pm on Tuesday, to Friday, 8am to 4pm Saturday and 10am to 2pm on Sunday, is supporting Thurrock tot Freddy Turp and his family as he battles Leukaemia.