Shaver me whiskers!

Steven Booth

CAPTAIN Bootsie’s beard is ready to be consigned to the history books!

Former labourer Stephen Booth, or Bootsie as he is known to many, is preparing to say goodbye to the bushy beard he’s been cultivating for five years.

And it’s all for a good cause close to his heart.

He’ll go under the cut-throat razor at a fundraising night for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust at St Anne’s Rugby Club later this month.

The fun-filled event will serve to remember a former ball boy of the Fitton Hill Amateur Rugby Club, Michael Wilde, who died aged 20 after suffering with the condition.

It won’t be the first close shave Bootsie’s had in recent years, who started to grow his facial hair after investing in a 30ft cruiser boat — despite never having sailed.

The 61-year-old said: “I couldn’t go out at weekends looking like this so it kept me focused on getting the boat ready, plus I thought I’d look the part at the helm.

“Now I’m sick of it though.

“The only trouble is I’m getting rid of it, and my hair, at the coldest time of year. I’ll have to get a balaclava.”

Sporting his impressive growth he took to the water and set sail from Calais to complete a 1,000-mile journey to the south of France.

Inexperienced and battling against giant cargo-carrying ships, he faced more than his fair share of hair-raising moments.

He said: “People thought I was some kind of nutcase, I’d ring back to England and say ‘I nearly died today’ and people would just laugh.

“If I’d have known how tough it was going to be I would never have done it.

“Just the wash alone of some of these barges would nearly capsize my boat.”

When not battling the waves he turned hairy biker and would explore the French countryside by bicycle.

But now, with his boat safely moored up, he’s back in England for the winter and ready to remember young Michael Wilde, who died over a decade ago.

He’ll undergo a cut and clean shave at the event from 1pm on Sunday January 29, where a raffle will also raise funds and a disco and live music will entertain the crowds.

Rush
Amateur rugby clubs from across the borough are involved and are currently in a rush to raise as much money as they can for the worthy cause — with an ambitious target of £10,000 already set.

Bootsie, a former rugby player himself, added: “It will be strange losing the beard, my mum will be pleased though, she’s detested it from day one.

“At the moment no one sits next to me on buses because they think I’m some kind of vagrant, that may change once it’s gone.

“I’m so pleased to be doing this for the cause.

“We all remember Michael growing up with the club and he was such a wonderful lad.

Entry to the event is £1 on the door, with anyone wishing to donate to the cause also able to do so by sending cheques made payable to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to:

Ian Gatley, 2 Waddington Fold, Rochdale, OL16 4QB.