Bearded Bootsie loses his locks

Stephen Booth: after!

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LOCAL character Stephen Booth, or Bootsie as he’s known to most, was almost unrecognisable after shedding his bushy beard and flowing locks he’s been cultivating for five years.

He underwent a buzz cut at St Anne’s Rugby Club to raise cash for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust — and a fun-loving crowd turned out to witness the moment.

Bootsie (61), who started growing his hair after buying a boat, said: “I was a bit nervous when going under the razor, but I had a drink to steady my nerves and was ok.

“My head is really cold now though.

“My mum, who hated the beard and hair, leapt on stage, give me a kiss and presented me with a bobble hat she’d knitted. I wore it to bed the other night.

“I love the new look though, I’ll never go back now. The response was unbelievable, people were throwing notes in buckets as they went round.”

His efforts formed part of a full day of fundraising that saw more than £7,000 raised, with money still flooding in.

The day, that also saw an auction staged and local musicians perform, served to remember Michael Wilde, a former young supporter of the Fitton Hill Amateur Rugby Club who died aged 20 having suffered with Cystic Fibrosis.