Forest Town man beating Crohn's disease by opening his new barbershop

A man from Forest Town has used lockdown to retrain after a long period of illness, and has finally followed his dreams and opened up his own barbershop.
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Philip Flude suffers from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, which forced him to leave his physical job as a groundworker, and then his role as a mental health support worker.

Ten years ago, his health deteriorated to the extent that he was forced to give up work completely.

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Since then, the 37-year-old has endured more than 40 operations and battled back from sepsis, and many times his wife Sarah, his childhood sweetheart, feared she was going to lose him.

Forest Town barbershop, owner Philip Flude.Forest Town barbershop, owner Philip Flude.
Forest Town barbershop, owner Philip Flude.

But he is now bouncing back after using lockdown to retrain as a barber, and has now opened his own barbershop.

Sarah, also aged 37, said: “Phil has really struggled with his health, it has been awful at times – there were so many hospital admissions where I was worried that he wasn’t going to make it.

“He was devastated to have to give up work, but he physically could not cope any longer.

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“Finally his Crohn’s became manageable with injections and medication, which was a huge relief.

The barbershop has had a full refurbishmentThe barbershop has had a full refurbishment
The barbershop has had a full refurbishment

“During lockdown, he decided to retrain as a barber, something he had always wanted to do.

“Then I spotted the barbershop had become available on Clipstone Road West, just a stone’s throw away from where we live.

“I rang Phil excitedly to let him know and we agreed to go for it.”

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New feel

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The barbershop has undergone a massive transformation in recent months, with floors, walls and ceilings all being ripped out to give the place a completely new feel.

The couple, who have four children between them, are now planning a full launch after a much-needed break over Christmas.

Sarah said: “We have given the place a complete makeover, literally everything has been ripped out.

“It has been a hard slog getting everything refurbished, but it is so worth it, it looks amazing inside.

“Now we can’t wait to get started properly.”

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To find out more about Forest Town Barbershop, visit its Facebook page.

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