Cutting my 25 year old pony tail off!

Hello Everyone!

I have posted a video on our Facebook page that may have brought you to here or you may see this and want further explanation. If that is the case, then you can pop over to our Facebook and watch the video or just simply read below.

So anyway, my name is Harry Fletcher, I am a local to the Isle of Wight ( Sandown) proper Sandownian! I currently have a business in Wootton Bridge with my brother Ronnie Fletcher, The Woodmans Arms. We have been here for just over 3 years and have got to know a lot of great people and a whole new community in Wootton. We have had charity events raising around 6K in the last 3 years for local Isle of Wight charities, free fireworks nights and an array a community events which we would love to be able to keep on doing. However, since we were forced to close on 20th March we are still having to pay commercial rent along with many other monthly bill's that are accruing, which leaves myself and my brother amounting massive personal debt because we are the guarantors of the commercial rent ...but when we signed that we didn’t expect for a world pandemic and being forced to close for this period of time. We did receive a government grant, with which we made sure to pay off all of our local suppliers first, staff wages, insurance, licences and then utilities, which left a small amount which we have used to make the pub COVID ready for our customers for when we hopefully reopen in July.

So far we have had so much help from our locals, that drink/ eat here ( I mention them in the video) We can’t thank them enough for helping us get the pub ready which they have done sometimes free but also at reduced cost as they understand the situation that we are in.

Moving forward, there is little hope for the pub sector with 40% of family run pubs being expected to close. As well as reopening with enormous debt, we will still be charged full rent and other costs even though our custom will be down by approximately 60% when we re-open due to social distancing requirements. As a tied pub we will still have to pay pubco beer prices as well as losing a lot of stock prior to opening because broached items will not be reimbursed ( bottled beers, soft drinks, post mix etc) that have gone out of date or have a few days shelve life on them. This is all extremely difficult with our profit margins being so small.

The list goes on...it’s depressing, it's taken its toll health wise both physically and mentally as well as financially for myself, my brother and family. But instead of handing in the keys to the pub we decided to try and stay open and tackle the problem...and one way I can help this is by cutting my hair.

Now, some of you may say "it's only a haircut" but let me explain what my hair does and has done for me.

People who know me, know I have suffered from anxiety the best part of my adult life. It got so bad at one point; I couldn’t leave my own house. My long hair is coping mechanism which many people do not understand. Having my hair down in populated places helped me to cope with doing day to day things. It allowed me to hide most of my face from people or peoples line of site. Sounds silly, I know, but it worked for me. I continue to suffer with anxiety but I cope with it better these days but my long hair is all I have ever known and that threat of having panic attacks is always there, only this time it will happen without my safety blanket to hide behind. Even writing this now is making me anxious as I know when I post this officially, with my video, there will be no turning back...the mop will be coming off, gives me a sense of dread and panic, but to know I did everything I could for my business to survive means I'll have no regrets even if it doesn’t work. By the time I'm 40, being ginger and my hair going silver (not grey) by the day, my consultation will be in having hair like Lesley Neilson at such a young age.

Now, we understand many businesses are in the same boat as us. We urge everyone if you can’t donate then please use your locals when things calm down, not just us, but any town, use any local pub; and help the pub sector get back on its feet. We also understand that there is so many great causes out there and people in need at this time, but I have to try anything I possibly can to save my business and if that means raising money through my hair then ...it shall be done!! 

So any donations would be much appreciated!  

Here are some pictures of my hair over the years, including 2 younger ones, and one with my friends when I started growing my hair. Enjoy and laugh :) 

We have opted for a 20.000 target, even though we dont need that much for the business, cutting my hair can double up for charity. So once we have reached that target we will donate what is left after rent to a charity which was be decided by public vote on the day of the haircut which is.... drum roll please...

Sunday 2nd of August! At 6.30!!

Thank you for taking the time to read. 

www.woodmansarms.co.uk


Sorry scotty for the last picture, but it just made me laugh so much haha