A FORMER bakery which stood empty for around 20 years has been given a new lease of life and has re-opened as a fashionable barber’s shop.

Teddy English Gentlemen’s Barbers has opened on the site of Carbery Bakery in Southbourne and is already attracting customers from far and wide.

The shop, on Carbery Row, has been completely refurbished and now boasts a stylish interior and a pool table.

It took owner Stuart Edwards three months to refurbish the shop, which still had a bakery oven and mixer inside when he took it on.

He said: “The shop was not in the best condition with some of the equipment still here and PVC cladding on the walls.

“We are really pleased with the end result.”

For Stuart, the opening of the shop marks a milestone in his family’s life.

He told the Daily Echo: “Before my nan died near Christmas I told her I was going to open my own shop and it meant a lot to her.”

He said several other family members have also suffered significant health problems in the last year.

Stuart has worked as a barber for 12 years and is the former manager of MINT in Southbourne.

He said: “When I first became a barber it was not seen as a cool job and a lot of people were saying I was doing a woman’s job.

“Men are now more aware of their appearance and want more than a £5 haircut in an old-fashioned shop.”

He said textured haircuts and fading are the most popular styles for men.

Stuart said he hopes to offer more services in the future to allow all members of the community to use the shop.