Family-run Southsea salon renamed as tribute after much-loved owner dies aged 47

Julie Erridge became ill during a holiday to Thailand with her husband of 27 years Patrick, and after being diagnosed with cancer in January she passed away just seven weeks later aged 47.

The salon she owned with her younger brother Eden Furlong reopens today following lockdown restrictions, and the family have given it a new name in her honour: Juliee’s.

Previously Hair Furlong, the salon in Highland Road has had a full refurbishment while it has been closed, with the idea of the revamp initially starting as a surprise paint job from Eden to Julie for when she returned from holiday.

Taking advantage of the long period of lockdown closure, Eden and his family worked hard to fully update the salon’s equipment and give it a much more modern look along with its new name, which has an extra ‘e’ in Juliee’s to stand for Eden’s name.

Eden, who was in awe of how Julie dealt with her illness, said: ‘She was so matter of fact, she didn’t fall apart, she was amazing.’

Ahead of the reopening, the 46-year-old added: ‘I think it’s so lovely that I have named the salon to keep her with me. I’m very excited, I can’t wait to get back to work.’

Julie is missed very much by her loving husband Patrick Erridge and their three children, Yasmin, 24, Naish, 19, and 18-year-old Phoebe.

Patrick, from Milton, has paid tribute to his ‘very brave’ wife and is hoping to hold a larger memorial for Julie in the future after only very close family members could attend the funeral due to restrictions.

The 50-year-old said: ‘She never ever had a day off from that salon, she was a bit of a gem of a person. She was very attractive, very good-natured, she had it all.

‘I was helping Eden inside the salon and we came to the conclusion to change the name to Juliee’s so the customers would remember her - they will never forget her. A lot of the customers were absolutely devastated when she left us so quickly.’

The pair initially thought Julie had caught a bug from the native food on holiday, but it soon became clear that she was very unwell.

Patrick added: ‘She became very ill very quickly, as soon as she got home she was critically ill.

‘I’m completely overwhelmed about how great she was. She embraced it, she accepted it and she wasn’t a coward about it. She was very loved.

‘Everyone grieves and it’s a form of injury so you have got to look up and push on further and that’s what she would have wanted. She was very brave.’

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