A Swindon father who lost his son to a suspected hit-and-run has found a new calling in his honour. 

Harry Parker, 14, was killed when he was hit by a car at the crossing near Nova Hreod School on Akers Way in November 2022. 

His parents, Adam and Kelly Parker, have had to comprehend the monumental loss of a child, but have also spent the time since then trying to make a positive difference in the town and commemorate Harry’s life.  

The family founded the Harry’s Get Home Safely campaign which has seen road safety measures installed at Akers Way, and on the year-anniversary of his death they held a fun day with culminated in the reveal of Harry’s Hut, a building used by the football team he played for renamed in his honour. 

Swindon Advertiser: Adam Parker with Harry (right)Adam Parker with Harry (right) (Image: Family)But for dad, Adam, a career change is also another way that he is paying tribute to his ‘golden boy’. 

“After Harry’s death, I struggled to get back to work and wasn’t coping with it very well, so I decided to do something else,” Adam explained. 

“So, I returned to doing something that I loved, which was being a barber.”

So, Adam started his own business – The Mad Monk Barbers – which operates out of S-Line Studios in Old Town, and he has been meeting people and cutting their hair for many months now. 

“I wanted to do it for Harry,” Adam said. “He kept saying to me that I should go back to being a barber, and now I have.

"It feels good to know I’m doing what he wanted to me to do, and it feels like I’m honouring him in some way.”

Since setting up residence inside S-Line Studios, Adam has taken on an apprentice and said he is so happy to be able to pass on his experience and knowledge to someone else. 

Swindon Advertiser: The S-Line Studios teamThe S-Line Studios team (Image: Newsquest)There were also practical reasons behind Adam’s decision, as well as sentimental ones. 

The Swindon dad has become a recognisable figure on Akers Way since his son’s death, as he’s often there after school to help children cross safely, and he has regularly encountered dangerous speeding. 

The family have had a memorial bench for Harry installed a the crossing, and funds from the Harry’s Get Home Safely campaign have helped to install 20mph banners in the area to slow motorists down.