insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 06 - August 2015 | Page 9

NEWS

BRIGHTON SALON SEIZES TOP HAIRDRESSING AWARD
Simon Webster Hair, in North Laine,
Brighton transformed their dreams into
reality by winning the greatly sought
after 2015 Mizani Afro Award during the
prestigious 2015 L’Oréal Colour Trophy
Grand Final, with a salon team lead by SWH
Team’s Colour Specialist, Patrick Matthews.
In June, the salon’s creative 3-month
journey came to a dramatic finale inside
the stunning Battersea Evolution, Battersea
Park, London. The audience gave the
team a standing ovation as TV and Radio
presenter Lauren Laverne, the Grand Final
presenter for 2015 and Afro Hairdresser of
the Year, Charlotte Mensah presented the
team their award.
Over 1000 photographic entries were
received for the 2015 L’Oréal Colour Trophy
and just 400 salon teams make it through to
the final events. Back in May a powerhouse
team of seven salons all vying to win the
Mizani Afro Look Award went head to head
inside the L’Oréal International Academy,
London during an intense live final.
Each team created their look on a
model of African/Caribbean descent that

AWARD-WINNING
LONDON CHEF
SET TO COOK
AT THE SET
RESTAURANT,
BRIGHTON
 As one of Brighton’s biggest fans, Scottish Chef
of the Year, Adam Handling will be cooking for
two exclusive evenings at the town’s The Set
Restaurant on Regency Square.
 Opened only four months ago and co-owned by
chefs Dan Kenny & Semone Bonner, The Set is a new
and exciting addition to Brighton’s restaurant scene
that serves seasonal set menus.
The tasting menu for the two evenings (August
2nd and August 16th) has been carefully devised
by Adam Handling, whose food is renowned for its
innovative flavour combinations and stunning visual
appeal. From Adam’s famous crab doughnuts to
start; to ashed beef, onion jam and cabbage; to the
delicately crafted yuzu, meringue, white chocolate and
milk ice cream that will finish your meal perfectly. This
promises to be a unique experience for those lucky
enough to secure a reservation for the two evenings
that Adam is in town.
 Says Chef Adam Handling: “I love Brighton. It’s
one of my favourite places in the UK. When I’m not
cooking at my London restaurant, I escape to this
vibrant town. People really know food here and I can’t
wait to finally share my cooking with them.”

encapsulated their knowledge of Autumn/
Winter 2015/16 catwalk trends infused
beautiful make-up and fashion led styling
with technically excellent colour and
precision cutting skills. The highly respected
judging panel was made up from Junior
Green of Junior Green Salon, Michelle
Sultan and Kim Johnson of Hype Coiffure
and Charlotte Mensah of Hair Lounge.
Simon Webster said of their win:
“We are absolutely thrilled and also a little
stunned as this was the first time that we
have ever entered this award category.
Since opening our salon in 2012 we have
had an increasing number of clients with
afro or mixed race hair looking for Afro
Hair specialists. This is a specialist area in
hairdressing and not all hairdressers are
equipped with the knowledge to get the
best out of Afro hair, so we have really
concentrated on this specialism and made
sure that we have the right team with the
right skills, and winning this award has
really shown us that we are definitely doing
something right!”

EASTBOURNE’S ALEXANDER
BOXALL NAMED NATIONAL
YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR
Alexander Boxall, from Eastbourne, has been
crowned Winner of the National Young Writers’
Award. The 12 year old beat almost 15,000 entries
from children all over the country to be named the
best young writer in the UK in a ceremony at his
school, Battle Abbey.
 The hugely popular competition, run by
tuition provider, Explore Learning, was judged by
best-selling author of The World of Norm series of
books, Jonathan Meres, and this year’s theme was
‘Strange Events & Peculiar Happenings’. Alexander
walks away with an incredible prize of a family trip
to Disneyland Paris and £500 worth of books for
his school.
 His story, That’s a Wrap, tells the tale of Danny who, together with his family, moves
into an isolated mill cottage only to experience an eventful night of something more than
just a ‘a bad storm’.
 Judge Jonathan Meres said: “I know you’re probably all expecting me to say
something about how incredibly high the standard of entries was and how impressed
I’ve been with the quality of the writing. Because that’s the kind of stuff that judges
always say. But I’m afraid that’s exactly what I am going to say. Well, I’m not afraid to say
it. I’ve got to say it. Because it’s absolutely true. The standard of stories really has been
exceptionally good, which on the one hand has made for some very entertaining reading
for me, but on the other hand has made the task of choosing just one overall winner
extremely difficult and frankly, almost impossible. But there can, as they say, only be one
winner and that was Alexander. 
 Using some wonderfully descriptive and spine-tingling language, Alexander
manages to convey a feeling of foreboding and suspense in a remarkably short space of
time and still manages to pull off a cracking and most unexpected twist at the very end,
that I doubt anyone will see coming. I certainly didn’t. So congratulations, Alexander. And
well done to everyone else who entered, too. Whatever you do, keep on writing!”
For more information on Explore Learning and the National Young Writers’ Awards
please visit www.explorelearning.co.uk/youngwriters.

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