IT was scissors and business portfolios at the ready for Rossendale-based hairdressers Headmasters, finalists at the annual British Hairdressing Business Awards 2004 - the biggest and most prestigious competition in the industry.

Headmasters was among six finalists chosen from over 1,000 entries across the UK at the London awards ceremony held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park.

The star-studded bash was attended by the industry glitterati and 780 salon owners and their teams. The evening was hosted by Radio DJ and celebrity, Dr Neil Fox.

Headmasters entered the Salon of the Year category, which saw its entry scrutinised by a team of 24 judges and competing in three heats before successfully being put forward to the final.

It has been a fantastic last couple of years for Head- masters, which was encouraged to enter the awards by their workforce development adviser Nadine Ray at Business Link North & Western Lancashire. The team and Salon Owner, Christine Moffatt see their entry into the Hairdressing Business Awards as the icing on the cake.

The winning combination that makes the Headmasters' team has seen the business awarded a plethora of accolades over the past two years. Christine has built a strong learning culture at Headmasters and her links with an international hair product supplier has given her team access to external expertise and training opportunities.

Christine said: "The whole team is ecstatic that our achievements and hard work have been recognised. The British Hairdressing Awards was such a buzz, not just for me but also for everyone at Headmasters, the staff and our clients and suppliers.

Nadine said: "I have no doubt next year the sky will be the limit!"

vMental health:

Link that's crucial

THIS Sunday, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. The theme this year is the relationship between physical and mental health, which can be viewed from a number of angles.

People with severe mental health problems often have more physical health problems as well. The main reasons are probably the major effects that poor mental health can have on lifestyle and behaviour - diet, physical activity smoking, etc. and not getting appropriate help for physical health problems.

People with poor physical health are also more likely to have poor mental health, particularly anxiety and depression, probably because of the stressful nature of any illness, especially chronic pain.

What is less widely appreciated is the strong link between mind and body in significant numbers of GPs consultations every day of the week. One of the prime causes can best be described as 'worry', in its many forms.

For many people, any kind of worry can lead to concerns about their health. It could be coincidence that they perhaps also have a minor illness that causes symptoms such as tiredness, sore throat, aching or tenderness, particularly in the chest area.

However it originates, some people whose initial worries were unconnected to health, can come to think that physical symptoms they experience indicate that they have a significant health problem. Unfortunately, the medical profession can be quite poor at handling such patients. If they fail to explore the real concerns that brought the patient to the surgery, they may try to reassure them that 'there's nothing wrong', but fail to give a convincing explanation of what is going on. Alternatively, they may order tests that make the person even more worried that they have a serious illness.

If you think this scenario may apply to you, it is important to know that just being aware of how health worries can arise is an important start and may help you control them.

If you would like to know more about World Mental Health Day, you can log onto the website at www.wmhday.net

Alternatively, there will be local events focusing on the World Mental Health Day theme at Darwen Resource Centre, Edward St and Mount Pleasant Resource Centre, Trinity St. Blackburn, 11am to 3.30pm on Thursday, October 14.