Hair students at Chichester College enjoyed a masterclass in styling by one of the best in the business.Earlier this month, renowned stylist and head judge of TV’s Extreme Hair Wars Martyn Holmes showcased how to create a timeless ‘vintage tong’ style, giving students the knowledge they will need for achieving glamorous 1940s-style waves.

After watching Martyn’s demonstration – and peppering the stylist with questions about his background and life in the hair industry – the students then spent the afternoon working with him to recreate the look themselves.

First year apprentice Tayla Rigby was one of the students enjoying the opportunity, and she said it has inspired to work harder to achieve her dreams.

She said: “It was really exciting. I really like Extreme Hair Wars and I’m a fan of his. It’s amazing to see someone like Martyn coming in to the college and giving us a chance to learn from him.

“It makes you more motivated, I think. Even though I’m just starting out, watching people like Martyn and Lee Stafford makes me want to do more and get involved in more shows.

“You can see from them that you can do some really great things, and they were just like us.”

Alongside his television work and running his own salon, Martyn also works closely with Lee Stafford Education to deliver training to students at Lee Stafford’s 11 partner colleges around the country, which includes Chichester College.

Martyn said: “I’m passionate about this industry and when you get to a certain age – like I have – it’s about giving back and getting the next generation ready. It’s sharing knowledge, and that’s important.

“I get a lot of satisfaction out of working with young people and passing on my knowledge.

“This is my first time in Chichester and it’s a beautiful college with some amazing facilities. It was lovely to be working with a full house of students, who have been wonderful.

“I can see that a lot of them are very enthusiastic and it’s good to see passion for their career growing.

“There’s always going to be a need for stylists. It’s not one of those trades that can be done by a robot or a computer. We’re very lucky that we will be doing what we love for as long as we want to across the world. We’re lucky. It’s a great industry to work in.”