WELCOME!
To our newsletter. There are many of you out there who we only see once every few years. That isn’t enough for us and this is our way of informing you of what is happening within the practice and in our day to day lives, and maybe giving you some light entertainment in the process.
AN UPDATE FROM PHIL
Most of my time over the past couple of months seems to have been spent in the practice. Many of you will have walked past us or popped in over the last few months and seen the huge changes we have made to the appearance of the shop. Some of you may have even tried on one or two frames from our new ranges.
In the last newsletter we introduced you to Anne & Valentin, and both the glasses and sunglasses have gone down a storm when customers have tried them on. I can safely say that it is the most exciting collection I have come across in my near 30 years in the industry. We’ve also added SALT. from California. Their subtle colours and high fashion shapes are manufactured to a standard that you nowadays only expect from the independent world class manufacturers.
We have also taken delivery of new frames from a collection we already stocked, Savile Row. These are a handmade British artisan product worn by global iconic figures such as John Lennon, Elton John and Harry Potter. Made in east London, these are truly a piece of British heritage.
Away from the practice, I had a great couple of weeks in France earlier in the summer (more on that later). Phil, our Optometrist, has had a busy few months with his daughters both home from university over the summer whilst also trying to find time to keep up with the gardening and following the cricket. Dan still seems to be working hard on his house renovations and the wedding seems pretty much fully planned.
LINDBERG
We love a brand with a story behind them, and in this edition we wanted to share with you the story of one of our most in demand, Lindberg. This story might just change your life, or at least your eyewear, forever!
Based in Aarhus, Denmark this small private company is among the most admired eyewear designers in the world. Lindberg are at the forefront of new and evolving global eyewear trends and at the cutting edge of eyewear design and how to make a sophisticated statement with your eyewear.
Back in 1985 Mr Lindberg, an optician, was in his mid-forties and needed glasses himself for the first time. Experiencing it himself, his eyes were opened to how uncomfortable all the glasses were, and he found nothing that he was happy to wear himself all day. So, he set about creating eyewear that was lightweight but strong, stylish and extremely comfortable. He teamed up with his son Henrik, a trained architect, to design Air Titanium which upended the eyewear market with its delicate silhouette.
Since then they have revolutionised eyewear design more than once. Innovation is key to their success. They have won 98 international design awards to date. The brand still remains an important and influential heavyweight in the eyewear industry today.
During the design process they have done away with everything that is not essential – screws, rivets and welds. “Screw is a really dirty word around here.” Says Henrik. This means that their frames are flexible and incredibly strong.
Having an ‘individual to you’ pair of glasses is not a problem with all of the incredible options Lindberg has to offer. Lindberg gives you a customised piece of eyewear, designed just for you. Shape, size, material, and colour all custom designed to fit you. In my opinion this makes Lindberg the most desirable eyewear brand in the world.
MY SUMMER ESCAPADE
Summer is once again drawing to a close, and I hope you have all enjoyed it as much as I have. As a family this year, we decided instead of the usual camping trip to Wales or Devon we’d travel further afield and meet up with some friends in a ski chalet in the French Alps. With no snow around over the summer we decided to do some exploring and take our bikes with us.
I’d been telling a customer a couple of days before I was driving to France and he told me to make sure I take a high-vis jacket, warning triangle and a spare pair of glasses as these are all a legal requirement for driving in France. I’d never heard about the spare glasses before, but it makes a lot of sense as I’d be lost without mine.
So setting off to Dover for the ferry at 10:30pm I had the small matter of an 850 mile drive ahead of me. All went well until the last stretch when we arrived and found the village we were staying in was split in half by the top of the mountain, and we were on the wrong side. Another hour later and 22 hours in total and we had made it.
We spent 2 days in Les Gets and Morzine, which is the Mecca for mountain bikers in Europe. The weather was great, around 27 degrees most days. There are world class downhill runs, and as there is no snow, the ski lifts take you to the top with your bike in tow. After mountain biking for the day everyone seemed to find the nearest lake and jump in for a swim to cool off, so we did the same.
I’ve never really worn sunglasses that much before, after all, it usually rains when we go on holiday in the UK. Nevertheless, I decided to take a good pair with me and I’m so glad I did as I would have been lost without them. However, my daughters often ended up laughing at me as Id forget I had them on and still be wearing them when it went dark.
All in all, it was a fantastic holiday, possibly my favourite so far. For anybody that loves spending time outdoors I would definitely recommend hiring a ski chalet when there is no snow and getting out in the mountains. I will certainly be heading back.
RIDE FOR CHARLIE
Some of you may have seen my youngest daughter Rose did some fundraising over the summer. Rose went to school with a boy called Charlie Craig who was a very keen cyclist and was also very good at it. In 2016 Charlie won the under 16 national cyclocross trophy and came second in the British cyclocross national championship.
Unfortunately, Charlie passed away at the age of 15 in 2017. He died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition. His parents then decided to set up a foundation in his memory called Ride for Charlie. The foundation raises money and invests it back into local communities for screening children for undiagnosed heart conditions. It is estimated 80% of problems can be detected, saving valuable lives. The charity also supports young budding cyclists in developing their talents. It is a foundation Rose holds very close to her heart and over the summer she decided to raise money for it by having her long hair cut short. She also donated her hair to a charity called the Little Princess Foundation. This charity collects donated hair and turns it into wigs for children going through cancer treatment.
Thank you to all our customers that donated to Rose. She managed to raise nearly £700 and help unfortunate children in the process, so well-done Rose, I’m very proud of you.
FINALLY,
We would like to say a huge thank to all our customers. It is your continued support, recommendations and reviews that enable our business to continue serving the wonderful people of Barnsley. We couldn’t keep the business going without you. We would also like to welcome all the new customers who have joined us over the last few months. Getting to know new customers is always great fun and we look forward to your next visit.
Please feel free to share this copy of Life in Spectacles with your friends and family.
Take care and see you all soon,
