Well, I could hardly resist using that jokey punchline. You know the one, the advert where a variety of people mess up something because their eyesight is poor and they haven’t gone and got it sorted.

First of all, I am not one of those!

I already know I am as blind as a bat. I have been wearing contact lenses now for about 20 years, starting with hard lenses, then moving on to soft lenses that you had to clean constantly and add protein tablets to and disinfect. A total and utter palaver.

As the years moved on, so did the type of lenses I wore. I moved up to monthly lenses where I had one pair to last a month, that still needed taking out and storing overnight. Then to 30 day lenses, where I got 30 pairs and changed them every day.

Finally I have moved onto my current lenses. These lenses are amazing. I put them in on day 1. And take them out again on day 30/31. I sleep, bathe, party, garden, shower, drive, eat in them. You  name it I do it.

The bonus of sleeping in them is that when I first wake up, I can actually see! Being quite short sighted, I can see really small print without any assistance, but I can’t see the face of someone 2 foot away. This is the main reason I have chosen to wear contact lenses. I hate the foggy blurred vision I have when not wearing contacts or glasses.

For the most part, I NEVER wear my glasses. I have a couple of pair that are about 6 years old, that I still like but are  modern metal frames, that doesn’t suit my vintage style. So I only wear them when my eyes are sore, or I am having a problem with my contact lenses. Which is not often.

I got a new pair about 18 months ago, which was a bit more vintage and I thought I would like. Then I put them on, and looked remarkably like the dearly departed Jennifer Paterson from”The Two Fat Ladies”

Trust me on this, I was a dead ringer!! I had all my family in fits of giggles when I compared my new look with the picture above. At the time, I had no fringe and black hair and looked like her long lost daughter!

And so, I decided I wouldn’t be wearing them at all. Ever.

Booking my latest appointment at the Kettering Specsavers, I duly trotted in last Saturday and was welcomed by the lovely friendly staff. Kettering is not my local town, and certainly not my closest Specsavers. But I am loyal to the branch because they saved my Fathers life.

Eh? How did an Opticians manage to save someone’s life?

Well, 11 years ago Dad went for his routine eye appointment. The Optician noticed something unusual at the back of his eye and told him to get straight to the hospital. Dad went to the local A&E and within two hours was in the back of an ambulance screaming down the motorway to London.

What the optician had actually spotted was a massive tumour in the back of Dads eye socket. Within 6 hours Dad was on the operating table having his eye removed. He had no idea that there was actually anything wrong until he had that appointment.

Dad eventually did succumb to Cancer 10 years later. That optician gave my family 10 years that we potentially wouldn’t have had without that appointment. So, I stay with them. Because I think they are AMAZING.

So, eye test completed, I had no noticable differences, so whilst I was looking forward to seeing the latest styles,  I was determined that I wasn’t going to get any glasses if my prescription hadn’t changed much. I only ever wear them in emergencies, so surely I could cope with my old trendy pair. Then I saw the range……

Trotting around Specsavers with 5 pairs in my hands, putting them on and off, trying them against one another and generally being indecisive, I finally resorted to a “winner stays on” kind of game.

Dragging my mother in law into It I tried a pair on, then swapped them before asking which pair was best. Whichever one we thought, got to stay on. Eventually by doing this I had narrowed it down to two pairs.

For me, both are very vintage. They suit my style perfectly and were an absolutely steal. To be honest, had I been someone who wears their glasses quite a bit, I would have got both pairs. But for me, contact lenses will always be my preferred choice.

My final two choices were these…….

Being a contact lenses subscriber,  paying my monthly direct debit, means that all my contact lens checks, lenses and replacements, AND my sight test are included in my scheme.

Something that Specsavers started including in the past year or so, is reduced price glasses and in some cases, free glasses!

Any of the glasses in the £29 – £49 range are free. Higher priced glasses are available and you pay a portion towards them.

The glasses I eventually chose were £99. This means I had to add a bit of money towards them. £35 in fact. What a bargain!

So, what was my final choice? The pointed cats eye glasses in the picture On the left.

I do think I will be wearing this pair more often than I have ever wore my previous glasses, just because I absolutely love them.

What do you think? Did I make the right choice? Where do you go to get your vintage spectacles?

I’d love to hear your thoughts
Till next time,
Tx