A glamorous but somewhat unseasonable front cover adorns the November 29, 1974 issue of The Optician.
Less eye-catching news from a meeting of the General Optical Council that week proposed an increase in registration fees by £1 to £7 for the year 1975-76. Although the 14 per cent increase sounds extreme, inflation has since lifted registration fees to £310 (News 21.11.14) – leaving well-established practice owners longing after the 1970s.
There is also an early mention of Christmas in this past issue, with the industry urged to publish festive greetings to the readership. The invention of e-cards and Christmas mail-outs have since reduced this type of personal engagement, unfortunately.
Also in the Christmas spirit, Norville announced in the news pages its holiday closing of labs from December 20 for 10 days. But while the summer was a distant memory, reference to a forthcoming sunglass feature and bikinis on the front cover show winter 1975 was a time to look forward and not back.