Echoes of the past travels back in time to 1974 this week, with a look at Optician’s news pages from the September 27 edition. Around the time the issue went to press, scientists first reported that freon gases from aerosol sprays were destroying the ozone layer and Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas was number one in the UK charts.
A news item on a consumer-focused report about the spectacle market published in The Sun earlier in the month grabbed the headlines that week. Described by Optician at the time as a ‘jumble of statements,’ The Sun article looked at the how spectacles were sold by opticians and whether the full range of NHS frame options were being shown to patients in an effort to increase the number of more expensive private frame sales.
One source was reported to have told the paper that her child was not shown the full range of NHS frame options and the practitioner in question was alleged to have told the patient that private frames would have lasted longer.
The exposé also featured quotes from opticians. One reportedly said private frames were promoted in an effort to make up for poor financial returns from the Department of Health, while another said all practitioners would provide the same level of service because they had all completed the same degree.
Oliver Goldsmith also made the news, as a sample case of 144 sunglasses was stolen from a van outside Harrods. The nature of the frames made giving Optician readers a detailed description of the designs an easy task.