Growing in strength: Barraclough the Opticians

Eastbourne in East Sussex has somewhat of a retiring reputation. Once popular in the Victorian period, the coastal town has become a place to settle for the elderly generation to live out their days. The county has produced a particular chain since the late 1950s named Barracloughs the Opticians, now co-owned by Nigel Barraclough.

The very first Barracloughs practice was opened by Frank Barraclough in 1957. He decided to become an optometrist after being told he was short-sighted as a child, at the time when the NHS was just starting to pay for eye tests and provided its own range of glasses. He found optometry interesting, so completed his pre-registration year in Brighton and purchased premises in St Leonards.