Ladies first

Last May, Classic Eyes won optician's Eye Care Practice of the Year award. Emma White caught up with the all-female Cardiff Bay team

Jessica McMorris never dreamed her practice would win the 2004 Eye Care Practice of the Year Award. Despite getting down to the final five at the ceremony in London, she was so convinced she wouldn't win that she attended without her three colleagues and collected the award alone.

'I was delighted but felt terrible,' she says. 'Everyone else deserved to be there too, but I never imagined we'd win.'

She had initially entered her practice for the Fashion Eyewear Practice of the Year Award, for which it was the only practice outside London to be shortlisted. But, thanks to scoring the highest marks in the Ciba Vision mystery shopper survey, Classic Eyes was also shortlisted for the 'best practice' category.