Myth and legend abound in Cornish towns where the sunken kingdom of Lyonesse is said to lie lost under the waves between the West Penwith coast and the Isles of Scilly. However, according to Jeremy Franklin, owner of Keast Opticians Penzance, there's nothing mysterious about the local taste in eyewear.
Franklin said: ‘There is everyone from homeless to the very affluent living in and around the area. The ratio of NHS to private is probably 60:40 but this doesn't necessarily reflect the general affluence of the area. Cornwall can be very poor with patches of extreme wealth.’
‘In Penzance, as yet, we have no-one asking for brands by name but we do have clients who are looking for particular styles, colour, textures, forms etc. I think this badge of credibility we give to certain ranges of eyewear by referring to them as designer is misleading. There's good eyewear and bad eyewear: designer means nothing.
‘The Cornish are immensely proud of their history, heritage, language and are hugely open and kind to others moving into the area.'
But, Franklin added, the only disadvantage of opening a business in such a remote area was ‘the scarcity of quality professional partners with whom to enter into business with.’
Having never lived anywhere other than West Cornwall and working for three decades in her practice, Reynold’s Opticians owner Alison Williams says the area's attractions are obvious: ‘West Cornwall in particular is stunning. We are almost entirely surrounded by the sea and the whole area regularly takes a bashing from storms. There are sandy beaches, secluded coves, picturesque fishing villages and gorse covered moors dotted with abandoned mine buildings. The Art Deco Lido is one of the largest sea pools in the world and, of course, we have St Michael’s Mount and Mounts Bay.
Despite these charms, she reiterates Franklin’s concerns about the difficulty in attracting quality partners to the area. She said: ‘The optical community is quite close-knit and it is notoriously difficult to attract professionals, not just optometrists, to Cornwall. I have been involved with the LOC for over 20 years and it has been encouraging to see more interest in community schemes such as IOP referral refinement, OHT and, more recently, the cataract post-op service.’
[CaptionComponent="2250"]The experienced Penzance owner identifies a consistent community service and catering to broad age categories as the key factors that have helped Reynold’s become successful.
‘We are also one of the poorest areas of the country; traditional industry such as farming, fishing and, of course, mining has taken a hammering over the last 30 years. We have an ageing population and are losing many youngsters. Average house prices are more than 10 times average salary, local public transport is patchy and there is a significant drugs problem.’
She went on to say that Penzance is striving to become a new version of the busy market town it used to be; the main shopping streets are currently populated mainly with charity shops, money changers and coffee outlets.
‘There are some small local companies that are thriving – including us – and we are the businesses that actually draw people into the town and keep them coming back,’ added Williams.
Fun Facts
• Penzance hosts the unique Celtic pagan midsummer Golowan Festival and Mazey Day celebrations each June.
• The Cornish pasty was first made for tin miners who threw the crust away to avoid eating the poisonous chemicals on their hands.
• More than 400,000 visitors, from all over the globe, travel to Land’s End every year.
• There are more than 130 recorded shipwrecks around Land’s End, and countless unrecorded.
• The Dolphin Inn, Penzance is thought to be the first place in Britain where tobacco was smoked.
Who’s in town
Total: 5
Independents: 3
Multiples: 2
Average costs
Prices for a private eye exam among five practices contacted ranged from £22.50 to £35, (some practices including digital retinal photography in the price and some charging £10 extra) with an average cost for a basic exam of £28.50.
Population
Estimated total pop – 317,849
Cornwall’s population continues to grow older with increases in the 60+ age groups and a significant 6.9% decrease in the 5-14 age category.
Community eye care
According to the Locsu Atlas Map of Optical Variation, the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Optical Committee has secured contracts for cataract referral, OHT monitoring, glaucoma repeat readings, and cataract post-op with NHS Kernow CCG.
Health and affluence
• 19,920 people living with some degree of sight loss in 2011, or 3.74% of the population, expected to increase to 4.36% by 2020 (RNIB sight loss data tool)
• Average house price in Cornwall: £171,053 for semi-detached property (Land Registry)
• Number of NHS sight tests in Cornwall during 2012-13: 135,555
• Healthcare expenditure on vision problems: £44.38 pp (National average £42.10)
