Strictly Come Dancing descended on optics on Saturday to celebrate the presentation of the Optician Awards.
Sixteen trophies were collected on the night (see the roll of honour below) but not until four Optician couples had competed on the dance floor, strictly-style, in front of professional dancers from the show and former winner and BBC presenter Chris Hollins.
Over 500 guests, drawn from across the optical profession, business and industry, attended the event in the Monarch Suite of the NEC Hilton Metropole Hotel on the Saturday night of the Optrafair weekend (April 9-11). After a drinks reception and welcome from Optician editor, Chris Bennett, the guests sat down to dinner. During the latter course the four couples, drawn from Optician's readership, went toe to toe to the tango in front of professional dancers Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova and presenter Hollins.
The couples were: Jennifer McMillan of Personal Eyes Opticians and her partner Craig Bell, David and Elizabeth Farmilo of Farmilo Optometrists, Kate Clarke from Boots Opticians, Basildon and Andrew Lingard-Kay of Kite Opticians. Hoping for double victory were Adrian and Julie Kite who were dancing for glory while their practice team were aiming for success in the Optical Assistant Team of the Year award.
The two couples to make the final were McMillan and Bell and the Farmilos who performed the waltz, with the eventual winners being McMillan and Bell.
After the presentation of the awards Bennett and Kopylova performed an exhibition dance before the four competing couples returned for the cha cha cha. The after show party, sponsored by Maui Jim and the GfK sponsored casino then followed. All of the proceeds from the casino will be donated to the Returning Vision charity Mission to Romania and Moldova later this year.
Optician would like to congratulate all of those who won an Award and thank all of those who entered.