Chris Bennett: The first White Van Man of Spring

White Van Man and opticians rarely turn up in the same sentence but delegates to this year’s Sight Care Conference heard a unique take on economic activity which brought these two odd bedfellows together.

In his introduction (see news) chairman and Essex practitioner Gavin Rebello picked up on a mood of confidence among those present as he reported an unusual Key Performance Indicator. He told delegates how those in Essex understand that the prevalence of White Van Man is a sure indicator of boom times. He gleefully reported nearly being knocked down twice last Friday by tearaway Transits whose drivers, mobile phones pressed to their faces, rushed from job to job.