Mike Hale: Optimism or pessimism?

For me, these final weeks of winter are an interesting time of year when optimism and pessimism collide with more intensity than usual. A sunny day and a glimpse of budding daffodils can make moods lift and spring appear to be within touching distance, only for the rain and cold to reinstate winter for a little longer.

Famously, parts of North America rely on a groundhog to predict the arrival of spring, which at least absolves people of making the choice between optimism and pessimism themselves.

This is the seventh Optician issue of 2024 and one of the key and evolving stories of the year has been the increased prominence given to optics by political parties with the promise of a more fulfilling and fairly remunerated future ahead. Much like the weather and the hoped for arrival of spring, these developments can be interpreted with pessimism or optimism.