Verum writes: Brass plaques to ten hours days; how should we be practising?

I remember my first ever visit to an ophthalmic optician.   His brass plate practice was set in an old Victorian House where the front room had been converted to a consulting room.  Not a consulting room as we know it today, more a sitting room with a sofa, desk, patient chair, a chart and a box of lenses.  The optician chatted for some while to my mother, and turning his attention to me, he easily put me at ease with conversation about the fortunes of the English cricket team, (even then not good!) and my own cricketing efforts.  How long he spent in conversation did not seem to be an issue.  He established the prescription I needed, I remember some comments about the health of my eyes and after collecting my new glasses I was impressed with the outcome and looked forward to future appointments.