Despite being at the centre of a new diplomatic row with Russia over poisoning allegations, Salisbury can be noted for its far greater accomplishments. Its proximity to the Neolithic monument of Stonehenge makes it a magnet for tourists, its cathedral is the envy of many a town and it boasts a thriving market.
‘Salisbury is a really lovely town. We have a beautiful cathedral and the local market that takes place on Tuesdays and Saturdays attracts a lot of people to the town,’ says Miyoung Kidd, assistant manager at Boots Opticians in Salisbury.
The opticians on Silver Street has been open since the early 1990s and has two optometrists, one DO (manager Steve Wood) and one student DO. It is equipped with three testing rooms, pre-screening facilities and provides a number of services, including retina photography. Staff work closely with the new eye clinic in the local hospital, referring more serious patient cases to them.
Wood says that the ‘rural, rustic city’ has been affected by recent events. ‘We initially weren’t impacted, but customers have gradually tapered off. The prime minister was in town last week and large crowds at the town hall, meant less people in store.’
Carl Furber (pictured), assistant manager at Vision Express, says that the recent events in Salisbury have been ‘the talk of the town’ but have only ‘affected trade a little’, mainly because the city centre is less busy.
His practice caters to a ‘diverse range of customers’ and is one of the only ones in the area to have a glazing laboratory in the practice, which means it is ‘more adaptable’ and can provide a faster, more flexible service.
Anna Dailey, optometrist director at Specsavers, has worked in the city for over 20 years. During that time her store has grown significantly, and it now has six testing rooms and will soon provide OCT services.
Dailey says her practice puts a lot of emphasis on training, having had several pre-reg's throughout the time she has worked there. ‘Just as my boss nurtured me, I like to do the same with others. We really like to grow people into the business,’ she says.
Dailey says one of the most exciting things about her practice is its use of ‘Frame Styler’ 3D imagery, which allows customers to view potential frames through a virtual interface and have the machine suggest suitable options.
‘We’ve found that customers really embrace using technology to decide on frames and we’ve had some great responses,’ she says.
Who’s in town
Total: 7
Independents: 3
Multiples: 4
Average costs
The price of an eye exam in Salisbury ranged from £0 to £50, at an average of £29.50
Population - see pie chart
Salisbury population: 40,327 (2016)
Community eye care
According to the Locsu Atlas Map of Optical Variation, Wiltshire Local Optical Committee has a contract for Swindon CCG in OHT Monitoring, Cataract Referral and Glaucoma Repeat Readings
Health and affluence
- The average house price in Salisbury is £358,666 (Zoopla) compared with a UK average of £223,257 (Land Registry, 2017)
- Salisbury has an average salary of £23,950. UK average is £27,271. (Payscale, 2018)
- In 2016, there were an estimated 22,570 people at risk of or living with sight loss due to early stages of AMD in Wiltshire and a further 9,690 people due to diabetic retinopathy (RNIB Sight Loss Data Tool)
- In Wiltshire, 3.5% of the population are living with sight loss, compared with national average of 3.1%
Fact file
-The Salisbury Cathedral is home to copies of the Magna Carta, the 13th century document signed by King John (pictured) that is often seen as laying the basis of a system of rights in English law.
-The Cathedral has the tallest church spire (120m) in England, and the oldest working clock in the world, dating back to 1386.
-Salisbury is roughly eight miles from Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument built by Druids around 3000BC. It is regarded as a British cultural icon and was made into a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
-David Mitchell, the ubiquitous TV and radio comedian and broadcaster, was born in Salisbury.
Would you like to work in Salisbury? Click here to see jobs available in the area