Look local: Southport by the sea

Southport is a large seaside town in Merseyside on the Irish Sea coast with a variety of opticians practices for residents to choose from.

Andrew Willetts, optometrist and practice manager at Andrew Willetts Opticians, thinks Southport is a nice, relaxing place to live. ‘It’s a coastal town out of the rat race with fresh air and a nice pace of life. Attractions include the seaside, the pier and Lord Street, an old Victorian street full of shops. A lot of elderly people live here, it’s seen as a bit of a retirement town.’

The practice has a very good relationship with its patients. ‘We’ve been here on the outskirts of Southport for 20 years. It’s a thriving hub of a community and we know most of our patients by their first name. People often choose to come to us rather than multiples because we take our time with our patients and we offer a more tailored and personal service,’ says Willetts. ‘We’re not as busy as high street branches and have relied on just recommendations from current patients to get new patients for years. We don’t try to compete with multiples, we do our own thing.’