Stoke-on-Trent was forged in 1910 when six towns in the area banded together for economic purposes to create the city we know today. It was the first amalgamation of its type in England’s urban history and remained the only one for another half century.
John Hollins, optometrist owner of The Specs Place, has spent his entire optical career in Stoke-on-Trent. ‘It’s a great place,’ he says. ‘I love the people, they’re all very normal and down to earth.’
Hollins says each of the towns has retained its own distinct character and ‘it doesn’t feel like one big city, it feels like six towns still’. Because of this, he says opticians have the benefit of drawing on their local catchment area while having possibilities to expand into new ones. ‘But your local catchment area is always more loyal,’ he adds.
In terms of frames, Hollins says Armani has been particularly popular with men and that they tend to go with ‘what’s more comfortable’, while women ‘go for what’s more stylish’. He also confirms the national trend over the past 18 months of the move towards acetate over metal designs has not skipped Stoke.
Irfan Razvi (pictured), optometrist practice director at Razvi Optometrists, says Stoke-on-Trent and its people are very friendly and always happy to stop and say hello. He says the amalgamation of the towns has not created a splintered identity. Instead he says it has ‘quite a collective feel’, although he does admit he spends little time in the city as he is so busy.
One reason for Razvi being so busy is because he provides a number of community eye care services, such as children’s vision and post cataract exams. He is also the director of the primary eyecare company in the area that was set up to deliver services, as well as vice-chair of the LOC. He wants to see the services ‘grow bigger and bigger’ as they make access easier for patients while alleviating pressure on local hospitals.
The practice’s business model is based on the idea of ‘quality over quantity’ and an insistence on professional eye care. Competition is inevitable, he says, but the chosen business model is working well as it means he is not in direct competition with the large multiples and he is now looking to hire more staff and expand the size of his practice.
Who’s in town
Total: 16
Independents: 10
Multiples: 6
Average costs
The average price of an eye exam in Stoke-on-Trent ranges from £20 to £35, at an average cost of £25.25.
Population - see pie chart
Population: 436,409
Community eye care
According to the Locsu Atlas Map of Optical Variation, Staffordshire Local Optical Committee has a contract with Stoke-on-Trent CCG in Cataract Referral, Children’s Vision, Glaucoma Repeat Readings, Cataract Post-op, OHT Monitoring and Minor Eye Conditions services.
Health and affluence
- The average house price in Stoke-on-Trent is £146,616 (Zoopla), compared with a UK average of £223,257 (Land Registry, 2017).
- Stoke-on-Trent has an average salary of £21,514, compared with a UK average of £27,271 (Payscale, 2018)
- In Stoke-on-Trent by 2030, the number of people living with severe sight loss is expected to be 1,240 – an increase of a third on today’s levels (RNIB).
- 9,710 people are at risk of or living with sight loss due to the early stages of AMD in Stoke-on-Trent (RNIB).
Fact file
Stoke-on-Trent developed due to the ceramics industry. Locals are affectionately referred to as Potters and will often flip their plates before a meal to see if it was made in Stoke-on-Trent.
Edward John Smith, captain of the ill-fated Titanic, was born in Hanley.
Record-breaking 17 Brit awards winner Robbie Williams was born near Stoke-on-Trent. He is estimated to have sold 50-70 million records.
Stoke City football club, originally Stoke Ramblers, pictured, was established in 1863 and is the second oldest football club in the world, after Notts County, and helped found the Football League in 1888.
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