Once the headquarters of Great Western Railway’s repair workshop, Swindon has flourished since the early days of steam.
Located 35 miles from Bristol, the Wiltshire market town was chosen by celebrated Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel as the ideal location from which to maintain steam locomotives destined for London.
Today, the workshop – now a listed building – is home to 105 retail stores after it was converted into a designer outlet in the late 1990s. In fact, so large is the site of the original workshop, the structure also houses the National Trust head office, which helps to preserve sites of natural and historic importance across the UK, including the nearby Ashdown House.
Acknowledging the worth of Swindon’s designer outlet, Haine and Smith practice manager Angelique Johnson describes the area as a ‘lively and historic’ place. ‘Swindon is a good town for so many things – Old Town is a favourite, as it has so many great bars and restaurants,’ she says.
Positioned at the head of Regent Street, the regional group practice, which first opened its doors in 1983, prides itself on developing genuine relationships with patients of all ages and generations.
Johnson explains that the practice runs an optometrist clinic ‘most days’ and a contact lens clinic twice a week. The optical professional says she treats many patients living with dry eye; a condition for which the local optical committee is yet to establish a service.
As one of 20 practices in the Haine and Smith group, the Swindon-based team says patient diversity is just one element of the job that makes practicing in the area exciting. ‘We all enjoy looking after our patients and working hard to give them a high level of care, which means no one day is the same and our work is very varied and interesting; we really enjoy helping people each day in this lively and historic town,’ say staff members.
Despite living in neighbouring Gloucestershire Asda optometrist, Poonam Odedra insists that she feels at home practicing in Swindon. Above all, Odedra believes the patients she sees everyday help to create a positive working environment. ‘Seeing a variety of personalities is the best thing about being an optometrist in Swindon. Getting to know patients over the years is also very rewarding,’ she says.
The Asda branch is open seven days a week and treats the young and old – ‘Some are over 100,’ adds the optom. Odedra is supported by a team of 10 optical advisors, who share two testing rooms and a pre-test screening room.
‘Easy accessibility and ample parking,’ are two of the practice’s best features, according to Odedra, who helped the store celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.
Who’s in town
Total: 13
Independents: 6
Multiples: 7
Average costs
The price of an eye exam in Swindon ranged from £19 to £40, producing an average cost of £27.83.
Population - see pie chart
Swindon population 217, 905 (ONS 2017)
Community eye care
According to the Locsu Atlas Map of Optical Variation, Wiltshire Local Optical Committee has secured a contract for Swindon CCG in OHT Monitoring, Cataract Referral and Glaucoma Repeat Readings.
Health and affluence
- The average house price in Swindon is £243,329 (Zoopla) compared with a UK average of £223,257 (Land Registry, 2017)
- Swindon has an average salary of £25,806 (PayScale, 2017)
- In 2015, there were 4,310 people living with diabetic retinopathy in Swindon (RNIB Sight Loss Data Tool 2015)
- There were an estimated 1,790 people living with late stage age-related macular degeneration in 2016 (RNIB)
- It is estimated that, by 2025, there will be 2,520 people living with cataract in Swindon (RNIB)
Fact file
The Scarlet Lady emblem of Virgin Atlantic is the creation of local artist and celebrated muralist Ken White.
Swindon’s Railway Works produced the last steam locomotive built by British Railways. Appropriately called Evening Star, pictured, it was completed in 1960.
The rock band Oasis is named after the Oasis leisure centre in Swindon. Vocalist and lead guitarist Noel Gallagher chose the name after performing at the venue in 1991.
Swindon’s oldest industry was quarrying, with Old Town’s Purbeck stone being extracted from Roman times until the 1950s.
The 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is set in Swindon.
Do you want to work in Swindon? Click here to find out about job opportunities in this area