The importance of Eye Care with Ollie Quinn’s Beth Fothergill

Eye health is one of those things that we often take for granted and something that isn’t always truly appreciated until it starts to change or deteriorate. Sight is one of our most-used and important senses, with a whopping 80% of what we experience every day coming through our sense of sight so it’s super important to make sure everything’s in tip top condition.

One way to help maintain good eye health is by attending regular eye tests. Eye tests are important not only to tell you if you need new/different glasses, but to check up on general eye health and spot any problems that don’t necessarily have symptoms. It is advised that we get our eyes checked every couple of years, or sooner if there are any changes in sight ability. With that in mind, we popped into our resident eyewear boutique, Ollie Quinn, for a quick check-up and a chat with their in-house optometrist, Beth Fothergill…

How long have you worked as an optometrist at Ollie Quinn?
I’ve worked for the company for almost five years now – I was the first optometrist here at Ollie Quinn!
How important is it for us to have regular eye tests? And how often?
Very! A lot of people presume that eye tests are only necessary if you wear glasses already; however, even if your vision is perfect, your eyes can be the key to diagnosing health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure. We also look at visual requirements for your lifestyle and job and how we can make life easier on your eyes, which can be very useful if most of your time is spent in a digital haze.
Talk to us about the service Ollie Quinn provides in store…
Here at OQ, our approach has always been centred around providing a friendly, unintimidating service. We understand that visiting an optician can be a bit stressful and even a bit scary. We also get that finding the right frame and maintaining good eye health is really important, so we do our best to make the whole experience as easy and pleasant as possible. Our appointments cost £20 and take around 30 minutes so you can be in and out on your lunch break.

If you could only wear one OQ style for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
That would be very difficult for me as I like to tailor my glasses to my outfits … if it was a life or death situation though, it would have to be the Martel in crystal olive.
What do you love most about working at Ollie Quinn?
For me, it’s refreshing to work for a company that’s all about affordable style and quality, but still takes eye health seriously. Plus, I get to hang out with my friends every day at work!
Which celebrity (dead or alive) would you love to pick a pair of OQ glasses for, and which style would you choose?
I would choose Patti Smith and I would style her in an Ale frame (think John Lennon round metal) with a pale orange tinted lens…

If you’re in need of an eye test, visit Ollie Quinn’s website to book an appointment at their Spitalfields boutique.