Eye tests & birthday cards!

[jillruss]

I have to bite the bullet and catch a bus tomorrow. I have reluctantly acquired a face nappie so that I can get on the bl---y bus in the first place!

So, anyway, Q1 - I badly need some birthday cards. How does one go about this in this 'new normal'? Will the shop be open (the quirky, funny cards I want are at the back of a bookshop)? And will I be able to pick them up to look at and then put them back on the rack?

Q2 Has anyone been for an eye test under the new regime? Mine is overdue. How does it work exactly? Presumably I wear a face nappy but what does the optician wear? If its one of those plastic helmets, how can they see through their 'scope' thingies (technical term!) properly themselves?

Answers on a postcard.....

[ReadyDale]

If you know the specific shops you will be going to, maybe a quick call may put your mind at rest that they are (a) open and (b) the precautions they are taking

[Crumblie]

If you check your optician online you ill probably find that you need to make an appointment either online or by phone, most if not all opticians do not want people just walking in. Some are only seeing people who think they have a problem rather than just retests.

[Pheno]

Yes had an eye test last week as had surgery in November and no follow up due to lockdown.

Only plastic aprons and blue medical masks, same as I wore.  Equipt sterilised in front of you.  Can't actually go in shop initially have to wait at door and only seen if have prior appointment and have had a telephone consultation previously.

Problem with mask and looking through those things is mask steams up - couldn't see a thing quite often which was disconcerting.  However new prescription dispensed and just waiting for it to be made up now.

My husband was in similar position with a different optician.  Again no appointments without a prior telephone conversation.  Unfortunately for him though they are prioritising people with what they call 'minor conditions' so if it is just new glasses then no go at present so he just has to wait.

Maybe different at a different place but that was 2 different practices saying the same thing.

Pheno

[Maiden Stone]

Some opticians have a backlog of appointments people with serious eye-conditions, some of whom need regular eye-tests so they can keep their driving licences.

[Roobarb]

Re the birthday cards, if you don't want to go and browse in the shop you can use sites like Funky Pigeon and Moonpig. You can either have them sent direct to the recipient (a bit impersonal as your words are typed but it's hassle free) or you can have them sent to you and you can then write your own greeting and post them as normal. I've ordered from both during lockdown as I haven't been to any shops, at first they were swamped with orders and delivery was taking a bit longer but that has greatly improved. In fact the one I ordered just before 6pm yesterday actually reached the recipient today, I was amazed!

[Liam59]

Yes there are a few greetings cards companies that will do orders by post, in addition to those above, there's also Twizler.

[california dreamin]

Hi jill

Have done both.  Looking at cards at first then picking up if I think it's the one I want.  I have however, found some v nice cards online same prices so will be building up a supply of various ones rather than buy on the High St!

Daughter had an eye test about 2 - 3 weeks ago now as she was getting headaches with her old specs.  It was  all fine.  The shop were a bit OTT at the door.  However they all wore the face shield type of PPE, no gloves, lots of hand sanitiser.  Only two customers are allowed in the shop at any one time.  Daughter needed a new prescription and any glasses frames she tried on needed to be placed in a tray to be taken away and sterilised.  Once the specs were ready to collect there was no fitting to ensure these fit your face nicely.  New specs were unceremoniously handed to you at the door in a paperbag.

As I say all good.

CD

[jillruss]

Thanks, all.

Well, I was surprised to see about 6 other passengers on the bus with me - there and back. I thought it might be just me and the driver!

I hated the mask. As predicted, it kept steaming up my glasses - and steaming up my face! I was so hot under there I felt as if it was 90 degrees in the shade whereas the reality was dull and drizzly!! I tore the mask off as soon as I got off the bus but of course had to put it back on when I reached the pharmacy.

After what you have all said on here, I didn't bother with the opticians. I'll give them a ring and see if I can make an appointment, but it seems as if they have found a way to get up and running.

'My' card shop was open and had a hand sanitiser table outside the door with a polite notice to use it before entering and then they were quite happy for you to browse. As I said, its mostly a bookshop but they have these witty cards (Simon Drew cards, based in Dartmouth) which I've never seen anywhere else. Probably a small business which I'm more than happy to support because they're so different to the usual stuff. I have noticed, however, that they have a website so I maybe can get some from there in the future because I don't intend going into town again unless I really have to, or unless they scrap this ridiculous face mask hysteria. I must have touched my face much more than I would have done normally as the mask was so suffocating and, as I said, my glasses kept steaming up.

I see Michael Gove's still not wearing one... I've always had a good opinion of Mr Gove. I think he has more intelligence in his little finger than the rest of the sorry crew have en masse.