ABDO Centenary Supplement 2026

Celebrating the past inspiring the future Special supplement marking 100 years of the dispensing optics profession

SEPTEMBER 2026

Study dispensing optics

ABDO Level 6 Apprenticeship in Dispensing Optics

The ABDO Level 6 Dispensing Optician (DO) Apprenticeship enables practices to train fully qualified DOs through a structured, work-based, three-year programme designed around real clinical needs.

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KEY BENEFITS • Significant cost savings: apprenticeships are funded differently from traditional private study routes as levy paying employers can draw the full cost from their levy account; non-levy employers receive 95 per cent government funding, with some eligible for 100 per cent funding • Developing talent that ‘earns while they learn’: apprentices remain a productive team member throughout, putting their learning into practice from day one • Same high professional standards as the FBDO diploma: the ABDO DO apprenticeship is fully integrated with the FBDO qualification with apprentices following the same programme of study and sitting the same assessments as privately funded students • Valuable new skills within the team: apprentices gain the clinical, communication and technical skills essential for patient care – from vision assessment and dispensing lenses to managing patient needs and working to professional standards The ABDO DO Apprenticeship is currently available through four education centres: • ABDO College • Bradford College • Capital City College • The University of Plymouth

Please contact the education centres direct for further details about the course they offer, including entry requirements and how to apply for the next intake.

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

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Contents

Foreword

100 years of professional | 4 development A journey through time | 10 Back in the day | 18 Tools of the trade: now and then | 22 Moving with the landscape | 26 “DOs are the linchpin” | 27 Interview: Lawrence Jenkin | 28 Four generations of | 30 family eyecare A lasting legacy | 31 Positive outlook for the future | 32 Giving something back | 34

Editor ............................................ Nicky Collinson Telephone.................................... 0797 903 3542 Email .............................................. ncollinson@abdo.org.uk

To mark the 100th anniversary of the dispensing optics (DO) profession, we are delighted to present this special souvenir supplement celebrating an extraordinary milestone.

Through a collection of historical and contemporary articles, alongside a timeline highlighting key regulatory, professional and cultural milestones from 1926 to 2026, we celebrate the rich heritage and enduring contribution of DOs, past and present.

Members of ABDO, and its predecessor organisations dating back to the early 20th century, have a proud history of serving the public with professionalism, expertise and care. Our commitment to multi-disciplinary working, lifelong learning and the continued expansion of the profession's scope of practice, will ensure dispensing optics continues to thrive for generations to come.

As we celebrate the first century of our profession, we also look to the future. We hope this publication inspires the next generation of DOs – and reflects the innovation, dedication and excellence that will shape the profession for the next 100 years.

Brenda Rennie FBDO President of ABDO

Published by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, Unit 2, Court Lodge Offices, Godmersham Park, Godmersham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 7DT

The events and dates listed in this supplement represent a curated selection of historical research, and may not include all relevant information or perspectives. While every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, the editor and ABDO assume no responsibility for errors, omissions or inaccuracies. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means whatever without the written prior permission of ABDO.

Printed by P&P Litho Ltd, Ashford, Middlesex TW15 1AB

© ABDO: www.abdo.org.uk

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

Design........................................... Duncan Taylor-Jones Email .............................................. dtaylor-jones@abdo.org.uk

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100 years of professional development For more than 100 years, dispensing opticians have been applying their unique skills and expertise to improve people’s vision, eye health and quality of life, writes Nicky Collinson While the history of vision correction dates back to the ancient worlds – with early glass-grinding craftsmen arguably the architects of the modern optical profession – it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries that ‘opticianry’ as a profession began to formalise as distinct from other crafts and trades.

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The industry and profession in the UK thrived side by side, with London becoming a centre of innovation, investment and enterprise. For example, in 1919, Percy and Sidney Kirk established Kirk Brothers, an optician, lens and frame manufacturer operating from 34 Grays Inn Road.

The Kirk Brothers are thought to be the first to use motorcyclists as couriers, while Sidney transformed a sewing machine into a lens cutter – a pioneering feat at the time. The Kirk Brothers registered many patents in the 1920s and 1930s creating component and lens parts, pince-nez and safety lenses for motoring.

The majority of ‘practical opticians’ in this period worked out of the premises of watchmakers, jewellers, instrument makers and silversmiths – sometimes alongside pharmacy and photography too – providing both the frame and the lenses together.

A number of family-owned and run opticians, such as Rawlings (see page 30) and CW Dixey & Son emerged during this period, passing their skills down through the generations of ophthalmic and dispensing opticians (OOs and DOs). Services offered ranged from basic vision testing through to custom spectacles crafting and retail sales of scientific instruments.

PHOTO: Oxfordshire History Centre

embraced new technologies and the chance to individualise the dispensing of lenses.

An advert dated 1891 found in the archives at Frost Borneo Opticians – established in 1792 as Barnard Jeweller and Optician in Henley – promoted the sale of ‘eye preservers’, i.e. sunglasses, for Barnard Jeweller & Optician est. 1792 Henley Royal in Henley – now Frost Borneo Regatta. Other Opticians in the same location adverts in the Henley Advertiser were for ‘guinea patent pebble glasses and lenses’ and ‘field glasses’.

Eyewear during this period was widely crafted using bespoke wire, horn or tortoiseshell (banned in 1973 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) – and opticians ground glass lenses by hand to fit the individual’s frames. By the 1920s, eyewear had evolved into a fashion item – and over the next few decades the market accelerated alongside the skills of the profession.

Kirk Brothers pince-nez patent 1927 PHOTO: Jason Kirk

Another early industry pioneer was Philip Oliver Goldsmith, a travelling opticians salesman. He set up P. Oliver Goldsmith in 1926 on the top floor of a building in Poland Street, heralding the start of a 100-years history in eyewear and sunglasses fashion.

In 1932, German entrepreneur Max Wiseman established the iconic Algha Works eyewear factory in the East End of London, beginning a long history of UK spectacle making at the site (see our interview with ‘master optician’ Lawrence Jenkin on page 28). Algha Works supplied the Royal Air Force (RAF) with aviator style sunglasses years prior to the formation of Ray-Ban – and in 1939, was called upon to support the war effort by manufacturing gas masks and aviation goggles.

Founded in London in 1876 at 195 Great Portland Street, Curry & Paxton produced thousands of handcrafted spectacles in a wide range of forms. In 1939, its Improvement in Goggles patent introduced designs suited for outdoor pursuits, while advancements in motoring and aviation inspired new materials and construction techniques.

A thriving industry As the understanding of optics and its application to vision correction advanced, this period also saw the development of new types of spectacle lenses, such as bifocals, and the beginning of the mass production of spectacle frames. These innovations demonstrated the growing sophistication of optical solutions and underscored the evolving expertise of DOs, who

Curry & Paxton’s original premises in Great Portland Street 1905 PHOTO: Curry & Paxton

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

PHOTO: Michael Priest

The Second World War saw DOs, OOs and manufacturers supporting the national effort – producing specialist equipment including gas mask spectacles and aircraft components. Many saw their professional careers disrupted. One such was Midlands-based Ralph Priest HonFBDO, who Ralph Priest HonFBDO served in the RAF with Bomber Command as a pilot on active duty, with distinction, attaining the rank of Flying Officer.

Ralph had started his dispensing career with Rayner Opticians, but his ability to complete the ADO diploma was interrupted by his war service. Despite this, Ralph continued an active and progressive 50 years plus career in optical prescription manufacturing serving both the DO and OO professions – and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of ABDO in 2001. Ralph retired in 1995, and passed away in 2007 aged 85.

During this period, optical guilds and associations began to regulate the practise of ‘opticianary’ – with the division between the ‘refracting optician’ and the ‘dispensing optician’ becoming clearer, as their complementary skills began to be refined.

Regulation and turbulence As the manufacturing industry in the UK experienced its own evolution, the early 20th century marked the professionalisation of opticians – and the introduction of a legal framework formalising the training and certification of opticians, to ensure only those with appropriate qualifications could practise.

In 1925, the Association of Dispensing Opticians (ADO) was established “to safeguard the interests of the dispensing optician and to ensure to the medical profession as an efficient optical dispensing service”.

But it wasn’t until the following year, in 1926, that the Joint Council of Qualified Opticians (est. 1923) proposed the Optical Practitioners (Registration) Bill, aimed at creating a formal register for qualified opticians to distinguish them from unqualified practitioners.

While the Bill ultimately failed, it ushered in self-regulation of the DO profession on a voluntary basis for the first time.

DO voluntary self-regulation continued through the founding of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, heralding free eye examinations and spectacles for all, until the passage of the Opticians Act 1958, which required DOs to register with the newly-formed General Optical Council (GOC).

This marked a major turning point for the profession as it legally protected occupational titles and outlawed unqualified practice. The GOC published the first official statutory register for both DOs and OOs in 1960.

The late 1960s saw increased discussions about allowing optometrists to work with DOs – a practise forbidden by the Guild of British Dispensing Opticians despite the objections of many of its more progressive members. In 1973, the Guild merged with the Society of Opticians to form the Federation of Optical Bodies Corporate – a representative body for optical corporate bodies.

The Health and Social Security Act 1984 began a phase of regulatory turbulence for the profession, as it The sight test dispensing led to the function was deregulated in 1984 deregulation of the sight test dispensing function, i.e. the supply of spectacles. Major changes subsequently took effect in 1985 and 1989, allowing unregistered retailers to supply spectacles and opening the market to intense competition.

Formation of ABDO In 1986, the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) was formed when the ADO merged with the Faculty of Dispensing Opticians – a previous amalgamation of the dispensing faculties of the British Optical Association (now the College of Optometrists) and In 1988, CLOs were the Worshipful officially recognised and Company of added to the GOC Register Spectacle Makers, the ancient London Livery Company founded in 1629 by King Charles I. The years following the merger would see the profession facing numerous challenges.

The DO profession has been a statutorily regulated since 1958

In 1988, contact lens opticians (CLOs) were officially recognised and added to the GOC Register as a distinct specialty following the introduction of the GOC Contact Lens Qualifications Rules. This allowed DOs who met the specialist qualification or experience requirements (such as ‘grandfathering’ by fitting 150 patients over three years) to legally fit contact lenses and join this new section of the GOC Register.

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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100 years of professional development The same year, the government introduced VAT on the whole cost of spectacles and contact lenses – failing to recognise the professional element of dispensing.

The Opticians Act (1989) established a legal framework governing the professions of dispensing optics and optometry, heralding significant deregulation.

This saw unregistered dispensing to adults (aged over 16) legalised – provided an in-date prescription was issued – the sale of ready-made reading spectacles by unregistered sellers legalised, and a lifting of the ban on optical practice advertising.

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Over the past 40 years, ABDO has grown to be a powerful voice in UK optics and the wider primary care sector, representing the interests of its members and working collaboratively to advance the profession. Membership has grown from around 3,500 qualified DOs in the early days, to more than 8,000 members worldwide today. There are also nearly 200 CLO members qualified to provide minor eye conditions services (MECS).

Led by 18 presidents to date, the Association continues to steer the profession through challenges, changes and advancements – including VAT on spectacles becoming ‘mixed supply’ in 1995, continuing education and training becoming compulsory, GOC consultations on proposed regulatory changes, the development of further education opportunities, the launch of ABDO College in 2001, changes to its governance and corporate identity, and the Covid-19 pandemic – all the while keeping the interests of its members and their patients at the heart of its decision-making and strategic direction.

Fit for the 21st century Today’s GOC-registered DOs and CLOs are an integral part of the multi-disciplinary eye health care team in busy NHS and private High Street primary clinical practice – as well as within the Hospital Eye Service (HES) and specialist ophthalmic clinics.

of any required training and accreditation. This scope ranges from MECS for accredited CLOs to low vision solutions, evidence-based myopia control spectacle lenses and contact lenses, and dry eye management.

DOs and CLOs also act as eye health care educators, informing patients about the latest research on paediatric vision care, for example, or how to protect their eyes from UV, reduce the risk of digital eye strain, and wear and care for their contact lenses – whether they be for lifestyle, sport or therapeutic purposes.

For those seeking further qualifications, ABDO offers a wide range of opportunities – from its Level 7 Diploma in Paediatric Eyecare and its Level 7 Diploma in Advanced Contact Lens Practice to Management and Leadership Training in partnership with the Chartered Management Institute. The ABDO Level 6 DO apprenticeship is also providing an alternative route to qualification – and directly contributing to a rise in DO numbers, as evidenced by a 2026 update to the UK Eye Care Data Hub (see page 32).

ABDO’s first president, Tony Botten, with immediate past president, Kevin Gutsell at a luncheon celebrating 40 years of ABDO earlier this year

Innovations in eyewear design, such as 3D printing and the use of novel and sustainable frame materials, ensure that eyewear styling and fitting continues to be the backbone of the profession. Harnessing their specialist skills and knowledge, gained through degree-level education and training, DOs remain passionate about their role.

The profession continues to be supported by a dynamic global manufacturing industry that puts enormous value on DOs’ unique skillsets, which more often than not can only be found in a ‘bricks and mortar’ eyecare practice. As developments in augmented reality and artificial intelligence permeate the landscape and the primary eye health care sector in general, the profession is ready to go on new and exciting journeys.

DOs and CLOs practise as technical and clinical experts in the prescribing and fitting of prescription spectacles and contact lenses – both legally classified as medical devices in the UK – as well as primary eyecare clinicians within an ever-evolving scope of practice.

Advanced measuring tools, alongside bespoke and multi-functional vision correction solutions, have ensured that the 21st century DO and CLO has the knowledge and skills to deliver a broad range of specialty eye health services – following the completion 100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

A recent practice visit to Cameron Optometry by president, Brenda Rennie

Centenary celebrations To commemorate this landmark year – and as the profession looks to the future – ABDO launched its 100 Years of Dispensing Opticians campaign in January aimed at ‘Celebrating the past, inspiring the future’.

Placing its members front and centre, ABDO’s campaign runs until the end of the year and provides a chance to shine a light on the invaluable work that DOs and CLOs – often the ‘unsung heroes’ of primary eyecare practice – undertake alongside their colleagues, as well as in education, industry and the HES. As part of the campaign, at the start of the year ABDO pledged to visit 100 practices across the country to give members the chance to showcase their role within the practice team. This has also given members the chance to sit down and discuss matters of importance to the profession, and to them as individuals, with the visiting ABDO president, vice president and/or CEO. Such has been the popularity of the initiative, that applications were closed in May with the proposed 100 practice visit target met.

But there are still plenty of ways to get involved with the campaign. These include staging a 100 yearsthemed charity fundraiser in aid of the profession’s own registered charity, the ABDO Benevolent Fund (see page 34), submitting a patient case history showcasing the skills of DOs and CLOs, sharing campaign activity across other social media channels, using the specially-created 100 years logo on practice websites and patient communications, or submitting a 100 Voices member profile to be shared.

“These conversations have not only helped us reflect on our profession’s proud heritage, but have also reinforced our confidence in its future. The enthusiasm, commitment and professionalism we have encountered throughout this campaign show that dispensing optics remains a vibrant, forward-looking profession, well placed to continue making a meaningful difference to patients’ lives for generations to come,” Alistair added.

Find out more about the 100 Years campaign, and how to get involved, at www.abdo.org.uk/100-years

“Building a pipeline of future talent” Asda Opticians is just one employer that has been welcoming ABDO to its practices during the centenary campaign – with ABDO vice president, Deborah Bill, recently visiting several branches.

Kristy Jackson, optical professional development manager at Asda, said: “We're proud to recognise the significant role qualified DOs play within eyecare, and to showcase how our optical managers, as qualified DOs, use their clinical expertise and patient-centred approach to make a real difference to local communities.

“At Asda Opticians, we remain committed to investing in the future of the profession. With our next cohort of colleagues beginning the Level 6 Dispensing Optician apprenticeship in September 2026, we're continuing to develop more qualified DOs and help build a strong pipeline of future talent for the profession.”

Alistair Bridge, ABDO CEO, said: “Visiting practices across the UK and meeting our members face-to-face has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this milestone year.

We have heard first-hand the passion, expertise and dedication that DOs and CLOs bring to patient care every day, and the pride they take in their profession.

“We have also been delighted by the support shown by employers, who recognise the vital role our members play in delivering excellent patient outcomes and driving business success. Through our practice visits and social media profiles, we have been able to showcase inspiring personal stories, celebrate individual achievements and raise awareness of the unique skills and value that DOs and CLOs bring to communities across the UK.

Deborah Bill with the Asda Opticians St Austell team

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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SPONSORED FEAT URE

80 years on...

Built on People, Driven by Innovation

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As the business marks eighty years in the optical industry, CEO James Conway and Non-Executive Chairman Daniel Thorn reflect on the thinking that has carried a family business through three generations and the mindset that continues to shape its future.

People at the Centre While innovation has driven progress, people have always remained central to the business.

From long-standing customer relationships to a collaborative leadership team, the emphasis has always been on building for the long term.

Today, that sense of pride is just as strong.

Daniel Thorn, James Conway & Gary Conway

The history matters. It has helped define a business built on two enduring principles: people and innovation. Across eight decades of change, those values have remained constant, guiding the company as it has evolved from a specialist manufacturer into a diversified optical business.

The Early Days The business was built on a simple but powerful idea: there had to be a better way of doing things.

PIMO machine

Early innovation came in the form of the PIMO machine in the 1950s, a development that transformed the way spectacle sides were manufactured. By enabling precision placement of internal wires and more refined shaping, it improved both efficiency and quality at scale.

As Daniel explains, this was not incremental change. It was a step forward that allowed the business to operate in a high-volume, high-quality niche.

Optoplast exhibited at the British Industries Fair

“You ended up with a side that was aesthetically very pleasing and incredibly precise. It was high quality, high volume and very niche. That’s what made the business special.”

It also established a culture of innovation that has continued to shape the business ever since.

King Charles visiting Optoplast

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

“I’ve never been prouder of the people in the business,” Daniel says. “What we have today is something very special.”

As the business has grown, leadership has become increasingly collaborative.

“It’s not a one-person business at all,” James explains. “The strength of the senior management team means we make better decisions together.”

SPONSORED FEAT URE

Constantly Adapting

Curiosity as a Mindset

Continuity and Evolution

While the early years were defined by manufacturing innovation, the decades that followed demanded something different: adaptability.

One of the biggest changes over the past eighty years has been the pace of innovation.

Eighty years on, the business looks very different from where it started, but its core values remain unchanged.

Rather than resist it, the business has continued to embrace new ideas, technologies and opportunities.

For Daniel, the founders would recognise what matters most.

For James, curiosity and continuous learning are central to leadership.

“I think they’d recognise the values. The focus on quality, on doing things properly and on building something sustainable.”

“Be curious, be humble, keep learning. You don’t know it all and pretending you do is a mistake.”

James believes they would also appreciate the company’s willingness to evolve.

The deregulation of the optical market in the 1980s removed the stability of National Health frames almost overnight. What had been the core of the business disappeared within a few years.

For many in the industry, that was the end.

For this business, it became a turning point.

“You had to replace the majority of your business from scratch,” Daniel recalls.

“The fact we had something to build from made all the difference.”

Strategic decisions, including diversification and acquisition, opened new opportunities.

From spectacle sides, the business expanded into cases and jewellery boxes, before moving into complete frames and lenses.

The acquisition of Jai Kudo in 2016 marked a significant milestone, strengthening the group’s position in the lens market and supporting its continued investment in UK optical manufacturing.

James believes innovation remains the key to long-term success.

That mindset has influenced major decisions in recent years, from acquisitions to investment in UK manufacturing, automation and advanced optical technologies.

Daniel sees strong leadership as essential to continued success.

“James is very inspiring with a strong vision. The team is also very strong and that combination is critical for a business to evolve.”

He adds: “Having somebody with vision, a cohesive and strong team and the ability to stay nimble is what allows a business like this to keep moving forward.”

“They’d probably be surprised at how much it’s changed. But that’s the point. You have to keep moving forward.”

As the business enters its ninth decade, the commitment remains the same: investing in people, embracing innovation and continuing to develop products and services that support independent optical practices in an everchanging profession.

To find out more, please scan the QR code or visit our website at millmead.com

“There’s no point trying to be the same as everyone else. If you get pulled into a price battle, it’s a race to the bottom. Innovation is how you create something better for both you and your customer.”

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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PHOTO: BOA Museum

A journey through time

By Nicky Collinson

This historical timeline is a curation of landmark moments in the evolution of the dispensing optics (DO) profession from 1926 to the present day – including a selection of significant regulatory changes and industry developments…

1926 Joint Council of Qualified Opticians proposes Optical Practitioners (Registration) Bill, aimed at creating formal register for qualified opticians, ushering in voluntary self-regulation of the DO profession

Curry & Paxton catalogue illustration c. 1920s

Arrangements made for a prototype of a flat top bifocal, developed by London optician F. Bruce Watson, to be made into lenses and marketed in the USA

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Hand-making frames at P. Oliver Goldsmith c. 1920s

PHOTO: Rawlings

PHOTO: Oliver Goldsmith

1935

1927

American inventor Edwin Land patents the synthetic polarising filter and produces the first commercial Polaroid Day Glasses; polarised lenses are introduced to the UK in the late 1930s

British American Optical Company (AOC) builds a factory in Watford for the mass manufacture of spectacle lenses Pince-nez and waistcoat clip c. 1926

AOC introduces Ful-Vue: the first ‘pantoscopic’ frame featuring high-placed joints above the centre line, revolutionising the eyewear market

PHOTO: Smiths Opticians

Association of Dispensing Opticians (ADO) – established in 1925 “to safeguard the interests of the dispensing optician and to ensure to the medical profession an efficient optical dispensing service” – begins quarterly journal The Dispensing Optician

Datum line system of frame measurements officially introduced by UK firm Cole & Blackburn, quickly becoming the standard British framework for taking optical measurements

1931

1932-33 Zeiss creates Perivist, claimed to be the world’s first frames fitted to accommodate the wearer without sliding down. Developed

by Otto Kunze, these frames introduced anatomically contoured, flexible temples and nose pads, offering a secure, customised fit and a wide field of view

1932

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

1934

Philip Goldsmith sets up P. Oliver Goldsmith on the top floor of a building in Poland Street, gathering a small band of experts to make real tortoiseshell spectacle frames by hand

Dollond & Co merges with Aitchison & Co creating one of the UK's first major national High Street optical chains

Opticians practice c. 1930s

a long history of manufacturing – specifically for rolled-gold eyewear

German entrepreneur Max Wiseman establishes Algha Works in East London, beginning

1937 Society of Opticians formed in the UK to represent the interests of ophthalmic optician (optometrist) employers

1938 Theo Obrig and John Mullen, working in the USA, make the first all-plastic scleral contact lenses using a new material, polymethyl- methacrylate (PMMA)

1939 The Hatton Press (publisher of Optician) attempts the first Blue Book of Opticians, listing all optical practices in the country that wished to be included Algha Works, which supplied the RAF with aviator sunglasses years before the formation of Ray-Ban, supports the war effort by manufacturing gas masks and aviation goggles

PHOTO: Inspecs

Curry & Paxton’s Improvement in Goggles patent introduces designs suited for outdoor pursuits – the company is later awarded a Royal Warrant

Cellulose acetate introduced as a frame material

Opticians Act 1958 receives Royal Assent on 7 July, establishing the General Optical Council (GOC) as a statutory body for opticians – protecting occupational titles for ophthalmic and DOs and outlawing unqualified practise

1941

1959

1940

British Guild of British Dispensing Opticians established as an employers’ organisation

The iconic Algha Works Factory 1932

Nylon supra style of semi-rimless spectacles is patented

Californian optical technician Kevin Tuohy develops the first commercially successful corneal contact lens made entirely of PMMA, which is later patented Norville Opticians (est. 1898) starts manufacturing spectacles – going on to become synonymous with specialist prescription lenses, glazing innovations and iconic modular NHS frames such as the famous 524

1948 NHS launched – with free eye examinations and spectacles for adults and children

PHOTO: Rawlings

Manufacturers – including Algha Works, Curry & Paxton and Optoplast – work with the NHS to introduce the first NHS frames: a range of 33 styles in nickel, goldfilled and cellulose acetate

1950 Patented PIMO machine launched by Optoplast, designed to insert metal reinforcements into acetate spectacle sides, revolutionising the optical industry and allowing for more precise eyewear manufacturing

Gas mask spectacles c. 1940s

Kirk Brothers cleaning solution c. early 20th century

1952 Iconic Ray-Ban Wayfarer style introduced by Bausch & Lomb, RayBan’s parent company at the time

1955 PHOTO: Jason Kirk

Launch of Varilux lenses by Essel (later Essilor), the first modern progressive lenses to correct presbyopia – invented by French engineer Bernard Maitenaz

1960

1947

The Dispensing Optician journal 1936

1958

Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM) begins new qualification in dispensing optics

GOC publishes first statutory register of DOs and ophthalmic opticians

1961 Otto Wichterle produces the first wearable soft lens at the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry in Prague

1964 ADO Benevolent Fund begins operations to provide financial assistance to members and their dependents (see page 34) GOC (Rules on Publicity) Order of Council 1964 forbids display of prices in opticians' windows and severely restricts advertising, prohibiting price-focused marketing to the public Launch of first photochromic spectacle lenses; early products included PhotoGray by Corning Glass Works

1966 Christian Dior becomes the first major fashion house to allow its name to be attached to an eyewear range under licence Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear famously designs its Pyramid sunglasses to match a geometric haircut by Vidal Sassoon

1970 First extended wear contact lens (Permalens) is developed by UK optometrist, John de Carle; it is commercially manufactured in the UK from 1974

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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PHOTO: BOA Museum

1972 Mary Quant becomes the first major British fashion designer to create her own range of sunglasses

1973 Guild of British Dispensing Opticians and Society of Opticians work closely together as the Federation of Optical Corporate Bodies to discuss matters of common interest to optical employers – leading to the formation of FODO, the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians

1977 1940s NHS frames range

PHOTO: Rawlings

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British Contact Lens Association formed, amalgamating the Contact Lens Society, the ADO Contact Lens Study Group and the Association of Contact Lens Practitioners; the Medical Contact Lens Association refuses to disband but broadly supports the new cross-disciplinary Association

1978 Sixth in a series of ophthalmic trade fairs is re-branded Optrafair, and continues until 2019

Acrylic colour chart for handmade frames c. 1950s PHOTO: Nigel Wingate PHOTO: Alan Murdoch

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

Doug and Mary Perkins open the first Specsavers practice on the island of Guernsey

1985 Health and Social Security Act 1984 provisions to reduce the availability of NHS spectacles comes into effect

1986 The ADO merges with the FDO to form the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO); former FDO deputy chairman, Tony Botten, becomes the first ABDO president, with Ros Kirk as vice president NHS stops making frames due to costs, and introduces the NHS voucher scheme to enable patients to put a voucher towards the cost of frames ABDO holds its first conference at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel

The WCSM and British Optical Association set up the independent Faculty of Dispensing Opticians (FDO)

ABDO renames The Dispensing Optician journal – Dispensing Optics

1981

Mo Jalie submits US Patent 4289387 for aspheric lenses, which substituted a hyperboloidal surface for the major surface of the lens, marking a huge step in advancing lens design

1982

City College, Bunhill Row, students c. 1960s

World’s first disposable contact lens (the MIA/Danalens) is introduced by the Danish ophthalmologist, Michael Bay

1980

GOC Rules on Publicity 1981 removes long-standing restriction allowing optician practices to display prices of spectacles in windows

ADO conference, Bournemouth, 1959

sale of spectacles, enabling increased competition

Extended wear rigid gas permeable contact lenses become commercially available in the UK

1987 College of Arms produces the illustrated and sealed Letter of Patent and Armorial Bearings for ABDO, which is framed and displayed at ABDO’s registered office in Nottingham Place, London First ABDO AGM held on 26 April in London

College of Optometrists opposes Lord Rugby’s proposal to repeal Section 21 of the Opticians Act, in effect de-registering optical dispensing, which is subsequently withdrawn

1988

1984

GOC issues Contact Lens (Qualifications etc) Rules for those who qualified before 1960, meaning only those with recognised approved qualifications (or certified

Health and Social Security Act 1984, alongside the Sale of Optical Appliances Order of Council 1984, deregulates advertising and the

Government introduces VAT on the whole cost of spectacles and contact lenses – failing to recognise the professional element of dispensing

The GOC approves ABDO’s FBDO CL Certificate in Contact Lens Fitting Coloured cosmetic contact lenses first became available Johnson & Johnson launches the world's first soft, hydrogel disposable extended wear contact lens

1989 Opticians Act (1989) establishes a legal framework governing the professions of dispensing optics and optometry, heralding significant deregulation: unregistered dispensing to adults (aged over 16) is legalised provided an in-date prescription is issued, sale of ready-made reading spectacles by unregistered sellers is legalised, and a ban on optician practice advertising is lifted Free NHS eye examinations for all is abolished, with 1 April becoming the infamous Sight Test Charging Day. The NHS sight test is limited to specified groups only, and a prescription is required to be given to a patient at the end of a sight test

1990 ABDO prepares a public relations case to present to the House of Commons over the deregulation of the dispensing function – this is overshadowed on the day by the resignation of the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher ABDO Publications established

1993 ABDO helps to launch the Eyecare Information Service (now the Eyecare Trust) alongside the British College of Optometrists (now the College of Optometrists)

1995 VAT on spectacles becomes ‘mixed supply’, separating the goods from professional services World’s first daily disposable contact lenses (Johnson & Johnson 1 Day Acuvue) become commercially available in the UK

1996

PHOTO: Oliver Goldsmith

proficiency) could fit contact lenses

ABDO Frame Rule, originally designed by ABDO examiner George Hughes Clayton in the mid-1970s, is revised and updated to comply with new European Standards

1997 ABDO members vote to retain the word ‘Dispensing’ in the Association’s title

1998 Degree course in optometry, funded by FODO, commences at Anglia Polytechnic University. For the first time, a DO may train to be an optometrist whilst receiving accreditation for prior learning Compulsory CE marking for spectacle frames and lenses is introduced (replaced by UKCA marking from 2021)

Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear’s Pyramid sunglasses c. 1960s

1999 Free NHS eye examinations reintroduced for the over-60s across the UK Professions involved with the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease debate as to whether the disease could be transmitted through the tear film; trial contact lenses subsequently become single use only Silicone hydrogel contact lenses become commercially available in the UK

Ros Kirk showcases ABDO’s Letters, Patent and Grant in Arms 1989

2000 ABDO links with Brunel University to launch a BSc (Hons) degree in Business Administration ABDO launches accredited continuing education and training (CET) provision; first ABDO National CET day held in Harrogate

2001 ABDO College is established as a specialised institute for optical education, with charitable status, at Godmersham Park estate.

Built in 1732 by Thomas MayKnight, Jane Austen often visited Godmersham Park – which was famously depicted on the back of the 2017 Bank of England £10 note

The ABDO Council 1992

ABDO College’s first group of students 2001 CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

13

The Harry Potter film franchise characters Dumbledore, Harry Potter and Moaning Murtle wear Savile Row’s distinctive rolled gold frames made at Algha Works

2003 ABDO establishes new headquarters at 199 Gloucester Terrace, London

2004 ABDO Graduation and Prize Giving Ceremony is held for the first time at Canterbury Cathedral

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ABDO members vote to change the way the Association is governed Elections are held for the inaugural ABDO Board of Directors, to be in place for January 2005, replacing the ABDO Council

2005 Opticians Act (1989) (Amendment) Order 2005, implemented by Section 60 of the Health Act 1999, restricts the fitting of contact lenses to registered optometrists, DOs, registered medical practitioners or students under supervision – reinforcing that only DOs with specific contact lens qualifications (listed on the specialist register) or those deemed qualified via ‘grandfathered’ experience could fit contact lenses GOC introduces compulsory CET to maintain registration – ABDO introduces online CET Norville becomes the first Britishowned private company to embark on freeform lens generating

2006 ABDO becomes a founding member of the Eye Health Alliance ABDO is recognised by the UK Regulatory Authorities as an Awarding Body Scotland becomes the only UK nation to introduce free universal NHS-funded eye examinations The Qualification and Curriculum

Authority (QCA) awards a Level 6 grade for the ABDO main qualifications, and Level 7 for the Contact Lens Honours Diploma

PHOTO: Inspecs

Standard rate of VAT is applied to spectacles and contact lenses

Michael Caine’s tortoiseshell optical frames worn in The Ipcress File, made by Curry & Paxton, achieve £6,600 at auction at Christie’s

2008 ABDO College launches a Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing course in collaboration with Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU)

Harry Potter frame model Warwick created in 2001

ABDO launches its first interactive CET CD: Frame and Facial Measurements – and adopts a new branding and corporate identity, alongside a range of corporate items

2009 Two resolutions to change the name of ABDO are voted down by the membership The ABDO Frame Rule is updated for a second time, along with a newly-revised instruction manual

2010

Announcing ABDO’s new London HQ on the cover of Dispensing Optics in 2003

ABDO becomes a founding member of the Optical Confederation, together with the Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers, Association of Optometrists, Federation of Manufacturing Opticians and FODO The GOC approves ABDO College’s BSc (Hons) course in Ophthalmic Dispensing, validated by CCCU

2011

ABDO's first graduation at Canterbury Cathedral in 2004

ABDO celebrates its 25th anniversary on 6 May at Plaisterers’ Hall, London, with guest of honour HRH The Countess of Wessex, in her role as Global Ambassador to the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness Working with CCCU, ABDO College launches a BSc (Hons) in Optical Dispensing Studies course specifically designed for qualified DOs seeking to acquire a career related degree

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

ABDO's CET CDs launched in 2008

Regulatory landscape for DOs in the UK is defined by a key GOC position statement, clarifying that refraction is a restricted function that cannot be delegated NHS Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) is first piloted in England

2014 Google Glass XE (first UK commercially-available edition) running on Android Version 4.4. launches the era of augmented eyewear First edition of 100% Optical is held in London

2015 Responsibility for the WCSM training courses leading to the Company’s examinations passes from the WCSM Education Trust to ABDO College

2018 ABDO establishes the National Resource Centre (NRC) in Birmingham as a dedicated hub for education, examinations and training

ABDO secures a grant from Health Education England for CLO MECS training and qualifications

2024 The CMI approves ABDO as a Registered Centre The GOC approves ABDO’s Level 6 Dispensing Optician Apprenticeship ABDO first delivers its updated Diploma in Contact Lens Practice syllabus ABDO features in an ITN Business’s Global Action for Eye Health programme on World Sight Day

2025 ABDO launches its Ofqual-approved Level 7 Professional Certificate in Paediatric Eyecare

ABDO, the College of Optometrists and the Optical Suppliers Association (OSA) engage Mumsnet to help promote awareness of children’s vision

Filming for ITN Business 2024

2026 ABDO launches a year-long campaign celebrating the centenary of the dispensing optics profession

2020

An expanded Level 7 Diploma in Paediatric Eyecare is launched by ABDO – followed by a landmark white paper on paediatric vision care

Inspecs acquires the Norville Group, saving the historic company from collapse – but eventually closes the business in 2025

15

ABDO undertakes its first-ever Pay and Reward Survey of members

ABDO launches its first MECS extended services training day at the NRC for CLOs

ABDO launches management and leadership training courses, accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

ABDO NRC, established in 2018

PHOTO: Ros Kirk

2013

Twelve past ABDO presidents gather in London to celebrate the Association's 40th anniversary To be continued...

Past presidents’ luncheon in London 2026

2021 WCSM surrenders its Ofqual recognition, and transfers its Level 4 qualifications and learners, to ABDO

2022 The GOC introduces a new three-year continuing professional development (CPD) scheme

2023 Following a review of the Opticians Act (1989), the GOC decides not to change regulations to enable DOs to refract

ABDO centenary visit to Boots Opticians’ refurbished Wigmore Street practice 2026 (see page 14 for more on the history of Wigmore Street)

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E

VARILUX A VISION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING ®

2026 marks a special year for EssilorLuxottica and Varilux® as we celebrate the centenary of Bernard Maitenaz (1926–2021), founder of Varilux® and inventor of the 昀rst Varilux® varifocal lens.

His pioneering innovation transformed the correction of presbyopia and revolutionised the optical profession.

As we honour his remarkable legacy, we also celebrate the enduring spirit of innovation that continues to de昀ne Varilux® today.

VARILUX®: A NEW WAY TO SEE THE WORLD.

16

Varilux® began with a simple but powerful idea: helping people see naturally at every distance. In the 1950s, French engineer Bernard Maitenaz was inspired by watching his father struggle to switch between different pairs of glasses for near and distance vision.

Convinced there had to be a better solution, he set out to create a single lens that could provide clear vision at every distance.

“Though Varilux® lenses appear simple, they are in fact highly complex, overcoming as they do the signs of ageing in one of the human body’s most extraordinary organs.”

Bernard Maitenaz, Varilux® Inventor.

Having joined Société des Lunetiers as an engineer in 1948, Maitenaz drew on his expertise in optics to invent and patent a varifocal lens. After years of research and development, his vision became reality in 1959 with the launch of the world’s 昀rst Varilux® varifocal lens.

This groundbreaking innovation transformed vision correction and was something of a revolution for people over forty. For the 昀rst time, presbyopes were able to see clearly at all distances, with one single pair of spectacles.

THE LEGACY OF INNOVATION LIVES ON. For over 67 years, Varilux® has improved the life of presbyopes. Since its launch in 1959, more than 700 million Varilux® lenses have been sold worldwide, with one lens sold every four seconds.1 Maitenaz’s pioneering spirit continues to inspire our commitment to innovation and our partnership with eyecare professionals, helping them deliver trusted solutions that improve people’s lives.

At Varilux®, we believe vision should never hold people back. Across 昀ve R&D centres, 500 researchers are driving innovation, developing more than 70 patented2 technologies - up to 303 of which can work together in a single personalised Varilux® lens.

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

By combining life sciences, advanced design technologies and a deep understanding of wearers’ needs, Varilux® continues to pioneer varifocal lens innovation.

S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E

17

VARILUX® TODAY & BEYOND. Our latest breakthroughs, the Varilux® XR series (launched in 2023) and Varilux® Physio Extensee (2025), are powered by behavioural arti昀cial intelligence and a predictive vision model to create highly personalised lenses designed to support wearers in real-life visual scenarios.

Presbyopia is no longer simply a condition associated with later life. Despite being so widespread, it remains under-recognised and under-corrected. As modern visual demands continue to evolve, progressive lenses are no longer viewed as an age marker - they are performance solutions designed to help people see and live better every day.

As we look ahead, our commitment remains the same: to support the dispensing optics profession with innovative solutions and expertise that enable practitioners to con昀dently recommend the right visual solutions for their patients. As a trusted business partner, we are dedicated to helping practices grow while keeping wearers at the centre of everything we, and our partners, do.

Varilux® wearers don’t want their vision to hold them back, and neither do we. Together with optical professionals, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and patient care - helping more people see more, be more and live life to its fullest.

Disclaimers: 1. Based on sales volumes in 2019 - Internal source 2. 70 inventions led to patent 昀lings in multiple countries since 1953 (which allowance/in-force status varies over the time and country).

3. Varies per Varilux® lens type. Up to 30 inventions led to patent 昀lings (which allowance/in-force status varies over the time and country)

BACK IN THE DAY...

Wigmore Street remembered In the early 20th century, Wigmore Street in the West End of London was the epicentre of dispensing optics.

Why? “Because it is situated at one end of Harley Street – where many ophthalmologists practised,” explains Nigel Wingate FBDO FCOptom, great grandson of George Melson Wingate who established the family opticians business in 1888.

18

“The entrepreneurs who set up in the area during the 1910s and 1920s recognised that following an important court case in 1909, whereby an ophthalmic optician had failed to recognise an abnormal ocular condition, they were safer just sticking to dispensing prescriptions written by ‘eye doctors’,” explains Nigel, who was involved with efforts to eventually allow optometrists and dispensing opticians (DOs) to work together.

PHOTO: BOA Museum

Nigel’s specific memories of Wigmore Street stem from 1959 when he began studying at Northampton College of Advanced Technology, later City University, to become an optometrist.

Dollond & Aitchison member practice, Wigmores Opticians, 7-9 Wigmore St c. 1968-80

“I needed somewhere to study in the evenings and there was room in the basement of the family branch in Wigmore Street. The manufacturing and dispensing firms along the south side included Melson Wingate, CW Dixey & Son, Theodore Hamblin, C. Davis Keeler, Clifford Brown, Sterks Martin and Spillers. On the north side were Clement Clarke and Curry & Paxton.

“Alfred Hawes was in New Cavendish Street as well as Hamblin’s contact lens service, while Rayners’ establishment was in New Bond Street 100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

– all quite close by.

Now the only optical practices on that stretch of Wigmore Street are David Clulow Opticians and Boots Opticians, which has absorbed most of these old family businesses.”

PHOTO: CW Dixey & Son

In this centenary year, some 245 ABDO members will mark more than five decades of shared professional history. We hear from some long-standing members about the optical landscape and practice life ‘back in the day’…

In addition to dispensing prescriptions, some of these firms Dixey Dispensing offered other Opticians on activities, as Nigel Wigmore Street explains: “Clement in 1977; founded in 1777, Clarke had an eyewear clients optical prothesis included service for patients Charles Darwin, Napoleon, who had lost large Queen Victoria parts of their face. and Winston Hamblin’s employed Churchill a fundus artist who painted what he could see with just an ophthalmoscope. This was before the development of a camera that did the same job, and several firms developed and sold ophthalmic instruments.”

Nigel continues: “The Association of Dispensing Opticians [ADO] was started by the principals of these firms. Having decided that premises and a secretary were needed, it was set up in Henrietta Place round the corner. The Guild of British Dispensing Opticians [GBDO], set up in 1941 for firms rather than employees, purchased 22 Nottingham Place, not far away, and the ADO offices were located there as well, with a shared secretary.”

Formal training for DOs back then was mostly being developed by correspondence course – “but in the basement at Nottingham Place, the Guild set up a school for trainees who could not get practical prescription house experience from their employers’ own factories,” recalls Nigel, who served as Master of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM) from 2004-5.

“Other optical activity nearby included Hamblin’s prescription house in Aybrook Street where they produced real shell frames with metal-to-metal gold joints. Curry & Paxton also had a large showroom and offices in Great Portland Street, while Degenhardt, the Zeiss agent was in Cavendish Square.

“When the Opticians Act came into force in 1958, the General Optical Council [GOC] took premises in Harley Street. Also, not far away in Brook Street was the British Optical Association and the Association of Optical Practitioners.

“The area certainly lived up to its reputation as ‘the Harley Street of Opticians’ and glimmers of the past survive – if you know where to look,” Nigel concludes.

Old school relationships A founding member of ABDO, John Fried FBDO SMC (Disp) qualified as a DO in 1973. He currently owns six practices in South east London, Kent and Surrey and employs eight DOs. John’s optical journey began in the early 1960s, working with his father manufacturing spectacle frames in a small factory in Goswell Road, Islington.

“I realised early on that Dad was not fully recompensed for his hard work, and that the real career opportunities lay in dispensing. It was far more satisfying to work with patients, dispensing frames and lenses – so I went to City & East London College and studied to become a DO.” After qualifying, John worked for R. Woodfall Opticians, firstly in the Brixton and Rye Lane Peckham branches, and when the Sydenham practice was bought in 1970, John transferred there and became a partner in 1975.

John entered optical politics after he qualified, becoming chairman of the Faculty of Dispensing Opticians and, alongside fellow DO John Baker, helped to facilitate the merger of the ADO and the Faculty to establish ABDO in 1986.

“I have been blessed with some fantastic patients over the years,” says John. “Of course, the retail landscape was much more ‘old school’ in the early days. Patients were less inclined to go for the ‘cheap and quick’ option – and

O

“But being a DO has certainly been a fulfilling career – and I pride myself that we still see the children and grandchildren of our patients. I wish ABDO all the best in this centenary year for the profession. My hope is that optics in the UK continues to fulfil its message of ‘healthy vision for all’,” adds John, who was awarded Life Membership of ABDO in 2009 and served as WCSM Master from 2009-10.

AB D

Rise of the DO role Michael Barton FBDO (Hons) CL qualified in 1968 whilst with Rayners in Birkenhead, going on to become chairman of Conlons Opticians until its acquisition by Vision Express in 2014 – ending five generations of family ownership stretching back more than 130 years.

Michael Barton (left) taking office as president of the IGDO in Toronto

Michael also sat on the council of the GBDO in the 1970s, served on the ADO council as a DO nominee, served as chairman of FODO, and was WCSM Master in 2010. In the mid 1980s, he was also president of the International Guild of Dispensing Opticians (IGDO), which later became the International Opticians Association.

Not long after qualifying, Michael gained a position at Moorfields Eye Hospital, attending evening classes at Bunhill Row College to achieve his technical qualification in contact lens fitting.

“This experience and qualification was a huge advantage to me when I returned to Liverpool,” says Michael.

“Contact lenses had traditionally

been fitted to those in special need

by DOs, because they worked more closely with ophthalmic surgeons than ophthalmic opticians [OOs].”

Optics changed in the UK in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as Michael explains: “A man called Dick Harris took over as chairman of the largest ophthalmic opticians chain in the UK – namely Dollond & Aitchison. Prior to this, DOs almost exclusively worked with ophthalmic surgeons who would visit their practices to test eyes.

“OOs tested and dispensed their own prescriptions – hence the different registers for OOs and DOs with the GOC. Mr Harris decided that OOs were better employed testing eyes alone, and so employed DOs to carry out the dispensing. This is now, of course, common practice.”

Michael recalls when the NHS voucher scheme was introduced in the mid 1980s, enabling patients to choose from a wider variety of frames: “Manufacturers were only too pleased to offer a selection of frames at a price that opticians could give to patients, claiming the dispensing fee from the NHS. But the main attraction was that the voucher could be used towards purchasing a more expensive frame, so overnight fashion hit the optical industry.”

For today’s DOs and CLOs, Michael has this advice: “Be an expert in the field, have excellent product knowledge, but above all remember that the patient will ‘buy’ you first – so interpersonal skills are vital.”

“Low budget magic show” Craig Alexander Bell FBDO (Hons) CL retired in June after almost 47 years in practice – latterly as director of Specsavers Berwick Upon Tweed where he says he “enjoyed the best 25 years of his career”.

Craig started out with Dollond & Aitchison at Four Lane Ends in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1979, aged 18. “In those early days, there were no computers, no mobile phones, and all reminders were handwritten,” Craig recalls.

“Adjustments were done over a Bunsen burner, and a rite of passage was accidentally setting fire to a cellulose nitrate frame – which are now illegal because they were essentially eyewear-shaped firelighters. Optical coherence tomography, visual field screening and fundus photography would have seemed like science fiction.

“I don’t recall non-contact tonometers existing; the ophthalmologist would check for glaucoma using digital pressure, which is a polite way of saying ‘thumbs’. Visual fields were done with a Bjerrum screen, a wand and a black glove – so it looked less like a clinical test and more like a lowbudget magic show. Frames came in multiple sizes, and certain ladies’ frames had interchangeable coloured parts to match outfits. Contact lenses were supplied by the ‘Kelvin fitter’, who travelled from practice to practice with a bank of PMMA lenses.

19

PHOTO: Emma Mitchell

g din un fo

member, J OH N

FR

of course there was no option to buy on the internet. I feel that the ability to buy frames, lenses and contact lenses D IE directly online continues to be one of the most challenging aspects of dispensing practice today.

1950s Martin Wells frame made with cellulose nitrate – a material now banned in the UK

“Cross-contamination apparently didn’t ‘exist’ back then. PMMA had zero oxygen transmission, so the cornea overheated and reshaped itself. Myopes would often become emmetropic for several hours after removing their lenses – it was called spectacle blur, though ‘temporary miracle’ might have been more accurate," jokes Craig.

“Patients had to leave their lenses out for several days before you could get a stable refraction. In some cases, to get oxygen to the cornea, you drilled a tiny hole into the lens. PMMA lenses were as tough as old boots, and patients wore them for years – sometimes long enough to qualify for a pension.

“Now I am retiring from a career I have absolutely loved. My last student will qualify next year and looking at the volume of work expected from her, I don’t think I could have coped as a student in 1979. I believe students today will be the most qualified since the dispensing optics profession began 100 years ago…”

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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20

As prescriptions become increasingly personalised and lens technology continues to evolve, the frame has become more important than ever. Modern progressive, occupational and myopia management lenses rely upon accurate positioning to perform as intended.

For more than 昀fty years, STEPPER EYEWEAR has focused on one simple philosophy: creating frames that help optical professionals deliver successful visual outcomes.

Founded in 1970 by German Master Optician Hans Stepper, the company was established not simply to manufacture spectacles, but to engineer frames that position lenses accurately, remain comfortable throughout the day and support the work of the dispensing optician.

That philosophy remains unchanged today.

More than a frame Many eyewear brands describe themselves through fashion, materials or styling.

STEPPER EYEWEAR has always viewed the frame differently—as an optical tool.

Its purpose is to support the lens, the prescription and ultimately the wearer.

As lens technology has advanced, this relationship has become increasingly important. Precision lenses require precision 昀tting, and that begins with a frame capable of maintaining accurate positioning on the face.

For dispensing opticians, this means greater con昀dence that the lens can perform exactly as designed.

Designed around people

Materials with a purpose

STEPPER EYEWEAR has always designed around anatomy rather than averages.

Every face is unique, and successful dispensing begins with recognising those differences.

This philosophy led to the development of World Fit, created from decades of facial measurement research across different populations.

Innovation at STEPPER EYEWEAR has always been driven by function rather than novelty.

The development of TX5, a lightweight engineering polymer created speci昀cally for eyewear, enabled stronger, lighter and more durable frame construction.

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Rather than selecting frames purely for appearance, dispensing decisions can also be based on optical performance and long-term wearing comfort.

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

Titanium and Beta-Titanium further extended these possibilities, combining exceptional strength, 昀exibility, corrosion resistance and hypoallergenic performance with remarkable lightness.

Every material is selected for one reason: helping optical professionals provide more comfortable, reliable eyewear for their patients.

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21 Supporting every stage of life

Looking beyond the frame

Sharing knowledge

This philosophy extends naturally into children's eyewear.

The relationship between frame and lens continues to evolve.

STEPPER EYEWEAR has always believed that knowledge is as valuable as engineering.

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By combining sophisticated lens design with carefully engineered frame platforms, patients bene昀t from solutions tailored to their individual visual requirements.

Lightweight materials, adjustable features and anatomically informed design help support accurate lens positioning during important stages of visual development.

For dispensing opticians, it provides another valuable tool when selecting eyewear for younger patients.

Technology continues to advance, but the expertise of the eyecare professional remains central to achieving successful outcomes.

One of its latest developments is Ask STEPPER, an AI-powered knowledge platform designed to make the expertise behind the brand more accessible.

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Looking ahead Arti昀cial intelligence, digital measurement and personalised lens technologies will continue to transform optics. Yet the expertise of the eyecare professional will remain central to achieving successful outcomes.

STEPPER EYEWEAR’s role is to support this expertise through precision-engineered frames, innovative technologies and knowledge that help practitioners deliver better solutions for every patient.

From Hans Stepper’s original vision in 1970 to today’s combination of anatomical design, advanced materials, World Fit, STEPPER Start and AI-supported knowledge sharing, one purpose remains unchanged: To create the best possible frame tool for the optical professional.

Because when the right frame supports the right lens, and both are selected with the individual wearer in mind, the result is more than eyewear.

It is comfort. It is con昀dence. It is clearer vision.

Tools of the trade ...then Neil Handley looks back at the dispensing optician’s armoury of yesteryear…

In 1926, there was no consensus as to how the role of the dispensing optician was defined, nor even how it should be labelled. It was argued that if a judge could dispense justice and a monk dispense charity, then any optician should be allowed to claim that they performed a dispensing function.

Nevertheless, in April 1926, it was announced that a new group was to be established specifically for British Practical Opticians, prompting the journal Optician to declare that yet another optical association was far from welcome.

22

By the start of September, it could report that: ‘An Association of Dispensing Opticians [ADO] has recently been formed', but it did so in rather a detached manner, merely reprinting a notice from the British Medical Journal.

Despite this hostility, from the self-proclaimed ‘organ’ of all ophthalmic and working opticians, including optical ‘engineers’, adjoining pages of the same issue were filled with advertisements for dispensing equipment.

Whilst the first secretary of the ADO, Sir Edmund Harwood, was campaigning vociferously for any optician who also carried out refraction work to be not merely discouraged, but actually prohibited, from calling himself a dispensing optician, the manufacturing companies were happy to sell dispensing devices to any practitioner who might care to use them.

Tools and rules In a contemporary catalogue, the London firm of Raphael’s Ltd 1 promoted its ‘Tools and Rules’ to what it termed ‘consulting’ opticians 1 . A principal contemporary debate was whether to favour the use of an optician’s rule or a fitting frame. Any candidate for the British Optical Association’s (BOA) dispensing examination had to obtain special permission to use the latter.

Newbold & Co’s optician’s rule, of which the reverse is shown 2 , was made from fashionable ‘ivorine’ material and supplied between the years 1913 and 1926. It assumes an oval lens shape. A wide variety of rules had come onto 2 the market, some very specialist for specific styles of spectacle frame or offering functions that would rarely be used.

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

An example of a facial measuring device would 3 be Harman’s Rule, supplied by George Culver Ltd, to gauge pupillary distance 3 . Designed in 1910, and very accurate in practice, it was still going strong in the following decade, as this advertisement from 1926 shows 4 . Indeed, the product would be relaunched on to the market in the 1950s.

Fitting frame sets Fitting frame sets were seen as more convenient for the patient, although they occupied more space in the consulting room.

Together, both approaches to the measurement of human 4 heads or frames point to the wider range of sizes and specifications that might typically be expected in those inter-war years. There were specific devices, for example, to measure the angle of inclination of the nose.

In an increasingly consumer-driven sector, some devices were brand-specific.

The Orbito spectacle fitting set 5 , supplied by M. Wiseman & Company Ltd or R. Archer & Sons Ltd, was a patented and registered design of 5 spectacle frame that was regarded as the forerunner of the pad bridge, since no part of the bridge itself rested on the nose. The set was not comprehensive, but it was convenient, intended to contain seven of the ‘most useful’ measurements.

The Duncan Fitting Spec 6 was promoted by the Kirk Brothers as: 'A Handy Fitting Frame' for measuring its newly popular Duncan range of tortoiseshell spectacles, with metal sides in the shape of a golf club. Despite being a combined pupilometer and segment height gauge, it still required use in conjunction with a further instrument, the Kirbro Rule.

We may note the tendency for British-made equipment to bear the name or a shortened brand name of its designer or manufacturer.

Others were named after streets local to the factory, for instance the Syze Rule, produced by Raphael’s Ltd in Syze Street, Birmingham.

6

New Standards of Nomenclature and Measurement of Ophthalmic Products were being drawn up and would be formally adopted by several leading optical organisations in 1928. Lever Brothers were about to publish 'Practical notes and useful information not generally contained in text books'. These notes concerned all manner of mensuration, and included comparative dimension charts for different spectacle and pince-nez components such as finger-piece bridges.

Impact of new shapes Of particular historical relevance was the growth of new spectacle rim shapes, such as the contour and quadra, alongside the traditional round and oval shapes. These developments had two major consequences.

Firstly they required new methods of 7 vertical measurement taking the datum line as the starting point. John Baird & Sons launched their New Optrex Datum Rule in 1929 7 . It was still being advertised as ‘new’ 10 years later.

In the meantime, M. Wiseman & Company Ltd had launched their Empire range of instruments, including a datum rule with parallelogram bars so that any irregular rim shape might nonetheless be secured and measured from a firmly fixed position. From mid-1935, they and several of their competitors would only work to the new measuring system.

Secondly, new shapes led to a hitherto neglected appreciation of cosmetic styling.

Opticians, instead of using their own 8 professional judgment to issue a frame to a patient, were increasingly likely to help that patient try on frames for themselves, to compare them and test the relative weight, feel and comfort.

New instruments were designed to assist with this, such as colour swatches and hand-held lorgnettes so the patient with a refractive error could still see when trying on retail frames glazed with non-prescription lenses.

Mirrors took on greater significance and might be placed on specially designed dispensing tables with sets of drawers to contain the frames for trying 8 . This led more generally to a tendency to sell spectacle frames from stock, which in its turn had the effect of reducing the number of size variations on offer.

The variety of choice would gradually – but inexorably – decline further until the rise of the new enthusiasm for bespoke dispensing in the 2000s.

Essential skills Almost every optician in the 1920s could make, or at the very least repair, a pair of spectacles. The use of frame heaters, adjustment tools, screwdrivers and cleaning devices was seen as an essential skill for all practitioners, although the extent to which a fully-equipped laboratory or workshop was maintained varied greatly.

There was, on the other hand, a growing number of manufacturers, particularly in London in the 1920s, spurred partly by the decline of the German optical industry after the First World War. These included R. Archer & Sons Ltd, which was one of the first large-scale prescription houses to emerge, a development that accelerated an existing trend for sight-testing opticians to ‘farm out’ their dispensing work and concentrate on refraction and other aspects of ‘optometry’, a word entering more common use in the UK. From the early 1900s, the use of trial sets to neutralise lenses – and hence identify their power – gave way to the hand-held lens measure, also known as a spherometer, or more colloquially as a ‘clock’, and to the desk-mounted focimeter in the 1910s.

After the First World War, many focimeters were made by former artillery factories as they utilised similar metal tubing components. The latest innovation, in 1926, was the introduction of the focimetry target comprising a circle of dots.

In 1941, a separate Guild of British Dispensing Opticians emerged out of the ADO. Representing employers, it was a predecessor of the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians. It promoted the idea of dispensing opticians working exclusively to medical (that is ophthalmologist) prescriptions, often comparing the role of the dispensing optician to that of a pharmaceutical chemist.

The inescapable implication of their mid-century promotional sign 9 is perhaps that the 'eye specialist' will not be an optician. Indeed, dispensing opticians are described in the text as 'craftsmen', although the one shown here is at least making skilled professional use of a focimeter.

The artificial division of instrumentation into ‘clinical’ and ‘practical’, however, would continue to divide the optical professions until well into the 1980s.

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Neil Handley PhD, AMA, FRSA is curator of the British Optical Association Museum.

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Tools of the trade ...and now Freeform and lens personalisation

Picking up the story, Cheryl Hill explores the key advances in the tools used by DOs and CLOs since the 1980s…

Over the past four decades, the tools used by dispensing opticians (DOs) and contact lens opticians (CLOs) in everyday practice have changed dramatically. Since the 1980s, developments in imaging, measurement and lens design have moved away from manual measurements, through various designs of rulers and towards highly individualised, data-led care. Central to this evolution is not just the technology itself, but the way health care practitioners (HCPs) have adapted – using these advancements to refine their clinical judgement and enhance patient outcomes.

Digital measuring techniques Perhaps the most notable change in spectacle dispensing has been the shift from manual to digital measurement techniques. From the early 2000s onwards, digital centration systems began to replace traditional tools such as rulers for measuring pupillary distance and fitting heights.

Unlike traditional lenses, which are based on standardised designs, freeform lenses incorporate multiple parameters into their creation. These include not only the patient’s prescription, but also frame characteristics and the measurements captured during dispensing. The result is a lens that is optimised for the wearer’s specific visual and physical requirements.

This development has shifted dispensing from a process of selection to one of collaboration. The DO is no longer simply choosing from pre-existing options, but actively contributing to the design of the final product. This makes the accuracy of measurements and the understanding of lens performance more important than ever.

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Digital measuring system accuracy continues to depend on the DO’s skills

Corneal topography of a patient following orthokeratology treatment

PHOTO: Hoya Vision Care

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Alongside advances in measurement, the early 2000s saw the emergence of freeform lens technology, which has transformed the way spectacle lenses are designed and manufactured. Using computer-controlled surfacing, freeform lenses can be produced with a high level of precision, allowing them to be tailored to the individual wearer.

These systems use cameras and specialised software to capture a range of measurements in a single process. In addition to pupillary distance, they can assess fitting height and position-of-wear parameters such as vertex distance, pantoscopic tilt and frame wrap. By standardising the capture process, they can reduce the potential for human error and improve the consistency of results.

However, the introduction of digital measurement has not reduced the skill required in dispensing. On the contrary, it has placed greater emphasis on the HCP’s role. The accuracy of any system depends on how it is used. 1 Ensuring correct frame selection, appropriate patient posture and proper alignment during measurement remains essential. The DO must also evaluate whether the data captured is clinically appropriate, rather than relying on the technology alone.

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

Corneal topography and OCT The introduction of computerised corneal topography in the late 1980s marked a significant shift in contact lens practice. As computing power improved, HCPs were able to move beyond single-point measurements from keratometry and instead generate detailed maps of the corneal surface 2 . This allows for a much more comprehensive understanding of corneal shape and behaviour.

For CLOs, this represents a move from experience-led estimation to evidence-based analysis. Being able to visualise the cornea across its entirety improves both the accuracy of lens fitting and the identification of irregularities. It also provides a more objective basis for clinical decision-making, strengthening confidence in fitting outcomes. Though topography significantly advances contact lens practice possibilities such as orthokeratology, sadly uptake in practice is still limited in the UK.

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OCT image demonstrating the scleral lens vault over the cornea and the temporal edge of the corneal graft

This development paved the way for the introduction of optical coherence tomography (OCT), first described in the early 1990s and brought into clinical use from 1996.

OCT introduced a new dimension to assessment by producing high-resolution, cross-sectional images of ocular structures 3 . Often described as providing an ‘optical biopsy’, it allows HCPs to examine tissues in detail without the need for invasive procedures.

In practice, OCT complements topography by adding depth to surface data. While topography maps the curvature of the cornea, OCT allows CLOs to evaluate the relationship between a contact lens and the ocular structures beneath it. This has proved particularly valuable in more complex fittings, where understanding lens clearance, tear film behaviour and tissue response is

4

The slit lamp remains fundamentally a skill-based tool

essential. As with all imaging technologies, the true value lies not just in the data produced, but in the HCP’s ability to interpret it meaningfully.

Evolution of the slit lamp Although the slit lamp was originally introduced in the early 20th century, its capabilities have continued to evolve, particularly since the 1980s. One of the most notable developments has been the integration of digital imaging systems, allowing clinicians to capture and store photographs and videos as part of the examination 4 .

For CLOs, this has strengthened both clinical assessment and patient communication. Subtle changes in ocular health or contact lens fit can now be documented and monitored over time, supporting more informed decision-making. At the same time, visual records can be shared with patients, helping them better understand their eye health and the reasoning behind clinical recommendations.

Despite these advancements, the slit lamp remains fundamentally a skill-based tool. Its effectiveness still depends on the HCP’s ability to observe, interpret and respond to what they see in real time.

Technology and professional skill Modern optical practice relies on a combination of tools, each providing different types of information.

Corneal topography offers a detailed view of surface shape, OCT provides insight into underlying structures, slit lamps allow real-time clinical observation, and digital centration systems ensure accurate spectacle measurements. Freeform manufacturing then brings these elements together in the final optical solution.

Despite these advances, technology does not replace expertise. Each device requires careful use and thoughtful interpretation. Measurements can be affected by positioning, imaging can produce artefacts, and data does not always translate directly into clinical decisions. It is the HCP who brings these elements together, applying knowledge and experience to achieve the best outcome for the patient.

Technology does not replace expertise

Conclusion Since the 1980s, the development of new tools and technologies has significantly enhanced both dispensing and contact lens practice. From corneal topography and OCT to digital measurement systems and freeform lenses, these innovations have improved accuracy, expanded capability and enabled more personalised care.

What has remained constant is the importance of professional skill. DOs and CLOs play a central role in ensuring that technology is used effectively, translating complex data into practical solutions for patients.

For the public, this evolution means better vision, improved comfort and a more tailored experience. For the profession, it represents an ongoing commitment to combining advancing technology with clinical expertise – ensuring that innovation continues to serve patient care at its core.

Cheryl Hill FBDO CL SMC (Tech) CertEd Prof. Cert. PE is professional development learning manager for ABDO. CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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Moving with the landscape Appropriately trained and accredited contact lens opticians (CLOs) are increasingly delivering minor eye conditions services (MECS) in High Street practice. One CLO who has embraced this opportunity is Rob Hobson FBDO CL, CLO at Daybell & Choo, a Hakim Group practice in Sheffield.

Eyes on the future “When I was offered the chance to undertake MECS training in 2021 with my previous employer, I jumped at the chance,” says Rob, “as I got the sense that primary care would grow in importance in the future.

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Although I wasn't able to use the qualification in practice as they chose not to provide the service, completing the course immediately made me a better CLO. “My additional knowledge of glaucoma, retinal conditions and ocular pathology meant I could have much more informed discussions with patients, provide better advice and recognise better how to appropriately respond to patient concerns. The anterior eye disease component also significantly improved my confidence in managing patients – even within the contact lens clinic.”

When Rob joined Daybell & Choo, he put his MECS skills into practice straight away by providing anterior eye primary eyecare assessment and referral service – or PEARS – appointments. Because a CLO’s enhanced services scope is limited to anterior eye conditions, Daybell & Choo has developed a simple triage system.

Rob explains: “Self-referrals and referrals from the single point of access are reviewed and allocated either to me or to one of the optometrists, depending on whether there is any suggestion of posterior eye involvement or a condition outside my scope. This ensures patients are seen by the most appropriate clinician while making the best use of everyone's skills.

“Having me undertake these appointments has increased the practice's PEARS capacity, and reduced pressure on our optometrists – meaning the workload can be better shared,” he adds.

Focus on the patient As the profession looks to the future, Rob believes that “modern practice can, and should, extend beyond simply supplying spectacles or contact lenses”. He continues: “If desired by the practice, I believe CLOs should be involved in myopia management, fitting complex speciality lenses, managing ocular surface disease in specialty dry eye clinics and, where accredited, providing enhanced services such as PEARS and MECS. 100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

“In my experience, many patients with red eyes or other minor eye problems still contact their GP or pharmacist first. Unfortunately, awareness of PEARS and MECS remains variable, increasing the chances of missed referrals. The more CLOs become accredited and provide enhanced service clinics, the more we can demonstrate that we can safely and effectively manage a much wider range of clinical issues than may have been traditional.

Rob with a contact lens patient

“The benefits for the patient are immediate; they are seen more quickly, by the most appropriate clinician, and avoid unnecessary delays waiting for GP appointments or hospital services. It also helps demonstrate the depth of knowledge and clinical skills available in a modern primary eyecare practice.”

On the profession’s centenary and the future, Rob adds: “So much must have changed in the last 100 years. It is important we have an organisation like ABDO that moves with the changing landscape, and encourages its members to continue the great work we already do – but to always seek ways to expand our skills to better contribute to primary healthcare in our communities.”

Find out about MECS training for CLOs at www.abdo.org.uk

Rob shares a recent case history A CASE IN POINT A six-year-old patient, who had been experiencing persistent localised redness in one eye for around a year, had seen both his GP and pharmacist several times and received lubricants, allergy treatments and chloramphenicol without improvement.

Following examination, the appearance was much more consistent with episcleritis than any of the previously suspected conditions. During our discussion, the parent mentioned that their child was undergoing investigations for a possible inflammatory bowel condition – but hadn't thought it was relevant to mention.

Being able to examine the eye properly with the correct equipment and recognise the clinical appearance meant I was able to make an appropriate onward referral with insight, and highlight the possible link with his systemic inflammatory condition.

It was a good example of the value that enhanced primary eyecare services can provide. To demonstrate our clinical skills and signpost to the correct services could only have boosted this family's perception of our clinicians – and the profession as a whole.

DOs are the linchpin As the profession celebrates its centenary, the eye health care sector is increasingly embracing a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing rising service demands and improving patient care…

“Cross-professional collaboration is the cornerstone of high-quality patient care,” says Professor Irene Professor Irene Ctori Ctori FCOptom, president of the College of Optometrists. “Optometrists and dispensing opticians [DOs] have a long history of working together and the two professions will continue to adapt and grow side by side as we enter a new era of multi-disciplinary working. This year, we partnered with ABDO for our Optometry Tomorrow conference, bringing together optometrists, DOs and other professionals from across the eyecare sector for two days of shared learning and discussion. We’ve also extended membership of the College to DOs, and look forward to welcoming more as associate members as we move into the next 100 years of practice together.”

“As a DO myself, I’m proud that Specsavers has been an active supporter of Carina ABDO’s centenary Hummel celebrations and the profession it represents,” says Carina Hummel FBDO, managing director, optics at Specsavers. “It’s also an important moment to look to the future, and I see one where dispensing is integral to delivering patient care within multidisciplinary eyecare teams. Their expertise already makes a significant difference to patient outcomes, with growing opportunities to contribute across myopia management, dry eye, low vision, clinical triage and specialist dispensing. By enabling colleagues to work at the top of their licence, we can improve access, outcomes and care.”

“As the BCLA approaches its halfcentury, it is the perfect time for the two organisations to collaborate and Brad Parkes strengthen their ties – and that is exactly what we are doing,” says Brad Parkes FBDO CL, chief executive of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA). “With our certificate courses on subjects such as contact lenses, dry eye, myopia management and presbyopia, we are opening our doors to DO and CLO members and non-members alike. It makes perfect sense to collaborate on career development across all disciplines – and help ABDO and BCLA members play a vital and active role in the delivery and advancement of eyecare.”

“As a DO and Master of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers [WCSM], I am Fiona Anderson delighted to congratulate ABDO on its 40th anniversary and to recognise the centenary of the dispensing profession,” remarks Fiona Anderson BSc (Hons) FBDO R SMC (Tech) FEAOO HonFCOptom. “DOs are central to the delivery of eyecare: they provide leadership, deliver essential clinical and dispensing services, and facilitate effective communication across primary and secondary care. In an increasingly multi-disciplinary healthcare environment, DOs are the linchpin ensuring cohesion, continuity and high standards of patient care across the optical profession.”

“Optometry Wales [OW] values the role ABDO members play in delivering a genuinely Judy Misra collaborative, multi-disciplinary eyecare system in Wales,” says OW CEO, Judy Misra.

“DOs and CLOs play a pivotal role: their expertise in supporting patients with the dispensing of spectacles as well as providing low vision and

urgent eyecare services allows optometrists to focus on providing enhanced clinical services. This shared model of prudent healthcare not only improves patient experience today, it builds a future-ready workforce where every professional’s skills are fully valued.”

“As we celebrate 100 years of our fabulous profession, my hope is that we all continue to invest in the current Sarah Gilbert and next generation through collaboration, innovation and inclusive support,” says Sarah Gilbert FBDO, director of optical development Boots Opticians. “Our structured three-year student programme combines robust recruitment, dedicated supervisor training, tailored learner support and protected learning time, all designed to help students thrive. We are proud to work closely with ABDO and other professional partners to ensure DOs and CLOs are equipped with the skills, confidence and expertise needed for the future. Together, we can continue to strengthen and evolve our vital contribution."

“DOs are an essential part of the eyecare multidisciplinary team,” says Liz Tomlin DBO SRO HonFCOptom, Liz Tomlin head orthoptist at Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust, past WCSM Master, and a trustee of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS).

“They ensure that the work of ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists is translated into accurate, personalised solutions for patients of all ages. In every paediatric clinic orthoptists run, we are painfully aware of children attending with poorly fitting glasses, limiting their visual potential. Their technical expertise and commitment to patient-centred care make DOs indispensable partners. I look forward to a future defined by collaboration, innovation and shared purpose across the whole eyecare community.”

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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Interview: Lawrence Jenkin

Master spectacle maker

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As a master spectacle maker, how do you see the role of traditional craftsmanship evolving in an increasingly mass-produced eyewear market? And what elements of the craft remain irreplaceable?

Although the production of frames and lenses is becoming more and more mechanised and advanced, it is very important that spectacle making by hand is maintained and supported. There are at least 50 operations involved in making acetate frames, and every one of these can be carried out by hand.

But machinery still has its place.

Acetate frames can be made by hand from start to finish: Carmel King/ British Industrial Archives

For instance, four-stage barrel polishing gives you a good base to finish off by hand. Mitreing machines can be used to mill the frame front joint to the sides, while bridge bumping can be done with a simple bumping press. Shooting the wire into acetate side blanks is a difficult process – but it can be done by hand by laminating the wire between two thin slabs of acetate. So while I do use machinery to save time, I always maintain the quality and accuracy of the work.

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

Spectacle frame making by hand as a craft should be maintained and supported in its entirety, so I pass on my knowledge whenever I can.

Fortunately, there is now considerable interest in frame making by hand, with quite a few makers in and around London today under the age of 35.

Can you share any defining moments that shaped your approach to spectacle making, and how these continue to influence your work today?

Around 1956, as a 13-year-old in my school holidays, I used to go with my father to his business, the Anglo American Optical Company near Hampstead Heath in North London.

Most of my time there I was looked after by the building caretaker who was a retired frame maker. His name was George Low, and he had been an apprentice with the company around 1900; he could make frames out of all materials – acetate, tortoiseshell, horn, nickel, silver and precious metals. He was very good at his job and was kind enough, and patient enough, to show me how to make acetate and metal frames.

Over the years, George taught me a lot and initiated my lifelong interest in frame making. I could not have had a better teacher, and not a day goes by without me thinking about him; what he taught me continues to influence my work every day. But frame making is just part of the story. Another important part is frame fitting, which I learnt as a dispensing optician working in

London and later in New York City. I was lucky enough to be taught by L the wonderful, late Professor Mo Jalie at City College in Bunhill Row. nkin e Je nc re aw

Dispensing optician and master spectacle maker, Lawrence Jenkin, has been hand-crafting eyewear for more than seven decades after ‘catching the bug’ aged 13 at his father’s eyewear company in London.

An ADO/ABDO member since 1967, Lawrence, 82, continues to make spectacles today – always to the same high standards and always by hand.

We spoke to Lawrence to hear more about his fascinating journey into spectacle making – from post-war London to Warhol’s New York and back – hand-crafting spectacles to the stars and passing on his skills to new generations…

In London, frame dispensing was oneto-one, sitting at a table discussing the lenses and deciding on a frame for the client. In New York, my first job was with a traditional long-established optician, named Lugene's on East 57th Street, midtown Manhattan.

I was so well prepared by my training in London that I could take and pass the New York State examination immediately on arrival.

Dispensing at Lugene’s was the same as in London, working at a table with your client. It was a wonderful place, and I fitted glasses for film stars like Kirk Douglas, Anthony Perkins and Greta Garbo.

Even Sir Elton John called in on the Saturday morning, on the day of his first concert in New York.

Lawrence at work in a shared studio in London: Carmel King/ British Industrial Archives

Later, I worked at Vision Unlimited in Midtown Third Avenue. The owners, Dr Bert Geisinger and his wife Norma, wanted to find unique products so I helped them travel to Europe to find exclusive and unusual products. They had modern tastes and ideas, and their practice became so busy that we had to dispense on our feet – sometimes dealing with more than one client at a time. So it was necessary to be precise and correct under these circumstances and pressure.

Norma Geisinger had a clear idea about the designs she wanted to dispense, and between us we worked out a unique set of designs that were ideal for the market at that time. They knew my ambition was to manufacture, and they encouraged me to return to London and set up production at Anglo American with my brothers Malcolm and Tony. We supplied Vision Unlimited for many years, and in the early days they took all our production. Over the years, we developed sales throughout the UK, the USA, Europe and other parts of the world.

For dispensing opticians curating their ranges, what really matters?

Is it about storytelling, quality, consistency – or something less obvious?

Providing a great choice is so important when curating eyewear ranges so you can satisfy all your clients’ requirements. What really matters is that it looks great in the considered opinion of the client and the dispensing optician, it is a good fit, is well made and of good quality. Colour choice is important, with black and tortoiseshell always popular – with bright colours creating a bold effect. More muted colours can also look good.

Knowing the story behind the styles is also useful, for example, the

Sir Elton John was a regular client over the years

history of a brand or provenance of a style can be interesting.

What distinguishes a truly exceptional pair of bespoke spectacles in terms of materials, design and finishing – and how can practitioners recognise that quality?

It’s important to spend time with the client learning about their lifestyle and design requirements and how they intend to use their spectacles. Often, one pair for all uses will not be enough, so talk this

through. Evaluate their prescription to ensure it does not impose limitations to the design of the frame. Made-to-measure frames should fit perfectly and provide a high degree of comfort.

more bland, with countless designer names now attached to eyewear. As a result, many clients are more open to choosing handmade frames, to give them something different and special. They like the decisionmaking processes, value any guidance that is offered, and clearly like the finished article. A true handmade product is considered to be unique, and our clients value all the skills of the makers who have contributed to the creation of their spectacles.

There are so many different acetate materials, and I have around 200 from which to choose. Handmade frames should always be finished to perfection.

Design is the crucial factor; this should be discussed with the client before a final design and finish is decided upon.

Face shape is important, as is the weight of Michael Caine wearing the frame; the Looking ahead, Lawrence’s model 406 in demi-amber on the colour of the what do you front cover of Women acetate is a personal hope for the magazine, 1982 choice but can be fun future of spectacle to decide. Taking and making – and what making the frame from the advice would you give facial measurements is crucial. someone just starting out who wants to take the craft seriously?

Once the design is decided, I work We must support and encourage from accurate drawings on independent opticians and hope millimetre graph paper. I give the they, in turn, will support client a handmade frame front to independent suppliers, especially check the design and fitting. those that supply true handmade Sometimes it helps to have an frames from the UK and Europe. interim frame fitting to ensure all decisions and sizes are correct, The future must be to have more before finishing off the frame. Keep independently-owned businesses,

Cybil Shepherd wears a one-off three-piece, aluminium rimless 1969

accurate, complete records so lost or damaged frames can be replaced. All these tasks are essential for every pair of handmade frames, and if made in this way – they will be exceptional.

The eyewear market has changed enormously over the years. Have you noticed a shift in how people value craftsmanship, and are patients becoming more discerning?

In many ways, I feel the retail optical market has become much

Anglo America made many special designs for Dame Edna

to provide more personalised products – hopefully with more handmade pieces being dispensed.

I know there is a growing interest in making by hand in this country. My advice is make a start. Draw a design on millimetre graph paper, transfer the drawing to acetate, and cut a front out of acetate with a fret saw and files.

We all know the basics, see how far you can get… www.specmaker.com

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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Four generations of family eyecare Founded 131 years ago, Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care is one of the UK’s oldest family-owned independent opticians – and dispensing opticians (DOs) remain at the very heart of the business…

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Spanning four generations of the Rawling family, the history of Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care began in 1895 when Alfred John Rawling, a trained jeweller and watchmaker, opened a small shop in Croydon with a loan from his wife Hilda. Known as Rawling & Oldfield, the shop repaired clocks and sold jewellery, and Alfred’s first day’s takings were just six shillings – around 30p today.

Pioneering spirit

In the first part of the 20th century, four student DOs – across its 12 opticians were permitted to advertise branches located in Surrey and and Alfred embraced this Hampshire – including Rawling opportunity – most notably family members. And in through enamelled 2022, the company advertising plates introduced hearing attached to the sides care services. of the Croydon area trams. This As far as the future pioneering of the DO approach was profession is notably concerned, Richard commemorated believes this lies in with Corgi replicas, making the value Founder A.J. Rawling to celebrate the town’s that DOs bring to the reintroduction of trams. public far more visible.

“This has always been one Another early advertisement in of our profession's biggest 1920s Winchester saw a lantern challenges,” he says, “but we now project an image of an eye into the have more opportunities than ever to centre of the road, but it had to be demonstrate our expertise through stopped as it reportedly frightened paediatric dispensing, low vision, horses going up and down myopia management and the street. community eyecare.

While running the shop, Alfred developed a For more than a fascination with vision, century, the Rawling so he began studying family has steered the optics. In 1904, he business through world became one of the first wars, the launch of the in the country to qualify MD and DO, NHS, and ever-evolving as an ophthalmic Richard Rawling optical technology. The optician (OO) by family has remained closely examination – and connected to the Worshipful subsequently began practising from Company of Spectacle Makers, with two rooms at the back of the store, Douglas and Michael Rawling serving assisted by his sister. as Masters, and several of the current directors being Liverymen.

As Alfred and Hilda raised their five children, all became part of the business. Four sons became OOs, while their daughter supported the business as bookkeepers. Alfred’s grandchildren went on to become qualified optometrists, and opened more practices through the 20th and 21st centuries.

Alfred and Hilda’s Croydon shop circa 1900

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

Evolving role for DOs Today, the company is led by the fourth generation of the Rawling family, DO and managing director, Richard Rawling. The company currently employs 23 DOs and four contact lens opticians (CLOs) – plus

Double-decker tram advertising the practice 1933

“The role of the DO is evolving beyond simply dispensing products – we are increasingly being recognised as trusted clinical partners and educators, helping people make sense of increasingly complex eyecare and cutting through the conflicting, sales-driven information they encounter.

“Technology will continue to play an important role, but patients will still value personal service, professional knowledge, experience and human judgement. The DOs and CLOs who combine these qualities with new skills and technologies will strengthen their position as trusted advisers, rather than simply suppliers of spectacles and contact lenses,” Richard concludes.

Commemorative Corgi tram

Internationally-renowned dispensing optician, Professor Mo Jalie, very sadly passed away on 20 May, just weeks after kindly agreeing to share his unique perspectives on the history of ophthalmic lens innovation for this supplement.

With the family’s permission, we instead share some words from the eulogy delivered by sons Jeremy and Simon at his funeral on 29 June.

Dad was sent to learn his trade at Stigmat, widely considered to be the Rolls Royce of London prescription houses.

Around this time, he also worked shifts as a telephone operator, once connecting a call between a foreign dignitary and the late Queen in which he had to, very politely, put Her Majesty on hold; apparently, she wasn’t too delighted about this.

He quickly learned that he was drawn to the science of lenses and, not only that, he understood it better than his mentors and teachers. His first technical article was published in the Optician at the age of 19 and was titled, ‘A graphical analysis of near prismatic effects in bifocal lenses’. In 1964, he began a 31-year career teaching at City & East London College, spending the last 10 as head of the Department of Applied Optics.

Optical magnum opus In 1967, aged just 26, he published his magnum opus, The Principles of Ophthalmic Lenses. Over the succeeding decades, he lovingly and painstakingly revised and modernised Principles, now in its sixth edition. A seminal text, it is used in every Englishspeaking university around the world, and has been translated into myriad languages that Dad didn’t speak or understand, and a couple that he did.

Seven more highly-regarded textbooks followed over

In the early 1980s, he hit upon a method for designing plastic lenses as thin as glass, hitherto impossible or at least impractically expensive. This resulted in a patent for his invention and, as a result of his handiwork, aspheric plastic spectacle lenses are now commonplace in practice and produced by every major manufacturer around the globe.

Prof ess or

M

In 1998, he was granted an Honorary Fellowship of the College of Optometrists and in 2002, Honorary Life Membership of ABDO for lifelong services to optometry and dispensing optics. Both are rare honours. He was a visiting professor at Ulster University, teaching there for more than 20 years and receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Science in 2018.

acher, scholar, i : te n n lie ov Ja a

With his older brother away studying, dad was earmarked to take over the family business. His father promised him that if he left school and committed to learning the trade from the bottom up, he would be rewarded with a sports car when he qualified. This offer was too good to refuse.

the years, as well as approaching 300 published papers on ophthalmic lenses. In 1980, he was invited to join the Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM) and served as Master of the Company from 1993 to 1994.

o

Dad’s love affair with optics came about more by accident than design. His father had bought a group of optical practices in south east London, ostensibly motivated by an infrastructural loophole which meant, if you operated a paramedical company, it put you on the fast track to having a phone line installed.

Professor Mo Jalie (1941-2026)

An inveterate bohemian

Dad was, by all accounts, a prodigious mathematical talent, but his real genius was as a teacher, and from that he derived his greatest professional pleasure. He could distil incredibly difficult concepts down to their simplest form, so even the most academically challenged of us could absorb them.

r to

A lasting legacy

Strangely painful though it is to say, his legacy to the world of optics will be more enduring than his personal legacy to us. We will be gone in 100 years’ time, but it is comforting to know that countless students are yet to know and learn from Mo Jalie.

They won’t enjoy his patient instruction, the knowing glint in his eye, or the excited scribbles on the back of beer mats to illustrate his mathematical proofs, but they will benefit from his thoughts and words and principles for generations to come. Who knows, they may even gasp in wonder at his antique 20th century PowerPoint slides, which AI would no doubt scoff at.

Reading the various, wonderful, generous obituaries that have been written, you might be forgiven for thinking he was fundamentally a man of hard science.

The truth is, he was a lover of music, theatre, sport and gastronomy. He was an inveterate bohemian, disguised as a professor of complex algebra.

Read ABDO’s own tribute to Professor Jalie on DO Online, at www.abdo.org.uk CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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Positive outlook for the future The number of qualified dispensing opticians (DO) in the UK is predicted to rise significantly over the coming decade – offering a rewarding career pathway for current and future generations…

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The UK Eye Care Data Hub* has forecast a 15 per cent growth in the number of DOs over the 10 years from 2025 – to reach 7,421 by 2035. The updated forecast comes after ABDO supported a Data Hub expansion to include students enrolled on the Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Ophthalmic Dispensing, launched in 2024 and now delivered at four education centres. Numbers had previously been predicted to be on the decline.

“These updated projections present a far more positive and realistic picture for the future of DOs than previously,” says ABDO CEO, Alistair Bridge.

“By investing time in strengthening the data – from more accurate student intake figures to better tracking of progression through training – we can now see a workforce that is set to grow to nearly 7,500 by 2035. This reflects both the resilience of the profession and the growing range of high-quality routes into ophthalmic dispensing.”

With such a positive forecast, we spoke to some newlyqualified and early career DOs and contact lens opticians (CLOs) about what inspired them to join the profession – and their future aspirations… * Established in 2025, the UK Eye Care Data Hub is a sector-wide collaborative project steered by the College of Optometrists to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive model of the UK’s eyecare workforce and eye diseases.

100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

CHILDHOOD FASCINATION Richard Hickey FBDO CL remembers being fascinated by ‘all things Richard Hickey eyes’ during his first eye examination as a child, hearing about the sight testing equipment being used and seeing it in action. After qualifying as a DO in 2006, Richard graduated as a CLO this year, winning the Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers Prize for the highest mark in sections two to four of the Contact Lens Certificate, and in sections B to D of the Contact Lens Diploma.

Asked what he enjoys most about the role, Richard responds: “I love educating patients about their eye health, and discussing all the options available to improve their quality of life.”

Richard is currently engaging with ABDO CPD's contact lens masterclasses to further enhance his skills, alongside modules offered by the British Contact Lens Association, whilst working in practice at Boots Opticians.

“The future of our profession is always exciting as new research and development options come to fruition,” adds Richard, who is also planning to start the ABDO extended services training course later this year.

ART OF EYECARE Winner of this year’s Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers Prize for the Leah Harscoet highest mark in section B of the Final Qualifying Practical Examination (FQPE), Leah Harscoet FBDO came into the world of optics by chance after graduating from art school.

“It was whilst working as an optical assistant that I discovered a

passion for helping patients find the best vision correction solutions for their needs,” says Leah. “The practice’s DOs were really supportive and inspired me to apply for the ABDO distance learning course. It’s been exciting to develop my knowledge and combine this with my creative background every day in practice.”

Reflecting on her first year as a qualified DO, Leah says: “The role can be challenging but is always worthwhile. For me, paediatrics is the most rewarding part of my role; eyecare professionals can play such a significant part in a child’s development and confidence,” adds Leah, who is planning to further expand her knowledge and skillset in paediatric eyecare.

“I am very excited for what the future holds,” she adds.

PASSION FOR PAEDIATRICS Named Employee of the Month in June by Edmonds and Slatter Opticians, Jodie Lyon an independent group based in Leicestershire celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Jodie Lyon FBDO CL studied at Anglia Ruskin University for her foundation degree and qualified as a DO in 2010. She continued her education with ABDO, gaining her contact lens diploma in 2016.

“I fell into optics – and then fell in love with helping people and finding the best possible vision correction solutions for them,” says Jodie, who works as practice manager and CLO at the group’s Lutterworth practice.

Jodie is particularly recognised within the team for her work with younger patients, often using visual tools to support her explanations, helping patients feel confident and informed when making decisions about their eyecare and contact lenses.

“Myopia control is such an exciting development and so is the chance to make a long-term positive impact on eye health,” she says.

“I'd love to continue developing my clinical knowledge and skills to provide the best care possible – including minor eye conditions services [MECS] and the ABDO Diploma in Paediatric Eyecare,” she adds.

LIFELONG LEARNING

James Stokes

For James Stokes FBDO, the journey into dispensing optics was “very much a surprise”.

He explains: “Before I became a DO, I had a variety of very different temporary jobs. So when I first joined the profession, I expected much of the same – but for some reason, I felt compelled to stay.

“Every day I'm learning something new, and making a genuine impact in my community through the patients I meet, hearing their stories and delivering their vision needs,” says James, winner of this year’s Stepper Prize for the highest mark in unit four of the Preliminary Qualifying Practical Examination (PQPE).

“In the future, I’m excited to expand my knowledge with further education, and maybe even help develop products to enrich the lives of patients with low vision needs. I would also love to one day teach future students,” adds James.

CAREER BORN OUT OF LOCKDOWN Gemma Sumpton FBDO was inspired to become a DO Gemma Sumpton after helping her husband out at his practice, Sumpton Opticians in Ilkeston, during the Covid lockdowns.

Winner of this year’s Rodenstock Prize for the highest mark in section D of the FQPE, Gemma explains: “At the time, I was a

secondary school science teacher with biology as my specialist subject. I’ve always had an interest in ocular pathology, having studied the genetics of retinitis pigmentosa for my master’s degree in biomedical science.

“Having the chance to work in optics full-time was the best decision I could have made,” Gemma continues. “I began by completing both the optical assistant course and senior optical assistant course run by ABDO College, which were fantastic, then studied at Bradford College to become a DO. “It’s great to have so many exciting opportunities for development,” adds Gemma, who has already gained a lecturer position at Bradford College helping with marking and block release teaching. She also hopes to complete the ABDO Diploma in Paediatric Eyecare and the contact lens diploma in the future.

ENHANCED CARE GOALS Angelica Barnes FBDO went straight into full-time work in a Specsavers Angelica Barnes practice when she left school at 16.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do at that point,” explains Angelica, recipient of this year’s Association of Optometrists Prize for the highest mark in section A of the FQPE. “I wasn’t sure what the job would entail, but I really enjoyed the dispensing side of things and helping patients.”

INSPIRED BY THE TEAM Toby Fisher FBDO CL also started in optics at the age of 16, working part-time as an Toby Fisher optical assistant in a busy High Street practice.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my Saturday job,” says Toby, who graduated as a DO in 2024 and then in February of this year as a CLO – winning the Contamac Prize as the best student on the contact lens distance learning course. “My DO colleagues encouraged me to join the profession; the combination of applying science and providing patient-facing care was particularly appealing.

“I have enjoyed expanding my clinical knowledge and applying my training to directly improve the care I provide for my patients. Looking ahead, I am interested in completing the MECS training to further develop my knowledge and skills,” adds Toby.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE "I‘ve always loved learning – knowing how everything works and the reasons Adriana Roberts why we do what we do – so after working in optics for 12 years, I finally got the opportunity to advance my knowledge by enrolling onto the ophthalmic dispensing course,” says Adriana Roberts, winner of this year’s Essilor Prize for the highest combined mark in units one and two of the PQE.

Qualifying as a DO became Angelica’s main goal as it provided her with the chance to grow and progress – “so I could give the best care to patients and better support my team members.

“I love the fact I can help patients more now, and it has been really rewarding to see my knowledge make a difference in practice,” continues Adriana. “After winning this year's Essilor Prize, I am even more driven to continue learning, do my absolute best and make a difference.

“I’m excited to keep progressing in my role and see where it takes me – perhaps more training in low vision and paediatric eyecare so I can give even more back to the community,” she adds.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure yet what the future looks like, but I know I want to go further – and maybe even pass on my knowledge to future generations of DOs,” concludes Adriana.

CELEBRATING THE PAST, INSPIRING THE FUTURE

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Giving something back ABDO BENEVOLENT FUND Centenary charity challenge

As part of its centenary celebrations, ABDO staff, members and supporters are being invited to take on a fundraising challenge in aid of registered charity, the ABDO Benevolent Fund…

The history of the charity dates back to 1938, when the Association of Dispensing Opticians (ADO) decided to set up a Benevolent Fund so that any member (or dependant) in financial distress had a source to turn to for help. But before any rules could be drawn up, the Second World War broke out – postponing the plans for nearly two decades.

On 21 August 1989, the ADO Benevolent Fund became what it is known as today: the ABDO Benevolent Fund.

Providing a lifeline Today, the Fund is maintained by way of a £2 levy on the annual ABDO membership fee – as well as through additional voluntary donations. This enables the Fund to provide support to ABDO members, past and present, facing financial hardship, as well as their dependents.

Such circumstances might be redundancy, bereavement, illness or the breakdown of a relationship.

While the Fund cannot directly provide debt relief, it actively refers members to StepChange, a charity specialising in debt management and free money advice. This referral helps members access professional guidance, manage their financial situation and take practical steps towards stability.

During an incredibly difficult time, losing both my mother and partner in a short space of time, the Fund provided financial support for counselling.

Being able to talk openly with someone in a safe, nonjudgmental environment helped me express my feelings and emotions when I needed it most.

I can’t thank the ABDO Benevolent Fund enough for the unconditional kindness they showed me and helped me through the worst time of my life.

“I am delighted that the Benevolent Fund has been selected as ABDO's chosen charity for its centenary celebrations,” said board of trustees chair, Jill Umpleby.

“Trustees carefully and compassionately consider every application to ensure assistance reaches those in genuine need. Trustees often receive heartfelt messages of gratitude from recipients, who describe the support provided as a lifeline during some of the most challenging periods of their lives.”

ABDO is aiming to reach its fundraising goal of £1,000 by the end of the centenary year – or maybe even exceed it…

To set up a fundraising challenge or make a donation, visit www.zeffy.com/en-GB/peer-to-peer/100-years Learn more about the ABDO Benevolent Fund, including how to apply for a grant, at www.abdo.org.uk/abdo-benevolent-fund 100 YEARS OF DISPENSING OPTICIANS

PROV ID IN G

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It wasn’t until 1 January 1964 that the ADO Benevolent Fund was formally established with monies it had accumulated by donations and advance contributions.

The original scheme budgeted for the payment of a small sum weekly from members over a period of seven years.

During my extremely mentally challenging divorce and depression, the Benevolent Fund stepped in with vital emotional support and extra monthly financial help. I was treated with such incredible kindness every step of the way. Knowing my professional fees and day-to-day worries were covered, it completely changed things for me.

I am truly humbled and forever grateful.

A

E LIN FE I L

LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN PAEDIATRIC EYECARE Providing skills to develop and further your career The ABDO Level 7 Diploma in Paediatric Eyecare is designed to develop advanced clinical, communication and analytical skills required for high-quality paediatric practice.

The flexible course consists of seven online modules, interactive online CPD activities and a face-to-face practical workshop day, followed by a final professional online assessment.

The programme combines online synchronous and asynchronous learning, interactive CPD activities and practical skills development, leading to a final professional assessment that brings together your knowledge, clinical reasoning and evidence-based decision-making.

The course is available to commence at a time of your choosing with no set intake date.

There is a three-year time limit for completion.

The course is CPD accredited, providing 40 CPD points which cover all the GOC scheme requirements for dispensing opticians and optometrists.

COURSE FEE ABDO members - £1,500

STUDY AT YOUR PACE, IN YOUR OWN TIME

Non members - £1,850

Find out more and book your course at www.abdo.org.uk/professional-development

SEPTEMBER 2026