THE EYES HAVE IT!

We had a good time on the Girls About Town programme today - there was no guest, but there were four of us there - Jo, Clare, Vikki and me - and once again, we found no difficulty in talking for two hours - well not quite two hours - there is some music and a few jingles interspersed with our chat.  It was very hot in the studio today, so we were all melting, but hopefully, as it was very much like a sauna, perhaps we all lost some weight!

This afternoon was my annual eye appointment - we always like visiting Leightons, because everyone is so friendly, and today was no exception.  There is a new lady on the team, Tracy - who having been there for only a week was thrown in at the deep end and asked to conduct my peripheral vision test and also my Ocular Coherence Tomography (October) test.  However, the first test she did was a hearing test, and I passed that with flying colours - so I was pleased to see a sign on the desk that said “Good hearing keeps your brain fit”, so couldn’t resist taking a photograph of that.  

Because we pay a monthly fee, I actually get the OCT test free, but the machine didn’t want to co-operate today.  I’m not supposed to blink when the pictures are being taken, but it’s very difficult not to blink and of course, if you are asked not to do something, what’s the very thing you want to do?  

Tracy did her best, however, and I hope I helped by telling her that the first week in a job can be very daunting and that by the end of the week, you feel as if you have made a huge mistake in leaving your previous job, but by the end of the second week, you feel much happier - I remember that feeling so well.  She did look rather surprised when I took a few photographs of the various machines, but I explained about Blip so I don’t think she thought I was completely barmy - or perhaps she did, and was too polite to say it!

After these tests were completed, I then saw Raman, the Optometrist - and of course, I had to take more photographs - he did say he wasn’t surprised, as he knew what I was doing and said that he had forewarned Tracy!  After Raman had tested my eyes, he said that my right eye is worse than it was last year.  Unfortunately, the OCT pictures weren’t that good - I said the machine didn’t want to co-operate and that Tracy had done her best - but Raman decided to do the tests again and was happier with the results.  I guess he has been doing it a lot longer than Tracy - she will soon get the hang of it, I’m sure!

I do need to go back, though as Raman said he would rather “look into my eyes” when the pupils are more dilated, so another trip to see him in a couple of weeks’ time.  He said that I didn’t necessarily need new glasses, but that the prescription had changed somewhat in my right eye and therefore, if I chose to change my glasses, things would be much clearer.  That’s what I like about Leightons, they don’t try and push you into changing, but just give friendly advice and then you can choose for yourself.

When I went out into the main office to see Kate, the Manager, we had a chat about having new frames with my new prescription and although she said that my present frames would probably be OK for a while longer, I fancy a change - but trust me to pick out the most expensive frames!  She is going to get several different colours in and then when I go back to see Raman, I can have a look at them.  Of course, I could stick with the very classy ones that I am modelling in the middle picture of my collage, but I didn’t ask the price of those!

Mr. HCB had arrived by this time, so we all had a good chat - we could have had a cup of coffee, but decided against it, as our time was almost up in the car park - perhaps when we go back!  Raman came out to have a word with Kate, so I couldn’t resist taking a shot of the pair of them, and they were very happy to oblige.  The bowler hat at the top right of the collage is one of the quirky ways that they display their frames, which I rather like - it’s good to be different!

All in all a great afternoon - and Raman even invited us to an 'Indian High Chai’, their version of our English Afternoon Tea on the 20th July - which sounds good - I wonder how many calories there are in Indian cakes?

Raman is from North India, and I wonder if he would say this:

“Eyes fascinate me. 
     Eyes reveal the unsaid things. 
          Eyes speak!” 
Avijeet Das - Poet and Writer from New Delhi