Forum Topic

Ollie Quinn shut down

Such a shame. The continued problems building Copenhagen crossing on Disraeli Road, drunks lurking around the library,  and now the ugliest unused double tier bike park have totally destroyed their business

Penelope Becker ● 2070d32 Comments

They probably shut down, because in my experience with them, they didn't know what they were doing.  The worst pair of glasses I have had in my entire life and i've been wearing glasses since I was 10 years old.  These were distance/near varifocals that I took back 3 times - first because they gave me bifocals when I had paid for varifocals.  The 2nd and 3rd time because they never got the focus transition fitted properly, and I was straining my neck all the time trying to see through the correct focal point.  Gave up after the 3rd attempt, dumped them in the spectacles recycling bin at specsavers, and said goodbye to the £200 I wasted.. so i don't really think the bike rack is the problem.

Mary McCue ● 2069d

Thanks, Elizabeth. He diagnosed my cataracts as well.

Michael Ixer ● 2069d

Many thanks Elizabeth, I would be really grateful if you could post on here if you do manage to track him down. He was incredibly helpful with my cataracts and glaucoma.

Sandra Edwards ● 2069d

Yes, he's Israeli. He is excellentPerhaps we should ask Fleur to get up a petition. Or Boris Johnson since he can't function without his visually compromised SPAD.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2069d

I was devastated when I saw the opticians had closed been going there since the 80s.  A notice in the Window says contact Richmond Branch.  Closing is a big mistake where do us over 60s go now - Barnard Castle to have eyes tested!

Ruth Wyman ● 2069d

Is this the Israeli guy you are talking about?  He is without doubt, the best optician I have ever encountered...

Rose Compton ● 2069d

Sandra, if I manage to find him I'll post something on the website. He said once, when I see your name on the list I make sure I do it myself.My myopia is off the scale, even by Moorfields standards, so I feel pretty anxious. I just trust the guy. When the lockdown started, I never imagined it would impinge on our lives in so many ways.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2070d

And a picture ...https://flic.kr/p/2jg9Tvu

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

Yes, the bike rack is at the side on Disraeli Road and is mainly in front of the offices between the opticians and the library. I'd say it's functional and agree with Ed it's not ugly. Given all the other street furniture around it's no worse than anything else. We'll get used to them like we have with street lights, traffic lights, BT cabinets - which have grown in size for broadband, phone boxes - now mainly gone, the new BT kiosks, post boxes, electric car charging points, speed cameras, pay and display machines, ... 

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

A shop has closed because of a bike rack?Which is not even at the front of the shop but at the sideI really have heard it all nowLaughable

Emma Blackwell ● 2070d

I counted 20 bikes on it this afternoon.That is a fair number.I will have to agree it won't win any beauty awards - but I wouldn't call it ugly.Does anyone know if there is CCTV covering it?

Ed Robinson ● 2070d

Martine, unfortunately not if one has a really strong prescription for myopia.

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

Yes, he's excellent.

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

Yes, he's excellent.

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

Matt, reading glasses are £1 in Poundland and they do the job perfectly well.

Martine Guy ● 2070d

Moorfields have long way hailed the Senior Optometrist at Boots Opticians, dear Mr Gelbeart, as the best in London. If you do manage to track him down Elizabeth, I would love to know.

Sandra Edwards ● 2070d

That's exactly what I did, got my eyes tested and was told i need glasses for reading. After looking briefly at the prices of glasses in the shop i took my prescription home and got some off glasses direct for £25!So yes, its rubbish that the internet is wiping out the high street but i'm not going to pay £100+ for something that I can get for £25 online.

Matt Palmer ● 2070d

I’ve also just walked the bike rack and, as mentioned above, it was being used with quite a few bikes on it. My problem with the bike rack is the colour.  I have moaned on this Forum in the past about the naff colour of the street furniture on PHS, as I thought the boat race colour scheme of light and dark blue was pretty awful, especially when the paint got chipped.  At this particular junction I noticed a stainless steel bollard which looks really smart.  However there were blue bollards too, to match the new bike rack.  Why couldn’t everything be stainless steel, or if there has to be a colour, why can’t it be black?

Martine Guy ● 2070d

I have just been past the bike park and it has a fair number of bikes on it.Disraeli Road/Putney High Street crossing has traffic lights and pedestrian signals - so I do not think that it could be called a Copenhagen crossing.Other ones on Putney High Street certainly are but not the one being mentioned here!

Ed Robinson ● 2070d

The bike rack has had a ladies bike with a basket every weekend. How they got it up there heaven knows. In my eyes the bike rack looks horrible.

Barbara Stevens ● 2070d

"and now the ugliest unused double tier bike park"Unused due to lockdown I would seem to the obvious reason. Despite the fact you clearly don't like the thing, when life return to normal, and people get to know it's actually there, it'll be well used.

Freddie Francis ● 2070d

Any business situated next to the construction of this type of crossing is likely to suffer! Copenhagen crossings per se are unsafe for disabled people, the elderly and any unwary pedestrian.

Miles Thompson ● 2070d

I blame the government for undermining proper eye tests!But seriously business rates on premises below a certain size should just be scrapped.They are an indirect tax on employment and start ups.(Ed goes into another rant about reform...)

Ed Robinson ● 2070d

It is also worth noting that the cycle storage is almost entirely on reclaimed road real estate.

Ed Robinson ● 2070d

That's true Penelope. However, one can get one's eyes tested at one opticians then go to another, which might be an internet based one such as Glasses Direct, for the glasses. (Additionally, if one's in a special category then eye tests are paid for by the NHS.) 

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

It is also worth noting that the cycle storage is almost entirely on reclaimed road real estate.

Ed Robinson ● 2070d

I wish I could find out what's happening to Boots Opticians because I respect and trust the head optometrist. I've phoned the number in the window but that's a waste of time.So I Googled Boots CEO and sent a letter to Nottingham earlier this week asking what's happened to this guy. But he's Eton and the Bullingdon Club (I think I got that right)so I doubt I'll get much joy.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2070d

Can't get your eyes tested at Amazon!!

Penelope Becker ● 2070d

Just picking up on Ed's post. One reality that needs to be accepted is that a reality is business rates are too high. The opportunity is that in trade negotiations with the US we tell them we're collaborating with the EU to tax tech firms whether they're in the EU, UK, US - or China.

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

Perhaps there were just too many opticians in Putney and perhaps the established chains: Boots, Specsavers, etc had already grabbed the customer base? Wasn't their entrance on the High Street rather than Disraeli Road? So I'd doubt the factors mentioned would have been a major factor; Aaso, Amazon has disrupted the retail market but I don't think they're affecting opticians yet - more likely Glasses Direct? Business models are changing - customer want convenience of home or locker deliveries plus lower prices. There will be even more of an emphasis on that over the next few years from those who've lost jobs and money during the pandemic. I'm not saying that's good, just a reality to deal with and look for new opportunities in the "new normal".

Michael Ixer ● 2070d

I note that Boots opticians on PHS is on the closure list announced a couple of weeks ago. Assuming it is still there.Do we know if Business rates or any other non local factor played a part in its closure?

Ed Robinson ● 2070d

Businesses shut down because they lack sufficient numbers of customers. Perhaps if people simply stopped using companies such as Amazon which have a poor track record of paying a proper level of tax, and patronised their local high street more then the high street might survive. Bike racks have nothing to do with it if anything they provide a place for a potential customer to park!Positively Putney is doing its best to brighten up the high street and the pavement widening is to be welcomed but it is not enough - what is wanted is local shopping by local people and less of the cardboard waste generated by on-line delivery purchases.

Clifford Cowell ● 2070d