I’m baaaaaaaaaaack!!

 

I know, it’s been a while huh?! On Monday I posted on my social media sites a little “Happy Birthday” message to SKE, as it has been two years since I started this blog. How times flies eh? Anyway, I mentioned how I wasn’t sure whether to continue on with it, as I do find it very difficult to find the time now. However, having received some absolutely amazing feedback from a complete stranger, who just so happens to be on the other side of the world, it is with renewed enthusiasm that I am pleased to bring you a new blog post!

 

As always I’ve had this post in mind for a while. On my social media sites in the lead up to Christmas, some of you may have played along with the “SKE Advent Calendar”, where every day I posted a picture of a celebrity’s spectacles and y’all had to guess who it was. It went better than I could ever have imagined, with people even hounding me for their daily fix, when I inevitably ran late once or twice. My plan had been to post the whole advent calendar on here, which would have conveniently led on to this post, but sadly I couldn’t get the hamsters running quickly enough in their wheels. Days became weeks and weeks became months, and now it’s the 16th of February and a little bit late to be posting an Advent Calendar?! Sorry guys!

 

What do I mean by an “iconic” spectacle wearer? You know the ones I mean – where they are almost synonymous with the spectacles that they wear; you can’t imagine one without the other. This often arises in practice when people actually describe spectacles by that celebrity, that’s how the idea of this post originated. So without further ado, here are my top 10 iconic spectacle wearers…

 

1. The Two Ronnies

 

The Two Ronnies, Corbett and Barker, were so well known for their choice of spectacles that they even used them as part of their logo…

The Two Ronnies

 

2. Nana Mouskouri

 

People would frequently use Nana as a descriptive in practice and, being a little young, I never knew who they were talking about until I Googled her for the SKE Advent Calendar!

 

Nana Mouskouri

 

For some reason I was imagining Carmen Miranda…

 

3. Joe 90

 

Again, a little before my time, I never realised "Joe 90" was one of the famous Gerry Anderson puppets. Another product of the late 60’s / early 70’s, his spectacles are of a very similar style to Ronnie Barker’s, and really remind me of my Granddad.

 

Joe 90

 

4. John Lennon

 

I don’t think there is a more iconic celebrity/spectacle combination? If somebody comes in to practice asking for a pair of “John Lennon’s”, you know instantly what they are looking for. As discussed in a previous SKE blog, the round frame has definitely seen a revival of late!

 

John Lennon

(FYI: a perfect example of the best frame choice for a high myopic prescription!)

 

5. Harry Potter

  

John Lennon pretty much solely held the round spectacle crown until the boy wizard came along! The latter films drove me absolutely mad as the poor boy had clearly grown out of them?! I know this was probably done to demonstrate how ‘uncared for’ he was, but just look how splayed out those sides are?! And they never sat straight on him!! #theperilsofbeingaDispensingOptician

 

Harry Potter

 

6. Heston Blumenthal

 

Again, a much more recent incarnation of the “iconic spectacle wearer” – I remember when every guy came in asking for Heston’s specs. Back then I even went to the effort of finding out what he was wearing, I believe these beauties were Jaguar…

 

Heston Blumenthal

 

7. Elton John

 

I could Google “Elton John spectacles” all day – he has worn so many crazy-colourful designs over the years!? This is possibly one of the most sensible? He has a penchant for coloured lenses, for which I don’t know if there is specific reason. I've previously talked about the fact that Bono wears coloured lenses because he suffers from Glaucoma, but I’m unsure as to whether there is a medical reason for Elton’s preference? Note to self: must research…

 

Elton John

 

8. Deidre Barlow

 

Sadly, often used in a derogatory sense, poor old Deidre (aka Anne Kirkbride) did sport some absolute corkers over the years…

 

Deidre Barlow

 

9. Su Pollard

 

Again, the internet is awash with images of the kooky spectacle choices of the Hi-de-Hi actress. I wanted to make a collage of my favourites, but I realised if I wanted this post to go out this year, I had to be sensible and pick just one, so I settled for these gorgeous beasts…

 

Su Pollard

 

10. Dame Edna

 

Last, but certainly and by no means least, and again, not generally used as term of flattery, Dame Edna wouldn’t be Dame Edna without those glasses! Funnily enough though, the fashion for all things "vintage" means that this style of frame is becoming increasingly more mainstream...

 

Dame Edna

 

So, there you have it! The first SKE blog post of 2017! A light one to start off with I’ll admit, just to break me back in gently. I will try and think of some more meatier topics for future posts!

 

And a special thank you to Professor Leo Hartley, Medical Practitioner and Optometrist at the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, without whose wonderful e-mail, SarahKnowsEyes may have been no more! So thank you Leo!