Page 46 - Real Rochdale Issue 12 Winter 2021
P. 46

Independent optician Stephen Holt



                                                                                                                                  celebrates 50 years of business




                                                                                                                                  Stephen Holt is a Rochdale

                                                                                                                                  optician who has been
                                                                                                                                  looking after local residents’

                                                                                                                                  eye health for 50 years – and
               Stay local, go far!                                                                                                he’s showing no signs of


                                                                                                                                  stopping anytime soon.


              Life changing Higher Education without                                                                              When young electrician Peter France wired

               the hassle and expense of moving away
                                                                                                                                  up his test chart on 8 November 1971, he
                                                                                                                                  became Stephen Holt’s very first patient, the
               Check out our full range of courses today: hopwood.ac.uk
                                                                                                                                  first of thousands over what would become a



                                                                                                                                  A former Rochdale Grammar School student,
                           Hopwood Hall College and University Centre                                                             half-century of business.
                                                                                                                                  Stephen began his lengthy career as one of
                                                                                                                                  Rochdale’s most trusted opticians by               examines children from birth upwards to
                                                                                                                                  studying for a BSc Hons degree in                  ensure they have the best advice as their eye
                                                                                                                                  Ophthalmic Optics at Bradford University.          health changes.


                                                                                                                                  Stephen spent his pre-registration year on         When he’s not at work, Stephen enjoys
                                                                                                                                  placement at the Eye Department at                 playing music, especially the clarinet,
                                                                                                                                  Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, before         saxophone, and organ. He’s also a long-time
                                                                                                                                  qualifying as an ophthalmic optician in 1971.      supporter and sponsor of the local rugby
                                                                                                                                                                                     league side, Rochdale Hornets, and even
                                                                                                                                  Stephen opened his independent opticians           opened a popular town centre pub – The
                                                                                                                                  – Stephen J Holt Ophthalmic Opticians – on         Baum – back in 1980.
                                                                                                                                  Oldham Road in 1971, where he continues
                                                                                                                                  to practice to this day. The shop on Oldham        With no plans to retire soon, Stephen
                                                                                                                                  Road has expanded in size over the years, but      continues to take on new patients, offering
                                                                                                                                  very little else has changed.                      the same care and attention he always has.

                                                                                                                                  With patients of all ages, Stephen cares           Stephen said the aim was to always set up his
                                                                                                                                  about everyone’s eye health. For those who         own business and modestly says, even after
                                                                                                                                  are unable to physically attend an                 all this time, it “still feels the same.”
                                                                                                                                  appointment, Stephen attends private and
                                                                                                                                  care homes to ensure all his patients’ needs       One of his favourite parts of the job, he said,
                                                                                                                                  are met.                                           is working with individuals and meeting new
                                                                                                                                                                                     people.
                                                                                                                                  For more than 35 years, Stephen has closed
                                                                                                                                  his practice on Tuesday afternoons as he also      Summing up the past 50 years, he described
                                                                                                                                  works for the NHS at the paediatric eye clinic     it as “enjoyable” and concluded: “I’ll be here
                                                                                                                                  at Nye Bevan House. Here, Stephen                  for a while yet!”


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