English Eye Glasses: The National Health Service (1950s-60s)


Figure 1.-- One of the enduring memories of any British boy with poor eyesight who grew up in the 1950’s and 1960’s was National Health Service (NHS) glasses. Throughout the period for adults and children the frames available did not change, although they were available in a variety of different colours. The NHS still called them spectacles.

One of the enduring memories of any British boy with poor eyesight who grew up in the 1950’s and 1960’s was National Health Service (NHS) glasses. Throughout the period for adults and children the frames available did not change, although they were available in a variety of different colours (figure 1). The NHS still called them spectacles. An English reader has provided us an account of his boy hood experiences with National Health Service glasses. He had just returned to Englnd from Africa. He wan't impressed. Another English reader has added a note on his experiences.

Pre-War Glasses

Beforec World war II there were not a lot of different styles for eye glasses. Platic frames were not yet available. We mostly see boys and girls wearing rounded wire frame glasses. This was not just the case in England, but in other countries as well. We are not sure just why this style was most common. We suspect that rounded lenses at tghe time weere easiest to make and less expensive. Presumably the historoca;/nerdy look is why J.D. Rollings selected them for Harry. After V.E. Day in Europe (May 1945), Britain held a general election which brought the Labour Party to power amd immediately created the Nationsal Helth Service.

Steve's Experiences

I was spared NHS frames when I was first prescribed glasses as my parents were living in Africa. In fact the transition to glasses was quite easy. The frames I had (transparent plastic with blue brows and silver metal arms with curling wire ends) were worn by quite a number of boys and did not, in the scheme of things, seem so bad. Also, although it was heavily directed, it seemed as if I had been given a choice in what I was being asked to wear. This changed when we returned to England and I went to secondary school. In fact it was my grandmother who took me to the optician. It was simply assumed that we were NHS patients, all the optician’s patients were. Inevitably I needed a stronger prescription and new glasses were ordered. There was no discussion as to the frames that were to be selected; it was left to the optician. Somehow in my head I thought I would be getting similar frames to the ones I already had. Then a week or so later I returned to have my glasses fitted. To my horror they were the round brown plastic-coated with arms with curly wire ends. These have been made popular by Harry Potter but I can tell you they were anything but popular at the time with children. I absolutely hated them, they were confidence draining particularly at a new school but I had no choice but to wear them, even though I was the only one in my year who did and they must have been a contributory factor in being a target of bullying by both classmates and older boys. They just made you look and act like a nerd. Even when I broke them, maddeningly they seemed to be easily repaired. I endured these frames for three unhappy years. Then they were replaced by brown plastic frames, still with curly wire arms. At least they were better as they were the same style as for adults and a lot of other boys my age had them. Later as my myopia progressed they were replaced with a similar lighter brown plastic frame this time with plastic arms, which I suppose I accepted and until I left university this was the type of frame I wore. So for a period of ten years I had really the full range the NHS could offer a schoolboy or student. After that never again! NHS glasses were phased out in the mid-1980's. I think children had become far more discriminating or demanding by then.

Bills Experiences

I have worn glasses since a small child, in fact as early as I can remember. As a boy I broke lenses about five times. There may have been more, but I can recall five times. The first glasses I got were wire rims. They didn't hold up to well. I was constantly in the course of normal boyish plzy getting them bent and mishappen. I remember dad being very angry wih me once. He took me to the opticians to have the wire glasses straightened. I went out to play and of course returned with them misshaped. I'd have been angry too if I'd had been dad. Thankfully the National Health was up and going by this time. You got wire glasses. Then plastic frames, but these were not always good designs. Other styles had to be paid for as a private client. You can see me here wearing wire glasses on holiday

Alan's Experiences

My elder daughter wore NHS glasses to correct a squint she had, noticed when she started school. They were so common that no one thought much about the design for kids. Adults tended to pay extra and wear commercial frames. I have a photo somewhere. I'll send it if I can find it. Children, can get a free eyetest and if spectacles are needed a £35 NHS voucher is issued by the optician, which can be used anywhere. Most opticians will provide a pair of glasses for this including a low cost frame. Most will try and sell a designer frame which usually start at about £33, Gucci or Armani will cost considerably more. The old style NHS frames were considered 'funky' by some youths, especially as John Lennon wore them.







HBC






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Created: 7:43 AM 4/19/2012
Last updated: 10:20 PM 4/20/2012