Who you will see
Who does what at Winstanley & Son
A registered optometrist tests your eyes. Gavin makes the frames and fits every pair of varifocals himself. The same small team on Park Road, Dingle, since 1998, and everything explained in plain English.
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Gavin Winstanley, owner, frame maker and varifocal fitter
Gavin has run Winstanley & Son on Park Road since 1998. He is the person who measures you for your glasses, chooses the lens design with you, sends the order to Essilor or Nikon with your exact fitting measurements, and checks the finished pair on your face before you leave.
He also makes frames. Each bespoke frame is cut by hand from a sheet of Italian Mazzucchelli acetate in the workshop, shaped to your face and your prescription. It is slow work and there is nobody else in Merseyside doing it.
Two people look after you: the optometrist on your eyes and your prescription, Gavin on the frame, the lenses and the fit. You always know who is advising you on what.
The optometrist
Every sight test here is carried out by a registered optometrist, in our test room, with the same equipment each visit. The optometrist checks your vision, your prescription and the health of your eyes, inside and out, and explains what they found before you leave the room.
Optometrists in the UK are regulated by the General Optical Council, and you can look up any optometrist on its public register. If you would like to know who is testing on the day you book, ask when you book or call 0151 726 0622.
NHS sight tests are free if you qualify, and private tests are £45. Either way it is the same optometrist, the same room and the same time.
What happens when you visit
- Front desk. You are met by the same familiar faces, booked in, and your NHS or private status checked.
- Eye test. The optometrist examines your eyes and talks you through the result in plain English.
- Frames and lenses. Gavin helps you choose, measures you on the Visioffice, and explains the lens options without a sales pitch. We advise, you choose.
- Collection. Gavin checks the finished glasses on you and adjusts the fit. Single-vision glasses are often ready the same day; varifocals usually within 48 hours.
Common questions
Who you will see, answered
Who will test my eyes?
A registered optometrist. Every sight test at Winstanley & Son is carried out by an optometrist on the General Optical Council register, in our test room at 252 Park Road, using the same equipment every time. You can check any optometrist on the public GOC register.
What does Gavin do?
Gavin Winstanley owns the practice and is the frame maker and varifocal fitter. He has measured and fitted glasses on Park Road since 1998, makes the handmade acetate frames in the workshop, and fits every pair of varifocals himself.
Will I see the same people each time?
Yes, as far as a small practice can promise it. Gavin fits every pair of varifocals himself and is in the workshop most days, and the front desk is the same familiar faces. The optometrist examines your eyes and writes the prescription; Gavin and the team turn that into glasses that fit.
What does the fitter actually do?
After your eye test, Gavin measures how the frame sits on your face and where your eyes look through the lens, using the Essilor Visioffice X. Those measurements go to the lens maker with your prescription, and when the glasses come back he checks and adjusts them on you before you leave.
Can I ask for a second opinion on my varifocals?
Yes. If varifocals from elsewhere have never felt right, bring them in. Gavin will check the fit and the measurements against your prescription and tell you plainly what is wrong, if anything, before any talk of new lenses.
Book an eye test
Written by Gavin Winstanley, who has been making eyewear on Park Road since 1998 and fits the varifocals himself. Last updated .