Brian Tompkins: 50 Years, One Practice, and Why Optometry Should Be Fun

Because when optometry is done with care, personality and purpose, it deserves to be seenOne of the best practitioners, optometrists I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I can call him a friend. — a child in the chair, the nose press, the foot pedal, and the parent in the corner remembering the same trick from thirty years ago. That single image does the work the original meta-opening was trying to do, but it earns the reader's attention first instead of asking for it. Pat Bicknell's card about the sheet of cloth and the stick comes in next, so by the end of the third paragraph we've got two generations of stories framing the whole piece before we get to the milestone.Brian's voice is now properly threaded through. The quotes I leant on hardest are the ones that do real work — "If you're not having fun, what is the point?", "Surrounding yourself with smarter people is a good move" and "we are conceptually treating each patient as if it's your mum", "Brian Tompkins: 50 Years, One Practice, and Why Optometry Should Be FunBrian Tompkins is one of the best optometrists and practitioners I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. More than that, I am lucky enough to call him a friend.This episode is not just about 50 years in practice. It is about the stories, the patients, the humour, the standards, and the energy that have made Brian such a loved and respected figure in optometry.We talk about children in the chair, parents remembering the same tricks from decades before, the importance of making patients feel comfortable, and why Brian still believes optometry should be fun.Brian’s voice runs right through this conversation. From “If you’re not having fun, what is the point?” To "surrounding yourself with smarter people is a good move,” this is full of wisdom from someone who has given so much to the profession.We also discuss technology, AI, the future of optometry, the NHS, contact lenses, patient care, and why every patient should be treated as if they were your own mum.The closing message says everything about Brian’s mindset:“Never be afraid. Always follow something which you are slightly afraid of, and get to grips with it.”A brilliant conversation with a brilliant man.For opticians, social media should not just be about selling glasses or posting offers. It should show what makes your practice different. The people. The conversations. The care. The experience. The reason patients come back year after year.Brian Tompkins’ career is a perfect example of what we always encourage independent practices to show online: personality, patient care, community, trust, humour, expertise and a genuine love for the professionBecause when optometry is done with care, personality and purpose, it deserves to be seen