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Jones And Co. Life Vol. 11 Issue 6

Life Changing Technology For Football Fans

At Jones And Co. we like to stay up to date with all the latest technology, but only if it will somehow improve your client experience. And that’s why when we heard of the ‘League Frame’ we instantly invested in one. This is a piece of kit that does one thing and one thing only, but it does it really well.

Like the name suggests, it is a frame, like a photo frame, and it displays all the up-to-date standings for football teams in 18 different leagues across the world, in real time. That’s all it does. If you want to know how many points any team has, or the live score from matches currently happening in any of the 18 leagues, this little gadget just displays it.

You could say this is for football fans and non-football fans alike. It is an anxiety-relieving device for football fans who are checking their phone every 5 minutes to see the football scores. And for non-football fans it will bring you closer to your loved ones who previously ignored you whenever the footy was on. The little frame just sits on the kitchen counter or the coffee table or on their desk so there is no need for them to keep checking their phone and doom scrolling. You will have a happier, less distracted football fan in your life.

At Jones And Co. some clients are unable to concentrate fully on their eye exam or eyewear styling consultation because they are wondering what’s happening in the football. No more! We have a league frame in reception so you can stay up to date with your team. And for any clients who bring their football-obsessed partner along to help them choose glasses, they will now be much more relaxed and attentive knowing that the scores are only a mere glance away if they feel the urge. They can never complain of being dragged along to the opticians again.

It may have lasted for merely minutes, but the important thing is the League Frame let Deepal experience what it feels like to support a team that is top of the league, and sing a few ‘top of the league’ chants to herself. Good luck to all Manchester United fans and Manchester City fans for the season ahead. Keep abreast of all the action as it happens in reception at Jones And Co! (If Carlsberg did opticians… )

The good news is this kit also has healthy benefits for certain team members too. Deepal was delighted to capture the photo below when Man United went top of the league on day one of the season (because no one else had played a game yet).

It may have lasted for merely minutes, but the important thing is the League Frame let Deepal experience what it feels like to support a team that is top of the league, and sing a few ‘top of the league’ chants to herself. Good luck to all Manchester United fans and Manchester City fans for the season ahead. Keep abreast of all the action as it happens in reception at Jones And Co! (If Carlsberg did opticians… )

Mad Fer It!

It was a Saturday morning like any other. Until I shuffled downstairs into the kitchen. There I found my wife at the table, in her dressing gown, hunched over her phone, an iPad and two laptops. Freddie the dog sat attentively by her feet. Unfed. I sniffed the air for the aroma of coffee and found none. So I turned on the radio and the BBC headline news was about Oasis fans scrambling to buy tickets. I felt like I was part of history in the making. Observing the news up close and personal. I was in it.

I fed the dog and made some coffee. Then I asked Catherine “Why are you trying to get Oasis tickets our kid?” With 178,616 people in front of her, in multiple queues, she opened her heart to me. It was 1996 and she was 16 when she first heard Oasis and bought “What’s the story (morning glory)” on CD. She felt she was there when they became big, she was becoming independent, she’d sing Oasis songs on nights out with her friends at university.

But the biggest compliment she paid Oasis was that growing up in a little village in Northumberland, she said Oasis planted the first little seed that made her think Manchester is a cool place. And she ended up coming to University here.

I mean I like Oasis as much as the next person, but now I know I met my wife in Manchester all thanks to Liam and Noel.

The rock and roller feeling slightly dissipated when she said she’d only get tickets if she could get Heaton Park because ‘that would be really handy, you wouldn’t need to stay over and you could get home in time to walk the dog before bed.’

While Oasis fever takes over the country I’d like to officially thank the band for making Manchester seem like a cool place so my wife moved here. Some might say… it’s all part of the masterplan… D’ you know what i mean?…You gotta roll with it… ok I’ll stop now.

To everyone and everything that makes Manchester great, I salute you!

Why We Close For Paris

We’re closing the practice for a day later this month to take the whole team to Silmo (the world’s best eyewear trade show) in Paris. I remember my first trip to Silmo 21 years ago this month and it changed everything. I had only worked in ‘ordinary’ opticians and the industry felt a bit boring and everything was much of a muchness. But, after a couple of days at this trade show, my eyes were opened.

 

I saw so much diversity and independence. I met eyewear designers and owners of small family-run companies who lived and breathed passion for eyewear and individuality. It was the best education of opticians and frame companies and all the different ways you can do things. But mostly it changed how I felt.

 

I was excited by what I saw and who I met and I wanted to bring that excitement back to Manchester for our clients to experience.

 

In those first ten years I would go to the show with Tareq my friend and business partner at the time when we were running Seen and then Jones And Co. and I loved those trips because it was the time when we would talk about what kind of business we wanted to be and what we wanted to do for people and how we could do it. It was really good for us.

 

It was about 2014 when I first took staff to the trade show – I went with Kathryn, and Jess and Carina. And within 24 hours I realised how stupid I was not to have brought them before. Wide eyes, big smiles, and non-stop chatter told me that. You could almost hear them buzzing with energy. They were having the exact same reaction I had when I first went. And it turned into more passion and belief in what they do for a living.

 

So we’ve taken the team pretty much every year since. As a customer of any business, I think there is nothing better than being served by someone who truly loves their job. When the person helping you is passionate and knowledgeable and expert in it you can literally feel it. There is an authenticity that feels really good in a world where so many things are a bit fake or soulless. I think that’s part of what makes up a great customer experience. That’s why I’ll be on a plane at 5am on a Sunday morning with 13 over-excitable opticians. Can’t wait.

How to Change Your Face

Life as a glasses wearer is a journey. Getting your first pair of glasses is rough going. Having to wear something in the middle of your face that will completely change your appearance is anything from slightly alarming to terror-striking, whether you’re age 7 or 47.

Any change makes the heart beat faster, never mind the change being your face, that thing everyone looks at when you meet them. And you probably spent years getting used to the face you’ve already got. It might not be perfect but you’re used to, it thank you very much.

All those opticians out there who just point you at the wall of frames and say ‘those are mens, those are womens’ are cold-blooded barbarians. Don’t they realise you might need a bit of emotional support and help and expertise while you decide how to change your face?

This is what we try to do at Jones And Co. for our clients. We help people on their journey as a glasses wearer. One of the best things for us is seeing the transformation when clients embrace wearing glasses. When a client chooses the glasses that express more of their personality instead of the safe and ordinary choice, it’s magic. Whatever glasses you wear, wear them with confidence!

Down With The Kids

This is my favourite review of the year. I love it. I don’t know what it is, but I really care about what 9-year-olds think of me. My youngest son Ben is 11 and I’m always seeking his approval. There’s something about their unchecked confidence at that age that I admire, and they know about stuff that I don’t know about.  So if I get a compliment I can live off that for weeks.

This summer I got 3 of those compliments. First, Chris’s daughter said Jones And Co. is the most amazing shop she has ever been too. I’m beaming. Put that on my gravestone, please. Second, while on holiday and wearing colourful shorts and t-shirt and trainers, Ben said I had good drip. And thirdly, Ben told me that his friend Hugo said “Your dad has rizz”. I’ll stop there before my head explodes. Just to help you, in case you don’t have a 9- or 11-year-old in your life, let’s get some definitions on the table.

What is ‘drip’? Someone has drip or is drippy when they have a well-put-together outfit or good sense of fashion.

What is ‘rizz’? Rizz is short for charisma. You have good rizz when you have charm, wit, energy, magnetism etc.

What is ‘slay’? Slay is a compliment to someone who has done exceptionally well. Like how I am slaying this article. Absolute slay.

That’s all I’ve got for you though. I’m worried there might be more words out there so please email me if you know any. The last thing I want is to look stupid and ‘out of touch’ to the kids.

🎸 Bruce Springsteen Chooses Jones And Co.

If you’re reading this update, you are officially a very important person in our eyes. And we intend to treat you like a VIP every time you come in. That said, sometimes a bona fide VIP (in the classic sense of the word, you understand) does wander into Jones And Co. and it definitely makes everyone’s heart go a-flutter.

We had a real corker of a celebrity encounter a couple of weeks ago. It was a Thursday afternoon, much like any other Thursday afternoon, when a man walked in with an American accent and spoke to Deepal. He said he and his friend is in town ‘on business’ and ‘his friend’ has broken his reading glasses, and he asked if we could repair them for his friend. And he needed the fix to be snappy because he was off to Paris early next week ‘on business’.

Deepal checked the glasses over and it was a bad break that would need to be sent away to a specialist lab that we use. But we could have them back on Monday. The American gent said Monday would be perfect. He left his address in Manchester as The Stock Exchange Hotel, around the corner from Jones And Co., and he was on his way.

On Saturday morning, the reading glasses arrived back from the lab, fully repaired and good to go. Taylor checked them over and thought she’d surprise our American friend by calling his hotel to let him know they were ready, ahead of schedule. But there was no answer at the hotel, which was strange. Not to be deterred from making a customer’s day, Taylor decided to just walk around to the hotel and leave a message for him.

The problem was she couldn’t get close enough to the hotel to deliver the message. There were throngs of people crowded outside the entrance. They were obviously camped out trying to catch a glimpse of some VIP. Not to worry – with some frantic waving through the window, and repeatedly calling the hotel on her phone, Taylor finally managed to speak to the concierge and pass on the message for their guest.

After the kerfuffle at the hotel, the gears started turning in the minds of the team. Shortly after that, the American ‘businessman’ returned to collect the glasses for his friend. He was pleased. At that point, Gareth sidled up to him and with all his Yorkshire charm said, “So, if you don’t mind me asking, who is your friend?” The man said “Come on, Gareth, you’re a smart guy. Can you not figure it out?” Gareth said, in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, “Bruce Springsteen?!” And the man said, “Yes, sir. That’s him.”

So, there you go. You now officially have the same optician as Bruce Springsteen. Tell your friends. You can dine out on a good story like that. In fact, I did, I took my wife Catherine out for dinner that very night, and the money Bruce Springsteen spent on his glasses repair covered the cost of one starter and a small glass of wine. But the money’s not important here. No, no. What matters is that, in his hour of need, we repaired The Boss’ reading glasses. Without his vision, poor Bruce would have been dancing in the dark. He didn’t come in for an eye test, though. Presumably, he didn’t want to be blinded by the light.

🎂 Birthday Bash Extravaganza!
(You Are Cordially Invited!)

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to our birthday bash and client get-together on 10th July. We’d love for you to join us. In order to top-trump any other possible plans for your Thursday evening, here’s how we will be whooping it up…

  • Cocktails from Manchester Legends Crazy Pedros – Manchester Margaritas and more!

  • Live performance Jazz singer Domonique – back by popular demand!

  • Local Tapas and Luxury Grazing Tables from Morgan at Cre-ate Events – indulge responsibly!

  • Birthday Cake from Manchester Master Bakers at The Buzzy Bee Bakery

  • Theo Eyewear Trunkshow – the eyewear guest of honour! See the newest collection of styles from Antwerp for the evening! Every style in every colour.

  • Giveaways and amazing prizes including a chance to WIN a Brompton Bike and an Oasis piece of art!

  • Get together with the Jones And Co. team and like-minded Jones And Co. clients.

  • Dress code! – Eyewear Chic / You Do You

 

Are you excited yet? I mean, come on, a Thursday evening at the opticians is the hottest ticket in town. Your friends will be clamouring all over themselves to convince you to bring them as your plus one. These will sell out faster than those Oasis gigs so don’t delay. RSVP below s’il vous plait.


RSVP and Bring A Friend!

We have 50 tickets available. RVSP to reserve your FREE place(s).

When – Thursday 10th July 5pm – 8pm 

Where – Jones And Co. Styling Opticians, 82 King Street

Hope you can join us! Email he***@******nd.co to request your tickets.

P.S. For Theo Fans! Styling sessions are also available with Monica from Theo (& The Jones And Co. Team) from 10am to 8pm. She will be bringing the full Theo collection from Antwerp. Just get in touch to book one of the Theo styling sessions if you want to explore the collection.

 🖼️ What's On In Manchester:
Tony Wilson Archive – First Ever Public Exhibition

📍 Smolensky Gallery, ABC Building, Quay Street
🗓️ 20 June – 31 July
🎟️ Free entry

 

Tony Wilson helped shape Manchester’s music and culture: co-founder of Factory Records, champion of Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, and the man behind the Haçienda.

For the last 20 years, his personal archive has been packed away in museum storage. But this summer, for the first time, it’s being put on public display.

The Tony Wilson Archive Exhibition showcases letters, photos, artwork, and memorabilia, including new limited-edition prints made in collaboration with local artists.

That includes design studio DR.ME, two Salford lads known for their bold, playful work with everyone from New Order to Nike. They’ve helped bring the archive to life with a new series of risograph prints, made right here in Manchester.

The exhibition opened with a packed-out panel talk and some rare Factory Records tracks from Tony’s personal collection, a fitting tribute to a man who helped shape the sound and soul of this city.

If you’ve ever loved the music, the stories, or the spirit of Manchester, it’s well worth a visit. Get the details at www.smolenskygallery.com

 

 

🐶 It’s Not A Dog’s Life Anymore

Being a dog isn’t what it used to be. When I was growing up in Derry we had a springer spaniel called DJ and he was an outside dog. In so far as he lived outside. He could roam the nearby fields till his heart was content. And he slept in a kennel outside the back door. If it snowed, he’d be allowed into the utility room, but no further. If DJ ever made a break for it, into the inner sanctum of the house, my father would rally the children to chase him down and “put that bloody dog outside”. So I grew up thinking all dogs were outside dogs.

Today our family dog is treated like royalty by many people. My youngest son Ben is best buddies with Freddie the cockapoo, and he has recently bought a book titled “How To Make Your Dog #Famous”. Last year on holiday in France, in the middle of nowhere, we were minding our own business when Ben pointed to a family walking past with a ‘famous’ dog that he recognised from Tik Tok. It even had a little sign on its harness with all its social media accounts. It’s a brave new world.

And another thing. When my mother-in-law and father-in-law call my wife every Sunday evening for a weekly catch-up, I can hear them. They ask for any news. Then they ask how Catherine is. Then how the children are. Then, they ask how Freddie the cockapoo is doing. And only then, after enquiring after the dog with great eagerness, and just before hanging up, they throw in a token ‘Is Conor alright?’ So the dog has usurped me in terms of how interesting or important I am to other people.

Despite all that, Jones And Co. remains a dog-friendly business. We support and donate money to Guide Dogs for the Blind every year. But beyond that we welcome with open arms, any dog who comes along with their owner to Jones And Co. I certainly don’t rally the staff to ‘put that bloody dog outside!’ Times have changed. Instead the Jones And Co. team will fuss over, talk to, belly-rub, and in five minutes show more affection and emotional warmth to any dog, than I receive from them in a whole year. I’m not bitter though. See below for some Very Important Poochs.