SPECSAVERS customer, retired musician Myrna Edwards was delighted to welcome the Home Visits Team to her home in Barnet in April 2022.
Ms Edwards who originally hails from Torquay in Devon, was one of the first women to play with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which was originally founded in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham, an English conductor and impresario.
.A violist, Ms Edwards commented that; ‘The BBC Orchestra invited women to play during World War 2 as so many men had joined the forces, so were away in mainland Europe. However the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra only invited women to play during 1969, so I was very fortunate indeed.’
For over thirty years, Ms Edwards travelled the world with the orchestra, playing at some amazing and infamous venues, with highlights including The Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, New York and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, considered to be the most prestigious concert hall in Japan.
Even though it was very much a male dominated environment, with the eighty strong orchestra consisting of predominately men, Ms Edwards said; ‘I was very privileged to be able to play with the Royal Philharmonic for the majority of my career. It was only later on that women were made members of the orchestra. So during my musical career with them, it really was a ‘man’s world’.’
These days Ms Edwards is a little less mobile, hence being able to have the Specsavers Home Visits team carry out her annual sight test in her own home in North London. Preetam Meghani, Ophthalmic Director London, Specsavers Domiciliary visited her on 17th of April where he conducted a range of sight tests, examining her for glaucoma, cataracts and other ocular health checks.
Ms Edwards decided to buy a new pair of frames for her updated prescription. Selecting from the diverse range at Specsavers, she chose Titanium ultra-light frames, as heavier glasses in the past had caused a lot of discomfort.
Commenting on the home visit, Ms Edwards said; ‘I enjoyed the Specsavers experience, the optician was very kind and also very good. I will use my new glasses, which are really light and comfortable, to help me read music when I am playing my viola. I still like to play several times a week!’
Preetam Meghani, optometrist for North London Specsavers Home visits said; ‘It was a pleasure to meet Myrna. I am delighted that our Home Visits team can meet patients and customers in their own homes, which is much more convenient and relaxing for them too. Eye tests are incredibly important, as they can show the general health condition of the individual, and can also reveal any potential underlying health issues, so keeping that appointment is important.’
The Specsavers Home Visits team is working in line with Government guidance across the community. It also offers the ‘Ask The Expert service which is a
Facebook group designed to give people access to professionals seven days a week.
https://london-post.co.uk/retired-royal-philharmonic-violist-welcomes-specsavers-home-visits-team-for-sight-test/
