For quite some time I have been pestered by David from French frame manufacturer Face à Face to stock his frames and after meeting him and seeing the new range for 2008 I finally succumbed! I thought the frames were quite simply 'lovely'. They have been designed in way that gives them a very personal character but also, importantly, they have not forgotten their ultimate use... seeing! Face à Face frames give the wearer the opportunity to express a personal, contemporary style. They are made in some beautiful colours and as their designers say... colour is life!

We also bought Face à Face sunglasses which are fantastic. Lightweight, slightly wrapped, vivid colours all combined with the very best Zeiss lenses... I love them and so will you!

This year we were joined by some friends who have a practice in Northampton. It was great to sit and exchange ideas with them over a few 'quiet' Mojitos... well the first couple were quiet anyway!!

One of our most popular ranges over the last couple of years has been German brand Mykita. Their frames make the use of screws and complex soldering redundant by using an innovative design that involves cutting stainless sheet steel which is then folded to form the frames. The frames, as well as being incredibly light, are available in both contemporary and avant garde designs, in corrective spectacles and sunglasses and in a range of colours. They showed us their new range which was called 'Concord' a clever combination of their award winning flat metal frame concept and acetate sides. We felt that the Concord range gave us the best of both worlds, the comfort of the light metal front and the splash of colour of the acetate side. This line offers contemporary glasses for everyday wear, from simple and low key to cool and sporty.

One of the most exciting aspects of visiting Mido is when we discover something new and unexpected and this happened when we visited the Kirk Originals stand. We have stocked their frames in the past but have felt that it needed a bit of a revamp so when we saw their new 'Saturn' range we were sold! They're shiny, very shiny, but look fantastic on the face, you've just got try them on. Something very different and unique which will definitely put a smile on your face... trust me!

Some of you might remember the 1953 film 'How to Marry a Millionaire' in which Marilyn Monroe played 'Pola' who routinely walked into doors and mistakenly read books upside down in an attempt to disguise her short sightedness. "Men aren't attentive to girls who wear glasses" was Pola's excuse. Well today glasses are back in vogue so whether you wear your spectacles for the boardroom, ballroom or bedroom we have just the pair to suit! Call in and have a look at what's new.