#nightlenses

Elliott and Heath Opticians Bring Night Lenses Innovation to Chesterfield

The #nightlenses revolution has arrived in Chesterfield as optician Beth Ralph, the new owner of Elliott & Heath Opticians on Newbold Road, has become the first local fitter of Night Lenses, an incredible eye innovation for shortsighted patients.

Night lenses correct the patient’s vision while they sleep, giving them perfect 20/20 sight during the day without the need for glasses, day lenses or laser eye surgery. This incredible eyecare innovation is growing fast in the UK as patients can finally ditch those specs or day lenses without resorting to laser eye surgery.

So how do they work? Simply pop them on the eye before sleep and they do their magic temporarily reshaping the cornea – the front window of the eye. This allows the light to be redirected to the right focal point at the back of the eye giving clear vision during the day without the need for glasses or contact lenses.

Are there any other benefits? With significant increase in myopia known as short sight in children, some studies show night lenses may also have the effect of slowing progression of the disease. Myopia is not just a vision problem. It leads to increased risks of cataracts, glaucoma and detached retinas as the eye grows too long stretching the structures within the eye. The world health organisation has reported significant increase in myopia world wide due to screen use.

Beth Ralph, Optician and owner of Elliott & Heath Opticians says, "Elliott & Heath have been connecting the residents of Chesterfield with eyecare innovations since 1964, so it made sense for us, as the new custodians of this great local establishment, to continue in that tradition. Night lenses are innovative, on-trend and a gamechanger for short-sighted patients who are fed up with glasses and day lenses, but who don’t want to resort to laser eye surgery. www.nightlenses.com is a great advice site for anyone wanting to find out more about them. As an optician, Night Lenses are one of the most exciting and rewarding things I do.

"The purchase of a topographer not only means that we can bring the #nightlenses revolution to Chesterfield, but it also means that we can deliver a dry eye clinic for those who suffer from this increasingly common ailment. In addition to this, we’re keen to work in collaboration with other local opticians to help raise awareness of the UK myopia epidemic that is affecting the children of Chesterfield. Educating parents about myopia and myopia control at first diagnosis is vital for helping our children to have better sight and better lives. If you have a child with short-sight and want to find out more about myopia, please ask your optician for a MyopiaChat, they’ll be delighted to give you one."

Elliott & Heath Opticians

79 Newbold Road

Chesterfield

S41 7QA

T: 01246 275 847

E: info@elliottandheath.com

Christmas day 1986, a very young and excited S41 Editor opens his “big present” unveiling a Commodore 64. Countless hours were spent playing Platoon, Rainbow Islands and Ghostbusters. Kids from far and wide (just Brockwell, it seemed a lot bigger at the time) would come over to play Batman. Friendships were formed that would last a lifetime. Great memories. Thanks Mum and Dad.

Now, over 40 years after its launch the Commodore 64 is not only thriving, but has a Derbyshire based radio show dedicated to it, called the CHIP SID Show.

I geeked it up with Max, the producer and DJ. Max, tell me a bit about your show and how it came about?

"The Chip SID show" is a radio show in collaboration with Radio Free Matlock. (RFM). I Play music directly from a real 1982 Commodore 64 home computer. It features some of the best and most technically crafted melodic music to be found on the Commodore 64's SID chip. (SID is short for "Sound Interface Device" which is a 3-voice synthesizer).

The show came about from a chance to visit my local record shop "Vanishing Point Records" and got I talking to the owner (Corey Lavender). He mentioned that he was working with Radio Free Matlock and they were on the lookout for something, and I quote "diverse, eccentric and original"

I mentioned that I had the idea for a show that could fill all of that criteria, using old and new music recorded entirely from a 1982 Commodore 64 home computer as it had an amazing sound chip. Corey was quite intrigued, so I went off and produced a pilot show, and sent it back to RFM. 53 shows later we are still going!

What do you love about music made on the C64?

I have been a fan of the Commodore's sound interface device since hearing music on it in the

1980s. It was literally a life-changing moment, I had never heard anything like it before, I was a big fan at the time of synthesizer music, by artists like Jarre and Kraftwerk, but to hear this little home computer behaving like a synth was real eye opener.

How do you make music on the C64?

I use a tracker program now called "SIDwizard" is a relatively new bit of software that runs on the native hardware, and you enter notes into a tracking system, and create your sounds using a wave table method.

Do you have a bit of a cult following?

Yes, it’s a following derived from the Commodore 64 scene that has been active since 1982, I would say 90% of my listeners are part of the scene or are friends with people that are a big part of the whole retro scene in one way or another. We are an amazing community of creative artists, musicians, coders and enthusiasts from all over the world. It’s great to get feedback every month from all over the planet, but yes, I would say it’s a cult following.

What's your favourite C64 soundtrack?

Again, there are way too many tracks to collate into one favourite as I have many favourites, but I guess if you had a gun to my head, it would be Ben Daglish's "TRAP.”

It's a 35 year old, 12-minute epic that to this day still resonates with me. Ben was an amazingly talented multi-instrumentalist who composed hundreds of tracks for Commodore 64 games. We worked together on the music for a gaming documentary "From Bedrooms to the Billions" in 2014 and became great friends. Sadly, Ben passed away a few years ago after a battle with Cancer but left a musical legacy that will last for many generations to come. He was a great inspiration to many including me.

Listen and/or watch the CHIP SID Show: Every 4th Wednesday at 9pm Radio Free Matlock: radiofreematlock.co.uk

Downloads available - chipsidshow.co.uk thechipsidshow9898