An independent Swansea opticians is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Charles Richards, director at Bater & Stout in Woodfield Street, Morriston, was joined by the original founders of the practice, Lindsay and Louise Bater, at a special event to mark the milestone.
Originally located in Clase Road, the couple took over from Philip Rees in 1986 and re-opened the practice as Bater Opticians following a complete refurbishment.
Later, a first-floor extension was added to accommodate a glazing laboratory, allowing the practice to offer same-day service for glasses. The couple went on to own three further practices, occasionally in partnership, at Singleton Hospital, Gorseinon and Pontarddulais, and in 1996, moved from the Clase Road premises to the current location in Woodfield Street.
In 2013, Tony Stout bought the business from the Baters and rebranded the branch as Bater & Stout Opticians, with the other practices also changing hands.
Lindsay and Louise Bater retired in 2019 and in 2020, Charles Richards joined Bater & Stout Opticians as a Dispensing Optician, working alongside Tony.
Charles, who had worked in Boots Opticians for 15 years, said:
“When Tony interviewed me for the job, he asked me if I’d ever considered owning my own business. I had managed practices before but owning one seemed like a different kettle of fish.”
Charles was given first refusal when Tony decided to sell the business in 2023 shortly before retiring, with Charles taking on the business with his wife Sian, an optometrist.
He said:
“Having your own business really gives you a reason to get up in the morning, knowing you are helping people. Sian and I work well together, although we don’t see much of each other through the day as I’m on the shop floor and she’s in the consulting rooms conducting eye examinations.
“These days we are seeing a number of independent practices closing their doors when people retire because finding someone to take it on as a going concern can be difficult, so we were keen to make sure Bater & Stout continued.”
Bater & Stout continues to look after patients across Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and beyond, with loyal patients travelling from as far afield as Canada, London and Pembrokeshire.
Charles added:
“We are a real community here – we are known for offering affordable care to the local community and we have seen generations of patients come through the door. We have a good solid core of patients who have continued to support the practice through its past iterations because of the level of care provided.
“We have patients living away at university who return for sight tests, glasses and contact lenses with regularity. We’ve even had patients return from overseas for their check-ups.
“It’s also great to still see the original founders, Lindsay and Louise, as they are now our patients.”
As to the future, Charles said:
“We have just opened a third consulting room as the business is growing quite rapidly through word of mouth. We are looking forward to welcoming new generations of patients and carrying on the legacy of Bater & Stout.”
