What a busy day!
It started with a flying visit to Westfield shopping centre with Shabir and Jimmy B, just to say hello to everyone and hand out a few flyers.
Shabir went upstairs and gave flyers to those waiting to go into surgery and begged them not to do it.
The OE salesman (pictured facing my balloon) told Jimmy that "
one of the girls" has had to have counselling because we're causing a lot of problems at Harley Street!
Poor thing! I can imagine it must be very distressing to have people with damaged eyes standing outside her workplace handing out flyers and trying to stop others risking their eyes in the same way
Then a woman almost ran past me into the store, her head down, pulling a travel case with a flight tag attached. As she was welcomed by the staff I recognised Fiona Morton, OE’s acting Head of HR, her hair now dyed black - chestnut was more flattering Fiona.
I almost expected Hugh Kerr to follow, as the pair seem to attend a lot of meetings together, including a 'stripping’ visit to Japan earlier this year.
We had little time to spare today, so we left for Harley Street, where - as we'd expected, they were expecting us. The blinds already closed and door locked!
But this rather backfired on OE as of course the customers couldn’t get in, giving us more time to talk to them!
One young woman arrived for a consultation during her lunch break, spoke to Jimmy and Shabir, then told us she was going straight back to work, without even attempting to go in.
One man arrived from Northamptonshire, suffering unresolved problems after RLE surgery 2 years ago.
He had not previously heard of OERML, and was quite angry when he heard that he was one of many with similar problems to Jimmy!
We were about to leave when we heard sirens approaching...
This time OE’s 999 call brought two plain clothes officers and one dog handler, in two vehicles (last Friday it was five officers and three vehicles). Again they were surprised to find just a few people standing around chatting, no-one even on OE premises this time!
The senior officer did his best to rescue the absurdity of the situation, said we could be prosecuted for wasting police time if they continued to be called out to us. I pointed out that as it was OE who had called them, I didn’t think so!
As usual, we explained why we were there, gave them flyers, told them to look at OERML website, and please warn anyone they knew considering eye surgery to do the same.
Unfortunately I had to cut the conversation short as I had a 2.00pm meeting scheduled across the road at the GOC. This was a very productive meeting and I will provide details tomorrow.
Interestingly, it seems that two or three people staging a low key ‘pop-up' demo upsets Optical Express far more than a high vis demo with banner and balloons, when we have no problem with police as I inform Westminster events of our plans the day before.