Bryden Opticians

02/09/2025

Slight issue with our phones today 😩😩 we can’t receive calls.

Feel free to leave a message or reach out via Instagram or Facebook

Also available ask@brydenopticians.com

26/06/2025

Hi Alan here - Pivoting my professional career slightly in recent years has reintroduced me to fundamentals I learned at school — and explored in depth during my optometry degree at Anglia Ruskin University

Light was central to everything we studied — optics, refraction, visual perception.
But strangely, the health effects of light — especially in today’s digital world — never really made it into mainstream optometric practice.

As an optometrist, I test sight, provide optical correction, and detect ocular disease.

Yet I’ve come to realise that how we interact with light — artificial vs natural, blue light vs red — plays a far greater role in our health than I was ever taught.

And many of the symptoms we now see every day — digital eye strain, headaches, poor sleep, circadian disruption — all tie back to our modern, light-toxic environment.

This realisation sparked a new direction in my career — one that led to the development of HODL Eyewear: a Bitcoin-inspired, blue light-blocking eyewear brand designed to protect vision, support better sleep, and raise awareness of light health.

It’s also led me to explore how energy is stored and transferred, not just in biology, but in economics — and the parallels between food, light, and even Bitcoin are striking.

I’ve written a new blog post unpacking this idea:
👉 How Food and Bitcoin Are Both Stored Electromagnetic Energy
If you’ve ever wondered what photosynthesis has to do with proof-of-work, this might surprise you. Linked below and if you want to know more just ask in our Newtownstewart store 🤓

Discover how sunlight, food, and Bitcoin all store energy — and why understanding this could transform how you think about health, time, and value.

20/06/2025

🎉 Get Summer-Ready Eyes at Bryden Opticians! ☀️👓

Buy ONE pair of glasses and get your SECOND pair completely FREE!*

Whether it's a stylish backup, prescription sunnies, or screen-time protection — this is the perfect time to upgrade your vision and your look.

📅 Offer valid until August 31st *T&C's Apply
📲 Book Online: ask@brydenopticians.com" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://app.theclinicportal.com/?Email=ask@brydenopticians.com
📍 Visit us in Newtownstewart
📞 Call 02881662964 or message us to book your appointment today!

18/03/2025

🌞 Light: The Invisible Nutrient? 🌈

Every time we step outside, we’re bathed in a full spectrum of light—from the deep reds and healing infrared to the high-energy blues and ultraviolet. The sun provides a balanced, dynamic light environment that our bodies have evolved to thrive under.

Yet, in the modern world, we spend most of our time under artificial lighting 💻🖥️💡📺 that lacks the richness of this natural spectrum. Many of these artificial sources overemphasize blue light while missing the beneficial infrared and red wavelengths crucial for cellular function, mitochondrial health, and circadian rhythm regulation.

⁉️Could this imbalance be one of the hidden factors behind rising sleep disorders, eye strain, and even metabolic issues?

Our ancestors didn’t question light exposure—it was just part of life. Maybe it’s time we start paying attention. 🌞🔬

03/02/2025

🚀 Introducing HODL Eyewear: Look Good, Do Good! 👓✨

We may be a small optical practice, but our vision is BIG. With HODL Eyewear, we’re redefining what it means to invest in your sight—combining premium eyewear with financial innovation to make a lasting impact.

Through our Sats for Sight initiative, £5 from every HODL Eyewear sale is converted into Bitcoin and saved in our Bitcoin Sight Care Fund. This isn’t just another charity model—it’s a smarter way to give, allowing us to grow our impact over time and help more people access essential vision care in the future.

🔹 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from vision impairment
🔹 1 billion of those cases could have been prevented or corrected
🔹 Your purchase helps fund long-term eye care solutions through Bitcoin

Bitcoin is more than just money—it’s a tool for freedom, innovation, and positive change. By choosing HODL Eyewear, you’re not just getting high-quality frames—you’re helping to fix the vision crisis AND the broken money system.

Read our latest blog post to learn more 👇
🔗 https://www.brydenopticians.com/blog/hodleyewearintro
Links also in stories.

23/01/2025

We will be closed on Friday 24th January due to the expected storm conditions.

Stay Safe All!

31/12/2024

Happy New Year from Bryden Opticians! 🎉

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful clients for your continued trust and support throughout the past year. It’s been our privilege to care for your vision, and we’re so grateful to be a part of your lives.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025! We look forward to seeing you all in the year ahead.

Open again for appointments 9:30 Thursday 2nd January 🤓

Warmest wishes,
The Bryden Opticians Team

28/11/2024

🎁 Double the Festive Cheer! Buy a gift voucher online from Bryden Opticians & get DOUBLE THE VALUE to spend on eyewear in store.

Perfect for family, friends or yourself!

Grab yours now before it’s too late

https://www.brydenopticians.com/christmas

27/08/2024

Last week, Sarah and I went to Bordeaux for a short break. We saw the sun, felt 30+° weather, drank wine, ate amazing food, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
We realised that we both brought our trusty sunglasses with us. Still some of our faves after a few years of wear!

27/08/2024

🤓In our recent Blog post we share 8 essential back-to-school eye care tips to keep your kids covered as they embark on a new school year 📚✏️💻🎒🤓

As the new school year approaches, ensuring that your children and teens are equipped for academic success goes beyond gathering supplies and setting up a study

08/08/2024

We are now over 1/2 way through the summer holidays!! ☀️

Crazy I know.

The kids are getting restless and the weather has been less than ideal here in NI...🌧
But here's something to brighten up the dreariest of days...🤩

How does £25 towards your next sight test or new pair of glasses sound???👀

Maybe you're a parent preparing to get your child's eyes tested before heading back to school...📗

Or maybe you would like to treat yourself with an update to your glasses and the peace of mind from a regular eye health check...🤓

In any case feel free to make use of our summer offer and get booked in before the 31st August...

Call us today to book your appointment on 02881662964...

Don't wait too long to visit us and take advantage of this amazing deal!

And don't forget we are now located beside the GP Surgery in Newtownstewart.

Look forward to seeing you soon,

Alan....Your friendly neighbourhood optometrist 😎 (watching way too much Spidey & Friends with the kids over the hols 🕷😁😂)

10/07/2024

Hi 👋 We thought we would introduce ourselves again for anyone who doesn't know. We are a husband and wife team- Alan and Sarah.
Alan is very much the face and heart of the business, his kind and caring nature to all of his patients means the world to many ❤️
Sarah hides behind the scenes, helping out with frame designs, decor, marketing (basically she is good at buying things!! 😂) and anything creative 📷
We also have our receptionist Lorraine, who isn't pictured here, but is very much our rock when it comes to the day to day running of the practice 🫶
Bryden Opticians is a family business and we want our patients to feel like they're part of our family too. You'll get a warm welcome every time you come in to see us 🥰