J H Fisher Opticians in Heywood closing at the end of April due to owners' retirement

Howard Fisher

J H Fisher Opticians in Heywood is closing at the end of April due to the retirement of husband-and-wife team Howard and Pat Fisher.

Optometrist Howard and dispensing optician Pat have run the practice for the last 17 years.

Howard trained at City University in London. He met Pat during his year working at Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital in 1979.

He opened his first practice in Castleton in April 1982 working with his sister Debra. Pat joined the business in 1989 after previously working as a medical secretary in Birmingham and at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.

In 2005 they opened two more practices in Tottington, Bury and the other in Heywood.

Howard also worked for several years doing sessions at Birch Hill Hospital and Taylor Street Clinic in Heywood. Later he also did some part time work for several local opticians and larger chains including Shaw's in Heywood, Rayners in Oldham and Royton, Boots in Lancaster and for the Merton/Valli group in practices around Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.

In 2015 their Castleton practice merged with Heywood and closed. They continued to run their Tottington practice assisted by Gill Senior until Christmas 2021 when it merged with Yates and Sudell.

Now they are retiring and closing their Heywood branch which is merging with D Igoe in Middleton.

After 40 years of helping the people of Rochdale, Heywood and Bury with their sight and eye problems they are looking forward to their retirement and would like thank all their friends and patients for their support over those 40 years.