Urgent Xmas gift question

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Where in the West End can I buy a large, powerful magnifying glass for a person with very poor sight? ILE, you are my only hope.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:20 (twenty years ago)

Anne Summers

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

dunno.. maplins?

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Camera shop?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

John Lewis

― Ed (dali), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

Also John BEll and Croydon on Wigmore St for sure.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

Here, too. http://www.stanleygibbons.com/home/index.asp?page=visitourshop

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

space shop? science shop? photography shop? um, toyshop? that shop on new oxford street that appears only to sell umbrellas and walking sticks but gives the impression that it might also have magnifying glasses?

― emsk ( emsk), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

what about that medical store behind Oxford circus, between St Christophers place and Debenhams?

― Vicky (Vicky), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:28 (twenty years ago)

That is John, Bell and Croydon.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:29 (twenty years ago)

That's the one, on wigmore st.

― Vicky (Vicky), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:32 (twenty years ago)

It's the wrong direction :(

Thanks though. I guess my grandmother will be getting nothing.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:40 (twenty years ago)

:( :(

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

Wouldn't your boss be sympathetic and let you take a bit longer at lunch time?

― Vicky (Vicky), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

They can't all be totally in the wrong direction, with an hour's lunch?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

Stanley Gibbons is open on saturdays usually, I dunno abt Christmas Eve though.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

Isn't your boss your grandmother's offspring? Surely that should swing it.

I think you work near many thousands of camera shops.

Boots?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:48 (twenty years ago)

that shop on new oxford street that appears only to sell umbrellas and walking sticks but gives the impression that it might also have magnifying glasses?

this was my in itial thought also!

ummm, how about that map shop on Long Acre?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:50 (twenty years ago)

surely the love for your grandmother can overcome any obstacles..

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

or at least ones that appear between soho and oxford circus

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 23 December 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

Miller, you are droll!

― the snowfox, Friday, 23 December 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

Did you get one, Markelby?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

In lieu of a proper magnifying glass, you could keep an eye out for a fresnel lens. They're usually a clear rectangular plastic sheet with one side that's cut to give the sheet the properties of a lens. They're available in many sizes, up to the size of a full 8x11 page. I know it's not as classy as a nice round magnifying glass, but they serve as excellent reading aids if that's what you were going for.

example: http://acept.la.asu.edu/PiN/act/fresnel/fresnel.gif

I'd check out bookstores, and shops specializing in science stuff.

― elmo, patron saint of nausea (allocryptic), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:38 (twenty years ago)

I think Markelby should give her a Pyrex dinner plate and do blown-up photocopies of everything she might read on Christmas Day, thus buying time before going out to get a real one in the sales!

Plus, it could double as Markelby's Christmas Challenge.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

Those flat magnifiers are great! When I had very serious eye troubles a couple of years back I had one, and it made what felt like a lifesaving difference, giving me some ability to read, albeit slowly - it became my default bookmark for ages. My boss gave it to me, in fact - he'd got it from some software supplier, along with tiny-print ERDs (doesn't matter if you don't know what they are - database diagrams).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 23 December 2005 14:41 (twenty years ago)

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