Tim joined the Cooper and Leatherbarrow team in April 2018 after he and his wife, Faye, decided to relocate from Middlesbrough towards the Darlington area.
Tim graduated from the University of Bradford with BSc (Hons) Optometry in 2007 and subsequently moved to the North East one year later after meeting his wife at the same university. He was born and bred in the sunny county of Shropshire and still has numerous friends and family there. Prior to joining us, he worked for an independent practice very similar to us for ten years and was also a Specialist Optometrist at James Cook University Hospital for nine years.
At James Cook, Tim honed many optometric skills, from complex refractions and optical and cosmetic contact lens fitting, to low vision assessments, post-operative cataract assessments and consenting for ‘second eye’ surgery.
In addition to providing full optometric services in the practice, Tim also provides home-visits for patients requiring eye care who are unable to make it out of their homes.
Tim is registered with the GOC and also holds memberships with the British College of Optometrists and Association of Optometrists.
When asked what he felt was most important in the role of an optometrist, Tim answered: “I am an advocate for treating patients as you would like to be treated yourself. In my experience, the more relaxed we keep the patients, the more accurate they are at the ‘lens-flipping, “is it better with or without” test’! Joking aside, as optometrists, we have to deal with some very sensitive issues regarding ocular health and sight problems and occasionally even more, so it is important that patients have trust and faith in us that we are trying our upmost for their ocular wellbeing.”
Outside of work, Tim is a self-confessed petrol-head and loves all things cars and mechanics. In 2014 he achieved a life-long ambition of restoring and rebuilding a motor-bike engined Kitcar, which he later sold as his wife hated it; apparently the seats weren’t comfy enough!
He is an active member of some local and national car clubs. On the sporting front, Tim plays competitive squash for Redcar squash club (who occasionally play against Darlington and Glaxo at Barnard Castle!), swims regularly and plays golf socially with friends a couple of times a year.
He also has a big soft spot for his and Faye’s pet guinea pig Tuxy (named after his first car!) who loves his Dad’s sense of humour and provision of fruit and vegetable treats!