Sadly, our founder Frank Barraclough passed away on January 31st 2024. He went peacefully and surrounded by his family. Today we look back on the life and career of Frank Barraclough. It was 1957 when Frank opened the doors of his first opticians, F.E. Barraclough, at 21 Norman Road, St. Leonards. Before long, Frank’s very kind, friendly and helpful manner became known in the local area. He offered a service you could rely on and made many, many friends at his busy practice.
Eleven successful years later, Frank opened a second practice in St. Leonards Road, Bexhill. Along with the expansion, Frank needed more staff and so placed an advert for an Optometrist in the local paper. Peter Stiles, who was newly qualified at the time, spotted the advert and applied. He was offered the position immediately by Frank, and that is where decades of true friendship began. In 1971 Frank and Peter formed a Partnership and Barraclough and Stiles was born.
From a shared belief that service mattered most, Frank and Peter built their business brick by brick, but more importantly, relationship by relationship. They refused to be just another faceless company - every interaction, from initial meeting through to aftercare, was an opportunity to impress simply by being themselves and having the chance to show their impressive expertise within their field.
They listened patiently to every customer’s individual needs, they offered their personalised solutions, and went the extra mile on many an occasion. Word of their genuine care spread fast, attracting a loyal customer base who wouldn’t dream of going elsewhere. They empowered their team and future fellow Directors to be solution-oriented, treating every customer like their first.
Their small business blossomed into a local powerhouse, all thanks to the foundation of exceptional customer care.
The years that followed saw Frank and Peter develop and expand the business, continuing to build up a renowned and worthy reputation for truly impeccable service.
Their Eastbourne practice first opened in 1974, located in Pevensey Road, swiftly followed three years later by the Bexhill practice moving to Western Road, where it still operates today. 1980 saw the Battle practice open at 63 High Street, where it remained until moving to a larger premises in 2011. It was inevitable that other members of the Barraclough family would become a part of the business - Frank’s sons, Tony and Nigel joined the Partnership in 1982 and 1986 respectively. Surainder Puri also joined the Partnership in 1983 and Jeremy Heynes started working for the company a year later - today he is Managing Director.
A fifth practice was opened in Polegate in 1986 and eight years later, Frank retired from the Partnership, but continued to work part-time.
The years that followed saw a sixth practice open in Seaford and also saw the Eastbourne practice move to its bigger premises in Terminus Road.
Peter Stiles retired from the Partnership in 2007 but he continued to run his clinics on a part-time basis until he retired from the business in 2014.
The future of Barracloughs
We thank Frank and Peter for the legacy they have created. It is something to be proud of and a heritage which we are dedicated to continue to carry forward for decades to come.
