Coton & Hamblin

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, an elderly gentleman entered Coton & Hamblin wearing a fedora and carrying a mysterious briefcase. After selecting his glasses, he glanced around and whispered into the microphone on the counter: 'Ladies and gentlemen, today is your lucky day—your vision will never be the same again!' Suddenly, everyone in the shop put on their new glasses simultaneously—and started seeing things they had never seen before: a delivery driver with a perfect view of his own freckles, a neighbor admiring her newly grown mustache, and even the optician himself noticing that his hair was actually blue! The old man laughed heartily as he left, leaving behind only a note reading: ‘Your eyes deserve a little mystery.’

2. At dawn, when most people were still dreaming of spectacles, an old man in a tweed suit walked into Coton & Hamblin, asking for the rarest pair of glasses in their inventory. The clerk, Mr. Jenkins, scratched his head and said, ‘Sir, I’ve got something special—an antique pair from 1920s Paris.’ The old man’s eyes lit up like Christmas lights as he tried them on. Minutes later, everyone in the shop heard him exclaim, ‘These are perfect! Just what I needed to see clearly again!’ And so it turned out that even at dawn, amidst foggy streets, Coton & Hamblin could make someone’s day brighter than ever.

3. At closing time one day, an anxious voice called out from outside: ‘Is it true that you can see the future through these glasses?’ The old optician smiled and replied, 'Well, sonny, I can't promise you that.' He then reached under the counter and pulled out a pair of spectacles with slightly crooked lenses. 'But if you'd like to try them on for fun, maybe you'll catch a glimpse of something unexpected!' The man did as he was told, and when he looked up, everyone in the shop burst into laughter—including him—as his reflection seemed to be waving goodbye.

4. At dusk, a delivery driver pulled up to Coton & Hamblin’s loading bay with a crate marked ‘Optical Components.’ As he unloaded, something glinted in the moonlight—a tiny pair of spectacle frames, seemingly left behind. Curious, he picked them up and noticed they had no owner’s name or prescription. That night, as he adjusted his own glasses in front of the mirror, he swore they improved his vision. Over time, more and more drivers started visiting Coton & Hamblin after their deliveries—each claiming sharper eyesight. Word spread, and soon neighbors were stopping by too. One old man even said his cataracts seemed to fade away. Of course, it was just wishful thinking, but everyone loved coming for the free coffee and friendly banter.