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Tuesday 8am - 6pm Wednesday 8am - 6pm Thursday 9am - 7pm Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 4pm

Rae & Rae Opticians

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Rae & Rae Opticians

A national award-winning, family-owned, independent opticians situated in the heart of York’s fame

A service that'll make you smile, a stylish, boutique shopping destination you'll love to visit, a collection of beautiful eyewear you'll enjoy trying on, and — most importantly — a level of expertise that'll assure you you're in the safest of hands. Services include:

• Private and NHS eye exams
• Children’s eye exams
• Designer and independent eyewear
• Contact lens fits, subscriptions and aftercare
• Eyewear consultations
• Prescription and non-prescription sunglasses
• Hearcare clinics through The Hearing Care Partnership

Drop by for a chat, a coffee (perhaps a glass of bubbly if it’s Friday!) and let’s talk all things eyecare and eyewear.

05/03/2026

The team hit the road this weekend and headed down to London for 100% Optical - the UK’s biggest optical event 👓✨

It’s always one of the highlights of the year for us. A chance to catch up with some of our favourite frame brands, discover exciting new collections, spot the latest trends in eyewear, and of course squeeze in some CPD to keep our knowledge sharp.

Safe to say, we’ve come back feeling very inspired (and with a few exciting things up our sleeves for the practice 👀). We’ve seen some fantastic frames that we can’t wait to bring back to York, met lots of lovely people in the industry, and had a brilliant time soaking up all things optics.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks… there may be some new arrivals landing in the practice soon 👀

Nearly the weekend folks 🤟🏻

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03/03/2026

We are always so pleased when we hear that our patients have had a positive experience , and as a small, your reviews mean everything to us.

They literally could be the difference between someone choosing us instead of a big, ugly, soulless (we’re not biased!) chain store.

If you have had a particularly positive experience with us, why not take 5 minutes to leave us a nice Google or Facebook review!? We assure you, we read every single one. They make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Here’s a bit of inspiration, or head over to Google to check out our 5* rating and more nice things people have said about us!

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independentoptometrist

28/02/2026

🥇❄️ The Winter Games have landed in our window… and we are OBSESSED. ❄️🥇

(We do love a theme… you know us 😉)

All that wintery action got you inspired? Are your eyes ready for their own sporting moment?
Whether you’re:

⛷ Heading off on a ski holiday
🚴 Planning a bike trek when the weather perks up
🏃 Training for your next big challenge
🏌️ Or simply determined to look extremely professional on the padel court

We have sports eyewear to keep your vision crystal clear while you chase those medals (or just the café at the end of the trail - no judgement here).

👓 Prescription sports glasses
🕶 Non-prescription sports eyewear
🌞 UV protection
💨 Wraparound styles that actually stay put

The best bit? They’re not just practical, they look very cool. Think less “school PE”, more “Team GB chic”.

If the Winter Olympics have inspired you, or you’ve just realised squinting down a ski slope isn’t ideal. Pop in and see us. We’ll chat through the options and find something that suits your sport, your face and your budget.

Have the best weekend folks 🤟🏻

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23/02/2026

Ask yourself this… how many pairs of glasses do you own? Just one?! The suspense, the drama!

If you’re rocking a solo pair, it might be time to give your spectacle collection the glow-up it deserves. Think of it as building a wardrobe for your face - because let’s be honest, one pair simply can’t do it all.

We’re not saying you need a drawer full (although we wouldn’t blame you 😉), but having options means you’re covered for every mood, outfit and occasion.

And if you’re torn between two styles? Perfect. We love that for you. Enjoy 25% off your second set of frames and lenses - because choosing just one is overrated.

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26/01/2026

Big news from the nest🐦✨

We’re over the moon to share that we’ve just received an award from as one of their top performing stockists 🎉🥂

And honestly? We couldn’t be prouder.

Bird Eyewear are a fabulous British, B Corp brand doing things properly. Stunning frames, genuinely sustainable, and all about doing good while looking great. Pretty much everything we love in a pair of specs 😍

We’ve been championing independent eyewear since day one, so getting a little nod from a brand we truly believe in feels extra special.

If you haven’t already, pop in and take a look at the full Bird Eyewear collection in-store; colourful, comfy, planet-friendly and seriously stylish.

Have the best week folks 🤟🏻

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19/01/2026

We’re heartbroken to share the sad news that our much-loved Gramps, Graham Whiteley, has passed away.

Gramps of Georgia and Dad of Tracey,
Graham was a dedicated optician who served the Daventry community for many years and was the inspiration behind Georgia’s journey into optics. He was always so proud of our little practice and of everything we did.

We will miss him hugely 🤍

14/01/2026

You know we hand-pick every single frame that lands in , but when you’re nearly at capacity (and still spotting fabulous things you need to share)… something had to give. Enter: The Guest Brand 👀

A rotating spot for something a little bit special. Limited pieces. No repeats. Once they’re gone… they’re gone.
Kicking things off in the New Year is 🕶️
 Timeless but bang on trend. Beautiful metal details, playful coloured lenses and serious main-character energy. The ultimate must-have for any eyewear wardrobe.

Available for a short time only at Rae & Rae Opticians, York - don’t sleep on this one 💥

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31/12/2025

And that’s a wrap 🎉📸

Our final patient portrait of the year goes to this absolute superstar, perfectly modelling her optical frames with the sunshine-ready clip-on 😎🌿
Rain or shine, classroom or playground… the ultimate year-round accessory.

We couldn’t think of a better way to close out the year – full of smiles, great glasses and the loveliest patients we could ask for. Thank you to every single one of you for supporting our little independent practice in York 💛
Here’s to more frames, more fun and more friendly faces next year ✨

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25/12/2025

Wishing all our lovely patients a wonderfully Merry Christmas!⁠
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Hope your Christmas is nothing short of spectacular! 👀✨

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yorkindependent shoplocalyork independentyork yorkindependentlife onlyinyork visityork loveyork lovelocal yorkindie optician optometrist opticians opticianlife shoplocal supportsmallbusiness

22/12/2025

Christmas window: completed it 🎄✨

We may have slightly lost track of time… because Tracey (Mum / co-owner / chief festive elf) and I spent an entire day turning our shop window into a hand-drawn Christmas masterpiece ✍️🎅🏻

Every bauble, swirl and snowflake was drawn by us – no stickers, no shortcuts and yes, we’ve included photos to prove it 👀🎥

Even baby Rufus stopped by to supervise (and add morale support 🍼😂).

If you’re walking past, come and have a proper look - it’s bright, colourful and VERY Christmassy 🎄🌈

Huge festive love from our little independent, family-run opticians 💛

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yorkindependent shoplocalyork independentyork yorkindependentlife onlyinyork visityork loveyork lovelocal yorkindie optician optometrist opticians opticianlife shoplocal supportsmallbusiness

18/12/2025

Just a little festive heads-up to share our Christmas opening hours 🎄🎅🏻

We’ll be open this week, then popping off for a short break to soak up some Christmas cheer with our families.

And please, do us a favour… go easy on the champagne corks and party poppers over the holidays! 🍾🎉

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independentoptometrist indieyork yorkindependent shoplocalyork independentyork yorkindependentlife onlyinyork visityork loveyork lovelocal yorkindie optician optometrist opticians opticianlife shoplocal supportsmallbusiness

11/11/2025

Look who popped in for some new specs! It’s none other than Rupert from the incredible - York’s very own folk-rock legends (and yes, the band that played at our wedding 💃🕺).

Rupert’s now seeing the world through a seriously suave pair of Cutler and Gross frames. A true classic in the optical world 👓

Pop in to the practice to view our selection of the fabulous frames. We can’t promise they’ll make you play the violin like Rupert… but they’ll definitely help you look good doing it 😉

Have a great week folks 🫶

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Address

33 Bishopthorpe Road
York
YO231NA

Opening Hours

Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 7pm
Friday	8am - 6pm
Saturday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+441904611553

Website

https://www.raeandraeopticians.co.uk/

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