Today marks 5 years in the UK for our Dutch superstar Frederike. She followed her heart to the north east of England and has never looked back… apart from waving off her friends on the Amsterdam ferry!
So Frederike, having worked in some top eyewear establishments in Amsterdam and London, how does life in Newcastle compare?
The biggest difference I notice here is how friendly everyone is. The Grey St. clients have welcomed me with open arms and are really fun to choose glasses with. My Geordie accent is improving all the time!
How does it differ from an opticians in Amsterdam?
I was already familiar with many top brands, such as Theo and Dita, from my work in Amsterdam, but Grey St. Optician have brought all these brands together. It’s great to work with such an eclectic range of frames. I’m also involved in selecting the frames for our collection, which I love.
Things have changed a lot since you joined our team… How are you finding the new look Grey St. Optician?
It’s amazing! The whole team were involved in the design process so it really feels like it represents “us”.
It’s so different from the way it was before… I think the only thing that’s stayed the same is my colleagues, which is good because I love working with them.
My favourite part of the new shop is the big, central table where we do our frame-styling. It’s a very social space and makes choosing the frames feel very personal. I love getting to know all of our amazing clients!
Frederike will be heading back to Amsterdam on 20th December to visit her family for Christmas so please call in before then to see her!