Sheffield eclipse: Jeweller with original glasses from 1999 blackout treats colleagues to solar event

A partial solar eclipse took place in England today, with as much as 25 per cent of the sun being covered during the peak at 10.59am – not that it went noticed by much of Sheffield, where it barely registered for the average person in the street.

However, one city centre jewellers made the most of the occasion.

Staff at H.L.Brown were treated to a first-class look at the event when managing director James Frampton arrived at work today armed with a very special souvenir – an original pair of viewing specs from 1999, when a total eclipse of the sun was witnessed in Cornwall.

Mr Frampton was lucky enough to visit 23 years ago, and kept a souvenir booklet from the day, with a pair of eclipse glasses tucked in the back.

He told The Star: “The weather conditions have been wonderful for it today. You don’t always get it happening during a fine sunny day like this.

“I hadn’t planned to look at it today but I remembered I had my booklet and glasses in the house somewhere and fetched them out.

“I don’t know much about the technical side of it – my expertise is much more in gems. But it’s wonderful to see.”

Another Sheffielder who saw the eclipse in full focus was Amy Rawlinson, from Westfield, who photographed the event through her phone’s camera and shared them with The Star.