Hundreds stuck in 3-HOUR queues for solar eclipse glasses around UK as shops sell out ahead of tomorrow’s phenomenon

HUNDREDS of Brits have been queuing to grab a pair of solar eclipse glasses as stocks run out before the astronomical phenomenon. Shops have reported the eyewear flying off shelves in a matter of minutes, with some queues lasting for three hours. Stocks were limited for glasses at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London Credit: X A sold-out eclipse event is running at the neighbouring Royal Observatory tomorrow night Credit: X Brits have been flocking to local retailers in their hundreds to snap up the final stocks of solar eclipse glasses before tomorrow evening. Shoppers in Exeter, Greenwich, North Wales, Kent and more have been spotted queueing around corners. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Long queues have taken over the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, with the neighbouring Royal Observatory running a sell-out eclipse event tomorrow. One customer said on X: “Long queues for eclipse glasses at the National Maritime Museum here in Greenwich.. there’s only 100 sets available. Don’t think I’ll be getting any.” Shoppers in Exeter queued around the corner to grab a pair of glasses Credit: BPM FLO Warehouse on Budlake Road in Exeter also saw a surge of queueing customers this afternoon, with the last-minute shopping sprees causing traffic in the area. Some reportedly travelled from London to buy the remaining pairs, as stocks remain limited online. In Wales, the North Wales Chronicle reports that hundreds of people queued from 7am outside the Free Spirit Psychic Shop in Wrexham, despite the shop not opening until 10am. Visitors of the store, which only stocked 700 pairs over the past week and a half, reported that the queue was “massive” and “absolutely bonkers”. Most read in Money At Poppin’s Cozy Coffee Room in Leysdown, Kent, cars queued along the street to get the glasses from 6.30am, with all 95 pairs selling out by 7.05am. Meanwhile, British toyshop chain Howley’s Toymasters, based in Dorset, sent staff on an over 150mile drive to the Midlands to pick up 10,000 pairs of glasses this morning, afters stocks ran out in minutes. Solar eclipse glasses have been selling out in-stores and online across the country today, with limited sites still offering the exclusive eyewear. Without the right protection, looking directly at the Sun can cause serious damage, and wearing normal sunglasses, or multiple pairs, is not good enough. The eclipse is set to begin from around 6pm in most areas of the UK on Wednesday It is potentially too late now to find anything online, so smaller shops, museums and events may be the the most rewarding options. A number of customers have had success at local convenience stores, where the odd pairs of glasses are still available. Events to mark the solar eclipse are also giving out glasses – Blackpool Pleasure Beach are offering 1,000 pairs to park-goers tomorrow evening, but this is only offered with an entry ticket. The solar eclipse is expected to be visible from around 6.15pm tomorrow evening across the country, with the maximum eclipse, and best viewing time, at around 7.05pm to 7.15pm. Comment now