A NEW barber’s shop is set to open in Haddington after a gift shop owner decided to close after eight years of trading in the town.

Hoi Barbers, currently based on Tranent High Street, has taken over the former The Maple Tree shop on Haddington’s Court Street.

Linda Wood, co-owner and director of The Maple Tree, alongside partner Eric Low, closed the doors for the last time at the end of last month.

The business, which specialised in unique cards, gifts, wrapping papers and bags, had been on the site for just over eight years.

Linda said: “I just want to thank all friends, family and customers. We appreciate everything.

“We could not have done it without the customers and all the help everybody has given us over the years. The people of Haddington have been amazing.”

Linda, 41, told the Courier that the decision to close had been taken last year with a view to helping out more in her partner’s consultancy business.

She added: “I will be spending more time with the kids and get my weekends back. It was a hard decision to make but the right decision for the family.”

Meanwhile, Marnie Hoy Cockburn, owner of Hoi Barbers, said: “We have been looking for premises in Haddington for quite a while.

“When The Maple Tree came up we thought it was a lovely shop in a lovely position.

“With all the new houses getting built it is a good place for us to start a secondary shop.

“My husband, Alan Cockburn, is from Haddington and grew up there. We have a lot of family and friends there.

“We have got a lot of clients that come from Haddington and the surrounding villages to Tranent to get their hair cut and we just felt it was the right time to expand. Tranent is very busy and Haddington is the perfect place to go.”

Work is already under way to transform the shop into a barber’s, with reclaimed wood being used to create a vintage look. It should open at the end of the month.

Taylor Horton, currently based at the Tranent shop, will move to Haddington to manage the new premises, with Mark Macdonald, who is also at Hoi Barbers in Tranent, also making the switch.

There is also the possibility of an apprentice being taken on in the Haddington branch.