A FAMILY business which has been at the heart of Haddington since the 1970s is toasting 50 years.

Leisure Time Sports has been in the Macdonald family since it opened its doors in June 1972.

David Macdonald ran the town centre business for 44 years before passing it on to son Rory in 2016.

Now, Rory is delighted to celebrate the historic milestone, with the shop going from strength to strength on the town’s Market Street.

He said: “It is something that I take great pride in – not just the longevity of the business but the fact it is reaching this point with a positive outlook, and very much we are still forward-thinking about how we can develop, better serve our community, how we can engage with our local clubs and sports people better, and things that people are doing locally better.

“It is not just a marker in time to me.

“They say ‘it is not the number of years in your life but how much life in your years’ and I feel the shop has maintained over the period that it has been open in a really positive, forward-moving manner.

“I am encouraged that we are still continuing on that trajectory now.

“As far as long-term historical ties to the town, I would say that I think that I am – and my family are – very proud of the connection we have to the town.

“We have always really enjoyed our connection to the town immensely.”

David, who was a founding member of the town’s squash club and is a keen golfer, opened the business on neighbouring High Street in what is now Caffe Luca.

The business moved seven years later and has been a firm fixture on Market Street ever since.

The family owned the two buildings and moved to the bigger space, with the business operating over two floors and selling bicycles.

Rory was no stranger to the business even before taking the helm, having worked there when he was about 13 years old.

However, it was not until his dad was starting to think about retirement that he took charge.

He said: “I lived with my wife, who is American, in Atlanta.

“We were there about four years and my dad started to talk about and give little mentions of retirement.

“I did not like the thought of the business closing.

“I thought there was still something to offer; that there was something unique about a business like this in a town like Haddington.

“We started talking about it and moved back from Atlanta in 2015 and a year later took over the business.”

Rory, who lives in the town with wife Sarah, who runs CrossFit Haddington, and sons 10-year-old JD and eight-year-old Robbie, told the Courier that he “loved” the business, despite a number of challenges.

The 36-year-old, who coaches with the town’s rugby minis, said: “We have been really very fortunate in that we have managed to navigate our way through the pandemic and lots of market changes.

“We seem to have come out the other side with a closer connection to our community than perhaps we have ever had.”