The pair behind one of Cumnock's oldest family businesses say they could not be more grateful for the town's support as they prepare to bring the business to its end.
Mary's Fabric Shop has been in the town for over 60 years.
Having started out in the Tanyard before moving onto its current, well-known premises on the corner of Townhead Street and Glaisnock Street, it has become a staple of the Cumnock business scene.
Initially opened by Mary Hope in the late 50s, it was then passed onto her daughter, also Mary, and has been successfully run for the past few years by third generation sisters, Evelyn McBride and Janet Thom.
The shop has always affectionately been known to locals as 'Mary Hope's'.
Founder Mary passed away in 1982, before her daughter, Evelyn and Janet's mum, died in 2022.
Having seen so much over the years, the sisters are ready to step away from the business.
Looking back on the years, Evelyn said: “My gran started it off as a household goods shop.
“It started off as dress making to begin with which was a big thing but then when shops opened and you could buy cheaper stuff then the dressmaking side fell away a wee bit.
“It got passed to my mum and now me and my sister have looked after it the last 10 years or so.
“I’ve always worked in the shop back and forward. But Janet left school and then my granny took her up and around the factories at Kingsmead and got her a job in the carpet factory.
“But Janet and my mum then went and di some curtain making courses because that was taking over from the dress making side of things."
Having battled through the pandemic and seen the rise of the online shopping age, Evelyn admits it's not always been easy, but it's always been worth it.
“People’s habits have changed and since covid it’s been tough as well," she said.
“People can’t afford to buy custom-made curtains anymore like you used to.
“A pair of custom-made curtains could be in the region of £300 but you could go to one of the other shops and buy a pair of curtains for about £80.
“But we’ve had really loyal customers and we’ve seen the customers pass through the generations like the shop has.
“It’s been a shop that has just been part of the town for so long and I think the name Mary Hope has really stuck because that’s what a lot of people still refer to the shop as."
If the shop isn't sold before the end of the year, they plan to close before Christmas.
Although they'd be delighted if someone local took over, Evelyn admits it would be nice to see it passed onto a new family.
Although it will be difficult to say goodbye, Evelyn and Janet both feel it's the right time to move on.
She added: “It’s hard to let it go when it’s been in the family for so long, but it just seems like the right time to pass it on.
“It would’ve been nice for it to get passed onto another generation of the family, but our kids have chosen different paths.
“I think it’s the second-longest family-run business in Cumnock, so you don’t see businesses lasting so long nowadays.
“We’re hoping that someone will come and take it off our hands and if it’s somebody local then that would be amazing, given it’s belonged to a local family for so long.
"Whatever happens, we've loved being here with the people of Cumnock and beyond".
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