A Renton shop that has spanned four generations of the same family is still going strong after almost seven decades.

Swan's Sweet Shop, situated on Main Street, has been serving the community since 1956.

Originally a general store, the business moved to selling purely confectionary 20 years ago after a number of supermarkets opened in the surrounding area.

Tom Swan first started working in the business when he was just 12, helping out his gran, Jessie, who owned the shop, with deliveries.

Tom and his daughter Margaret (Image: Colin Mearns)

(Image: Colin Mearns) He then took it over at 24 after she fell ill and continued to work full-time in the business until April last year.

Tom, 88, opened up on the history of the shop and what kept him working, along with his wife Mary before she passed away five years ago, well after most people retire.

He said: "My gran brought me up and she owned various businesses across both Scotland and England.

"The building originally used to be a general store which sold a bit of everything.

"It was really one of the beating hearts of the community.

"I love interacting with members of the public and I always felt like I was making a difference by serving residents.

"I would still be working if it wasn't for my health issues as it was a real privilege."

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Tom and his wife Mary (Image: Tom Swan) After Tom started to experience problems with his sight last year, he had to give up running the business.

However, his daughter Margaret, who retired from her own job in 2023, has since taken over and now opens the shop from Friday to Monday between 1pm and 6pm.

Some of the sweets on offer (Image: Colin Mearns) The 60-year-old detailed the importance of keeping the business going.

She said: "We now have several generations of the same families coming to the shop from when my dad first started which is amazing to see.

"People we used to serve as kids come into the shop with their children now and even their grandchildren.

"It demonstrates how important a role my dad has played within the community.

"That is why I was keen to make sure things were still running after he stepped away.

"We never considered closing".

Margaret outside the shop (Image: Colin Mearns) Four generations of the Swan family have worked in the shop - Jessie, Tom, Margaret and Tom's grandchildren Nicole and Aiden.

Tom feels this consistency is one of the key factors in the longevity of the business.

Tom when he was younger (Image: Tom Swan) He continued: "The shop has always been a huge part of my life and it still is despite the fact I am no longer in there working.

"I still like to go down at the weekend when I can to meet customers.

"Customer care is something that is missing nowadays and that was always a big part of the job.

"Technology made some aspects of the role easier in terms of tills and putting in orders but you have also lost the personal touch of meeting suppliers face to face."