Some 20 years after we bought Haddington based Wood & Hay, we are finally bringing the company under the William Purves family umbrella.
William Purves bought Wood & Hay in 2000, from previous owner, George Wood who specifically wanted to pass on the business to another trusted family‐run firm. Our team has been dedicated to supporting families in Haddington and East Lothian for these 20 years, providing services in every church in the area – including some rarely experienced funerals: candlelight ceremonies in Seton Collegiate to burials in the vaults of St Mary’s Church of Scotland.
Known locally as the ‘East Lothian funeral directors’ at the old doctor’s surgery, our family firm also supports local events such as last year’s Armistice Thistle project, 2018’s Nungate Gala and several local sporting clubs and events, including East Lothian Bowling Club and Haddington Rugby Club, through sponsorships and promotions. The Wood & Hay rebrand is part of a move to streamline the William Purves brand identity across key branches. Scotland’s largest independent group of funeral directors, William Purves has 13 branches in Edinburgh, Fife and Lothian & Borders with another 14 operating throughout Scotland and North East England.
Tim Purves, chairman and great‐great‐grandson of founder William Purves, said:”We have been proud to serve the local community and provide compassionate care for bereaved families in this part of Scotland under the banner of Wood & Hay. After 20 years,we feel it is the right time to formally unite our brand names and recognise the hard work of our team in Haddington, led by Chris Harkess and Caroline Imrie.”While the branch signage and literature will look different in coming weeks, there will be no change to our service. Anyone with a William Purves or Wood & Hay funeral plan need take no action as the same highly qualified team will be in place, delivering the same premier services throughout the transition.”
And for all those clients whom we have worked with over the last two decades, we want to thank you – and George Wood – for putting your trust in us.
Free guides to help plan ahead are available at https://www.williampurves.co.uk/planning-a-funeral/thinking-ahead/
