Framlingham Railway Inn pub reopens after Storm Babet hits

Laura Robinson, landlady at the Railway Inn in Framlingham, started welcoming customers again on Friday for the first time since the Station Road premises was inundated with brown water during the storm which battered the county on October 20.

She has now said: "I am delighted to be up-and-running again."

READ MORE: Framlingham Railway Inn to reopen after Storm Babet floods

Although the bar was set to resume trading, food was not available as repairs still needed to be carried out to the kitchen.

Last week, she said: "It has been a hard five weeks, I must say. We have definitely done a lot, but I can't believe how quick the turnaround has been from a brewery perspective."

She said she had used some of her own money to pay for the repairs, while she had also received support from her family and well-wishers who had been giving her money.

The Railway Inn was flooded during Storm Babet (Image: Laura Robinson)READ MORE: Suffolk town's response during Storm Babet praised

A separate appeal has been launched for the pub on the donations website JustGiving, which has so far raised £2,520 of its £10,000 target.

Ms Robinson said this fundraising money would be used to pay for new appliances for the pub, but could not be accessed until after the appeal had closed.

During the flood, the water level reached knee height, destroying tables and chairs and much of the electrical equipment.

Laura Robinson inside the pub (Image: Laura Robinson)

Water also poured into the Railway Inn's garden after drains overflowed, with levels reaching chest height.

However, Ms Robinson was unable to access an insurance pay-out for the damage because the premises is not in a flood zone and was not therefore covered.

Instead, much of the pub's revenue had been used to pay off bills and clean the premises following the damage.