A popular Bury St Edmunds pub will reopen this week after a major fire at a next-door property forced it to close for four months.
The One Bull, on Angel Hill, suffered severe water damage following a blaze at the Cycle King shop on September 29 last year.
More than 60 firefighters were called to the blaze, which broke out in a store room behind the cycle shop.
The pub was forced to cancel Christmas bookings due to the significant water damage, which was sustained during the fire fighting.
Owners David and Roxane Marjoram, who live above the pub with their two children, Daisy, 11, and Lola, seven, had to move to temporary accommodation for three months, but managed to get back into the flat before Christmas.
Mrs Marjoram said: “It was a huge relief to be back, we didn’t care that the flat wasn’t totally finished, we just wanted to be home for Christmas.”
Initially the owners were hopeful of getting the pub up and running again after a few weeks, but it was soon discovered that the damage was much worse than they thought.
• Read more: Suffolk pub unable to offer Christmas meals after Cycle King fire
Mr Marjoram said: “It’s been a tough time but we are almost there now and we wouldn’t have got here without the help and support of a lot of people – staff, friends, family and customers – all of whom we’d like to thank.”
• Read more: Owner of One Bull thanks community for support ahead of reopening
The pub has received a fresh lick of paint, new flooring and a few minor tweaks, and the owners and staff are excited about welcoming people back in on Thursday, February 1, from 5pm.
Mrs Marjoram added: “It’s been a very long journey, but we’re so pleased to be able to get the doors open again.
“We never wanted to be closed for any amount of time so just getting back to what we do is wonderful.”
The Cycle King shop, which was destroyed by the blaze, opened a temporary store in Chamberlyne Road on the Moreton Hall estate in October.
Francela restaurant, Cycle King’s other neighbour on Angel Hill, which also suffered damage due to the fire, was able to reopen within three weeks.
Two men – a 22-year-old from Stowmarket and a 23-year-old from Bury St Edmunds – arrested on suspicion of arson following the blaze were released and remain under investigation.
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