The owner of a Bury St Edmunds pub which was forced to close after fire engulfed the neighbouring property has thanked the community for their support ahead of its reopening in two weeks.
David Marjoram, who owns the One Bull on Angel Hill with his wife Roxane, says he is “itching to get back” after significant damage was caused by a major blaze at the Cycle King shop next door last year.
More than 60 firefighters tackled the fire on September 29 after it broke out in a store room behind the cycle shop, which backs on to the Abbey Gardens.
The pub was forced to cancel Christmas meals which had been booked following extensive water damage sustained during the fire fighting.
Mr Marjoram, who lives above the pub with his wife and daughters Daisy, 11, and Lola, seven, said the four-month closure was much longer than he imagined.
“When the fire first happened, we never anticipated that we would be closed for four months,” he said.
“It’s been a very frustrating period where so much of the focus has been on what we need to do to get ourselves up and running again. So we’re itching to get back into doing what we do.
“On a personal level, we have been overwhelmed by the support of the community. Everything from people offering places to stay to saying they will bring a broom to help clear up and the 101 things in between.
“It’s really appreciated.”
The pub will reopen on Thursday, February 1, and Mr Marjoram added the opening weekend has nearly sold-out.
He said: “We currently have a few spots left but we’re virtually fully booked.
“We’re really looking to getting going again and hope that people are looking forward to us reopening also.”
The Cycle King shop, which was destroyed by the blaze, opened a temporary store in Chamberlyne Road on the Moreton Hall estate.
Francela restaurant, Cycle King’s other neighbour on Angel Hill, which also suffered damage due to the blaze, reopened in October.
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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