Regulars at one of Norwich's most popular pubs are raising a glass in celebration after it reopened just days after a car ploughed into the front of the building.
Landlady Elizabeth Le Grice was forced to close the Golden Star pub in Colegate when a car went into the building during the busy evening rush-hour last Friday.
But drinkers were back enjoying a pint at the boarded-up pub yesterday.
One customer said: 'We are pleased that it has reopened. It was closed so long that it was getting to the point that we were going to try another pub, before we found out it had reopened.'
• Norwich publicans offer support to landlady forced to close after crash
Another regular, who was sitting at the bar, added: 'It's nice to be back.'
Miss Le Grice, who had been serving behind the bar at the time of the crash, said: 'It's been horrible being closed, as we did not know if the building was structurally sound after the crash.
'But it is, and we have been able to reopen with a temporary wall at the front of the building.
'It will take another three to four weeks to repair the building, and get it back to normal – it will be even better than it was before.
'We will need a new wall, windows and doors and the floor will need to be redone.'
She said the pub had lost nearly a week's takings while it was shut, and added that they were still working out how much the repairs would cost.
People had been enjoying a quiet afternoon drink in the summer sun when a Nissan Almera with two young children in the back crashed into the pub, narrowly missing drinkers and sending glass and people flying.
Emergency services, including police, fire and ambulance, were called at about 4.30pm on Friday, but miraculously no one was seriously hurt.
People looking to have a pint at the popular watering hole last weekend were greeted by a sign on the door which read: 'Due to unforeseen car issues we are closed.'
However, publicans across the city rallied round to support the landlady, who has been at the pub for more than 12 years.
Poringland Insurance Services has also reopened after a Vauxhall Corsa crashed through the front of the building at about 11.30am on Saturday. It reopened for business on Monday morning.
Richard Beevor, the manager of the insurance brokers, said at the time that a woman member of staff would normally have been sitting at the desk destroyed by the car but luckily the office was empty following a recent decision not to open on a Saturday morning.
Anyone with information about the Golden Star crash should call Pc Bob Connor or Pc Dave Carter on 101.
Have you got a story about your local in the Norwich area? Email david.bale2@archant.co.uk
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