It was a sinkhole which divided a road but for a north Norfolk town it ended up bringing a community together.
A 'we survived the sinkhole' street party took place on Sheringham's High Street to mark the reopening of the road.
The saga started when a cavernous sinkhole opened up on May 25. It led to more than three months of disruption and the road being closed to vehicles.
Works on repairing damage to sewers and pipes under the thoroughfare finished at the end of August.
Deputy mayor Liz Withington said there had been a positive effect for the seaside town too as it had welcomed new visitors.
She added that residents and traders had made the most of the unfortunate drama, which saw them produce 'I've visited the sinkhole' T-shirts and postcards, as well as sinkhole pies and limericks.
She said: "It's not a celebration but an acknowledgement that we've got to the end of what's been a very difficult journey, and that, as a community and as a town centre, we've actually survived."
The street party welcomed hundreds of people and saw dozens of tables set up for a chance to win the best decorated table competition.
Visitors also wore fancy dress costumes of hard hats and high visability vests, while enjoying music and entertainment as well as food, including cake.
During the saga of the past months, the town has maintained a busy programme of events during the summer holidays.
The repair works have included re-installing a 1,000-metre sewer and manhole, as well as a further 300-metre sewer and water mains on another level.
Closing the High Street to cars meant some eateries had the chance to boost trade by placing tables and chairs outside - which also sparked a renewed debate over whether the road should be more permanently pedestrianised.
The party took place on Sunday, September 1 at 3pm.
The town is now looking ahead to the 1940s weekend with the North Norfolk Railway and the Carnival Association, where around 40,000 people are expected to visit and take part.
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