Framlingham: Picking up the pieces after Storm Babet flood

One month after Suffolk was flooded during Storm Babet, business owners and residents are still dealing with the aftermath.

Framlingham was one of the worst-hit towns, with 70 homes affected, while a herd of 17 cows nearly drowned.

Laura Robinson, 22, who runs the Railway Inn, said it had been "traumatic", but the community had come together.

A charity appeal has raised about £25,000 so far.

Surveying her pub, where the water reached the height of the windowsills, Ms Robinson said: "It's just been full-on, getting everything dry again.

"We look back at the photos and can't actually think back to how it was - did this really happen? It's been very traumatic."

"In four weeks, we've ripped up flooring, ripped down walls and put them back up - we're just getting everything up and going again.

"But, we're now at the point of starting to have a pub back."

The pub was not able to claim on insurance because of a flood exclusion.

However, she has had help from her family as well as members of the local community and some businesses have allowed her to buy now and pay later.

"I can't wait to get back behind the bar, pulling pints again and seeing all my customers," she said.

She added she was hopeful, with the support of her brewery, that she might open on 1 December.

"Hopefully we'll have the Christmas spirit again."

Nick Corke, who runs local charity Hour Community, said: "We launched a flood appeal about two days after the event and to date we've almost reached £25,000, which is absolutely staggering.

"The generosity of people when the chips are down... I'm just blown away, and now we can help more people.

"[Some] are coming back to their houses and there's nothing left. We can get them white goods, we can get them beds and that sort of thing."

But, he said what often mattered were the little things like bedding, towels - even a wooden spoon - "just those little things that are going to make it more of a home".

"It's like a bereavement in a way - I don't think people understand what it's like to lose all that stuff."

Roger Tripp, who runs the Post Office, is still not back in his premises.

"There was so much flood damage, it's going to take months," he said.

Although he initially thought it might take "a week or two" he is now resigned to being in temporary working accommodation for several months.

"The Post Office counter was destroyed... and then you could see all the wooden flooring, and the wood on the walls was buckling and mould was growing.

"Unless you've been flooded out yourself, you have absolutely no idea what it's like.

"But, at least we've got a presence back in the town now," he added.

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