A WAVENEY couple have left their high-flying jobs for the county council to help restore a historic hotel to its former glory.

Tim and Julie Anderson, of Church Road, Kessingland, have taken over the King’s Head Hotel in Bungay and plan to re-open the long-established venue this weekend.

It marks a change of lifestyle for the couple, who both said goodbye to their jobs at Norfolk County Council to take on the project.

Mr Anderson, 57, worked in the policy and performance team at County Hall while his wife Julie, 38, known as Jules, worked in children’s services.

They decided to take on the hotel, which they are renaming the King’s Head and the Queen’s Jules, so they could work together and rekindle their love for singing and entertaining.

Mr Anderson, who worked at County Hall for nine years, said: “We’ve always wanted to do something together and although we haven’t got a background in pubs and hotels it’s something we wanted to do.

“We wanted to be involved in entertained. We met singing in a band and have always enjoyed singing, entertainment and stand up comedy.”

Over the past two weeks, the pair, who married two years ago, have been busily working to refurbish the King’s Head completely.

It has taken a team of eight a week to repaint the ground floor of the hotel, which is a sixteenth century coaching inn and is rumoured to be haunted.

The hotel is home to a grand ballroom, a large function room and has 13 bedrooms.

“It’s a historic building right in the centre of Bungay, right near the castle and we wanted to restore it to its pride of place in the town,” added Mr Anderson.

“It’s great working for ourselves and working together. It’s nice to be working with people in town and visitors.”