Wedding bells are soon to be ringing again at a popular riverside hotel, which have reopened their doors for the first time this year.

Monday marked the latest step on the government's roadmap out of lockdown, with people now able to stay in hotels, drink in pubs and eat inside cafes and restaurants.

It means visitors to Beccles can now stay at the Waveney House Hotel again, which have seen a flurry of bookings for rooms and tables in their restaurant already.

General manager Lisa Cason said: "It’s been very busy and we’re very pleased to be open again.

“The rooms are filling up fast and the restaurant bookings have been coming in all morning.

“Finding your feet on the first morning back is always going to be a bit difficult but everyone seems to be settling in.

“We’re thrilled to be back and we’re absolutely full with weddings on the weekends until next year.

“The government has been quite good at keeping us up to date with what we can and can’t do, and now we’re just waiting in anticipation for what the next announcement will be in June.”

The hotel is also planning to showcase local music acts with regular events on Friday nights.

Beccles & Bungay Journal: Sharon Erskine, manager at the Three Tuns, in Bungay.Sharon Erskine, manager at the Three Tuns, in Bungay. (Image: Reece Hanson)

At the Three Tuns, on Earsham Street in Bungay, manager Sharon Erskine said: “We’ve been closed since November, so it is nice to get back to normal.

“We don’t do food and with such a limited outdoor area, it wasn’t worth it.

“The town is quite quiet so far, but I think it will get busier later in the day when people finish work.

“It has been a struggle and was depressing to be closed for so long, but it has given me a rest and now it will be nice to see people again.”

Two other venues in the heart of Bungay remained closed on Monday, however, with the Fleece Inn set to welcome back customers from Tuesday.

A sign outside the Castle Inn, meanwhile, says: “Why haven’t we reopened?

“We feel that we cannot offer an experience of hospitality in this small restaurant without going through some radical changes which we aren’t prepared to do.

“20 seats is all we can do and is unprofitable.”