Northampton's Railway Tavern reopens more than two years after Seroja destroyed popular watering hole

The beer is once again flowing at Northampton’s popular Railway Tavern, which has reopened more than two years after cyclone Seroja destroyed it. The reopening marks a milestone in the Seroja rebuild for Northampton. Known by locals as the Bottom Pub, the building’s red roof was torn off and interior destroyed during the April 2021 cyclone. The previous owners were unable to face the repairs, so local business owner Ricky Sah stepped in to help. Mr Sah owns the petrol station in town, and had developed a relationship with many residents and saw the project as an opportunity to literally and figuratively patch a hole in the community. Originally built in 1876, the structure saw 50,000 screws put in to the new red roof. The pub opened on Friday, September 1 with a warm reception from the community who are glad to welcome back one of the town’s three watering holes. Mr Sah said the opening felt great and was a long time coming. “There was a lot of local support. We had more than 100 people at the opening, and lots of people came on Father’s Day,” he said. “I’m very happy. It’s like all the hard work has finally paid off. “We’re serving beers and that’s the main thing” “The pub is open, the courtyard is open and the café is open, so people can come down in the morning or the evening.” “There is still a lot of things to do at the pub, so we’ll just keep going with it.”