By Chris Cornford
The ice cream parlour on Sandown Pier, which was gutted by an electrical fire in February, is back up and running.
Linda Bullen has been running LB’s Boardwalk Cafe for 24 years and the Ice Cream Parlour next door for 15 years, and was devastated by the fire. She explained: “At the time, we had moved all our stock from the cafe into the ice cream parlour because we were going to do takeaways from there. But the fire put a stop to all of that. The place was completely gutted. Once I got my insurance sorted and their forensics team had come out and seen the parlour, things started to move very quickly.
“The place had to be aired out to get rid of the smell of smoke and then the pier-owner got his team straight onto the rebuild. It was all put together in just two weeks. The walls and ceiling have been redone with new boards and there are new electrics.
“I now have completely new premises; it’s beautiful and I’m so looking forward to a decent season. There are still a few bits to sort out but we’re up and running which is the main thing.”
Over the years, Linda has become a staple part of Sandown seafront life and she is looking forward to meeting her regulars again.
She added: “I’ve got a great rapport with people; being a Geordie helps because I’ll chat to anyone!”
Press Release