SMILING Ottery resident Martin Patterson will see his festive wish granted when his flood-hit family business re-opens next Friday (January 2).

SMILING Ottery resident Martin Patterson will see his festive wish granted when his flood-hit family business re-opens next Friday (January 2).

Seasons Tea Rooms, in Silver Street, was left shut by "soul destroying" damage on October 30, but eight weeks of "hard slog" means Martin, 50, can kick off 2009 in perfect fashion.

He said: "The work we have put in has been harder than actually running the tea rooms, Im so happy to be re-opening and have missed the camaraderie with our regulars."

Martin battled rising water levels for hours during October's freak storm but was left helpless as water eventually beat his flood defences and surged into the tea rooms.

Extensive re-decorating has followed and has included the laying of a new concrete floor in the small tea room and the addition of two new oak floors.

Martin said the hard graft will all be justified when he can finally welcome customers old and new.