IT'S certainly a Good Friday for the bosses of one of South Tyneside's most iconic pubs as they get set to welcome their first customers ... seven months after taking over.
Paul Simpson and his wife Beverley had only been in the Marsden Grotto a matter of hours when fire chiefs told them to close on August 28, last year.
Stairs in the cliffs next to the Coast Road pub had to be shut for repairs, so it no longer h
ad a suitable fire escape.
Repairs have now been carried out and the prohibition notice finally lifted.
Mr Simpson, 35, said: "When I was told the notice had been lifted, I had a lump in my throat.
"It was the second happiest moment in my life after my son was born."
The couple moved to South Tyneside from West Yorkshire last summer with their nine-year-old son Lochlan.
While the stairs were being repaired the family had to live in temporary accommodation because the pub was also out of bounds to them.
But since they moved back in, they have made some changes of their own, including revamping the restaurant and bar menus.
Council chiefs have carried out a refit of the stairway, including installing safety steel meshing to prevent any possibility of rock fall from the cliffs on to the stairway.
Seven flights of stairs have been given a reflective edge to improve safety and help people with sight problems.
Coun Iain Malcolm, deputy leader of the council and chairman of the foreshore working group, said: "I am delighted that the steps will be open in time for the Easter holiday. Marsden Rock and the Marsden Grotto are a unique part of South Tyneside's heritage and very important to tourism in the borough.
"Throughout the renovation work the council worked closely with specialist contractors and structural engineers to produce a detailed scheme that not only repaired the steps but gave them a distinct marine theme with fish and crab motifs on the new balustrade."
Mr Simpson added: "We're looking forward to seeing all our customers at last, lets hope it's a great Friday not just a good one."
