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Cafe damaged by lorry aims for Christmas reopening

Hsin-Yi LoSouth East
Handout A blonde woman in a white striped t-shirt and jeans, standing next to a blonde woman in a green jacket and black trousers. They are standing in front of a shop and there is a large white banner which reads The Coffee House Nutley.Handout
Hannah Jackson (left), owner of The Coffee House in Nutley, said the community had been supporting them since a lorry crashed into the shop in May

A coffee shop owner whose business was seriously damaged by a lorry says she hopes to reopen by Christmas.

On 2 May, the vehicle crashed into the front of The Coffee House in Nutley, East Sussex, on the A22.

Hannah Jackson said the last two months had been "incredibly stressful".

"It was an absolute nightmare," she said. "The crash happened just before our plans to celebrate the coffee shop's one-year anniversary."

She added: "It has been an awful time, everything has been put on halt."

Handout The interior of a building with damaged walls.Handout
Jackson said inspections to confirm the full extent of the damage were ongoing

"I've been speaking to the business and building insurers who are still carrying out more inspections of the building, which includes the basement," she added.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service A lorry with a damaged front. It is next to a coffee shop, which has structural damage and a smashed window.East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
The crash happened just before the coffee shop's one-year anniversary celebration

The 30-year-old said until the full extent of the damage was discovered, she did not know how much the repairs would cost.

"There is the additional problem of losing revenue each day that goes by because we can't reopen yet," she added.

"However, we continue to pay our staff, we have such a wonderful team."

Handout Two blonde women, in black puffer jackets, looking at a chocolate cake which is held by a woman wearing a grey hoodie. There are people standing or sitting in the background.Handout
Jackson said the community threw an anniversary party for the shop

Jackson said the community had been supportive in the wake of the incident.

"People threw us an anniversary birthday party for the shop," she said. "We are so grateful for their support and understanding.

"It just shows there are still a lot of kind and generous people out there."

She said the party showed that "people felt The Coffee House is part of their community" and the team felt "honoured".

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