Veterans raised their glasses as Hounslow Royal British Legion's clubhouse finally reopened 17 months after going up in smoke.
The building in Whitton Road, Hounslow, was gutted in a huge blaze on March 15 last year, leaving little more than a shell.
But members of the local branch of the national charity, which raises money to support troops and their families, finally got to see inside its restored quarters on Friday (August 7).
Representatives from Isleworth RBL and local pubs The Cross Lances and The Sun, who have welcomed members during their year-and-a-half without a home, were also invited to the reopening.
Andre McGill, chairman of Hounslow RBL, said: "There were 20 people sitting here watching the rugby when the fire broke out that day. It was so big we even shut Heathrow's runway for the night, which was a bonus.
"It's been a lot of hard work and we're very grateful to everyone who's supported us over the last 17 months, especially The Cross Lances and The Sun.
"Now we need our members to show their support. We need you to get behind your committee and get down here and support the bar, which won't be too difficult for some of you.
"We're also welcoming the Irish Guards to Hounslow. The legion is there for you. Treat this the same way as you do your mess and we will get on great."
The opening ceremony began with the unveiling of a giant poppy, funded by customers and staff at The Cross Lances, the landlord of which, Adie Line, is a member of the legion.
Padre Nick Todd, of the Irish Guards, who recently moved into Hounslow Cavalry Barracks, then blessed the garden of remembrance, before the celebrations moved inside.
Anyone can join Hounslow RBL Club, which like other branches is not just open to veterans.
But there were a number of ex-servicemen and women among those toasting the building's reopening, and getwestlondon caught up with a few:
Donald Judd was a Fusilier and served in North Africa and Italy during the war. He was captured during the Salerno landings in Italy in 1943 and held prisoner.
He said he was made to work on the railways during his internment, usually where the Axis troops expected bombing to occur, meaning he was effectively serving as cannon fodder.
The 92-year-old, who worked as a scrap metal merchant after the war, remembers seeing the smoke from his bedroom window on the day the legion's clubhouse went up in flames.
"I was just looking at the smoke wondering what had happened when my daughter rang and said: 'I'm glad you're at home, I've just heard on the wireless that the clubhouse is on fire'.
"It's good to be back here. They've done an excellent job," said the grandfather-of-two.
John Small, who worked as a foreman at a factory producing tin containers, did his national service with the RAF shortly after the Second World War.
The 85-year-old, who lives in Hounslow and has four grandchildren, said he had missed coming to the clubhouse while it was being restored.
"It's somewhere I often come after I've been shopping in Hounslow. You can come in here for a pint and know you'll never be lonely," he said.
Robert Jeffries served with the RAF in the Persian Gulf during the Second World War.
The 91-year-old former BT engineer, of Whitton, said: "It's nice to be back in the clubhouse. It was very upsetting to see it go up in smoke."
