Town Crier October 2004

Festival Triumph

What a wonderful Rye Festival. Congratulations to all those involved with this year’s great event. More visitors in the town especially to enjoy what has become one of the best events of its kind in Europe. Sell out events were the order of the day.

There was something for everybody and the children were prominent in the success of many events, especially the Rye Dance Centre show at the Thomas Peacocke where a packed hall was enthralled by the standard of dancing and singing. Continue reading Town Crier October 2004

The Fight To Save The Maanav Star

The coaster Maanav Star was washed ashore at Jury’s Gap a few hours after leaving Alsfords Wharf during Saturday / Sunday night 11/12 September. She was under new ownership having been purchased while at Rye unloading her cargo of timber. She came ashore before dawn, apparently without her engines running and was pounded by rough seas and sustained some damage to her hull. Continue reading The Fight To Save The Maanav Star

The Road To East Guldeford

By Frank Palmer

25 April 1893 was an important day for Rye, it was the opening of the bridge over the Rother and road from East Guldeford. Continue reading The Road To East Guldeford

Latest Rye News

BRITAIN IN BLOOM AWARDS

Rye in Bloom were delighted to be presented with a Bronze award at the star studded Britain in Bloom Awards ceremony held at the Royal Armouries, Leeds last week. The awards were announced and presented by RHS Director General Andrew Colquhoun and Bob Flowerdew, garden writer and organic gardener. Of the 11 overall winning entries 9 were from the North of England and Scotland and 2 from the South West of the country. Nevertheless, Rye (Small Town) as the only representative from Rother and East Sussex won a very creditable Bronze. The two other entries from categories in the South East of England were Stanwell Village (Urban Community)who also won a Bronze and Crawley (Large Town/Small City) who won a Silver Gilt.

TEN RIDERS FOR SEASONS LAST RACE

Rye Wheelers have ten riders entered for the last race of the 2004 season. Rye riders, with ages ranging from 15 to 70 comprising nine men and one woman rider, will be competing in a 15 mile open time trial on a Kent course on Sunday 10 October. Not since 1958 have so many Rye cyclists raced in an open event. It is almost certain the club will have the largest entry. It is possible the club senior, junior and ladies records will be broken.

JIMPER’S BUSY MONTH

Jimper Sutton, long time “Rye’s Own” countryside columnist, will be busy during October. He has two books coming up for publication, “Moon Girl” a love story and “Bonfire” a collection of his own experiences as a member of Rye Bonfire Society. This is not all, during October he is being interviewed by BBC Television’s Country File for an eighteen minute segment for a programme to be screened in the forthcoming series. “Country File” is presented by John Craven and is screened on Sunday mornings at 11.15am. Jimper will be talking about fishing and will, no doubt, get in a plug or two for his new books.

WAS THE WRONG MAN ELECTED?

At a recent meeting of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Rother District Council, Cllr Roger Bird (Tory, Marsham Ward) beat Cllr. Granville Bantick in the ballot for the position vacated by Cllr Sam Souster’s resignation as Rother’s representative on the Rye Partnership. Local people are angry that Cllr. Bantick was not elected being their local representative, and that Cllr Bird, who lives in Fairlight, should be representing Rother in Rye. District Councillor Bantick told a “Rye’s Own” reporter “I consider this to be another case of disgraceful politicking amongst the Tory administration at Rother made the worse for being so obviously blatant.”

“ADMINISTRATIVE ERRORS”

During a question and answer session at this same meeting following a presentation by Rick Stern, Chief Executive of the Bexhill and Rother Primary Care Trust, Cllr Bantick asked “Why it was that residents of Rye had not received a notice through their letter boxes notifying them of the new arrangements following the cessation of doctors’ home visits after hours?” The reply received was in the form of an apology the oversight being due to “administrative errors”. This is a serious matter for if anyone was needing to have a home visit due to any number of reasons outside surgery hours they should know the telephone number to ring to obtain a doctor. Cllr. Bantick is writing to the PCT to press for some action.

MARINA PLANS

Developers Milwood Homes put their controversial plans for a Marina at Rock Channel on display at the Riverhaven Hotel on Thursday 30 September, Friday 1 and Saturday 2 October. “Rye’s Own” will cover this event in the November magazine and invite comments from readers.

FESTIVAL OF FOOD

“A Taste of Rye”, the week long food festival at the end of September, was another successful event encouraged by Town Manager Yolanda Laybourne. A dozen restaurants took part, putting on local dishes matched with local wines. It is hoped the event will become a regular annual attraction and can be linked with the Rye Scollop Festival which takes place each February.

“Rye New” October 2004

All articles, photographs, films and drawings on this web site are World Copyright Protected. No reproduction for publication without prior arrangement. © World Copyright 2015 Cinque Ports Magazines Rye Ltd., Guinea Hall Lodge Sellindge TN25 6EG

Environment Agency Remove Two Dead Sheep From The Tillingham

Many locals and visitors were distressed by the sight of two dead ewes floating in the Tillingham near the Windmill. Continue reading Environment Agency Remove Two Dead Sheep From The Tillingham

Two Top Awards For Rye

Representatives from over 40 entries were in attendance at the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Rooms last Thursday afternoon for the South East in Bloom awards ceremony. Sponsored by Southern Water, this exciting afternoon saw the biggest and best awards ceremony yet. Continue reading Two Top Awards For Rye

Life & Times of Reg Weeks

“The life and Times of Reg Weeks”, who lived in Rope Walk and died on 1 March 1993 were compiled by his daughter Daphne Lewellyn of Sidmouth, Devon, from her memories of all the things he told her about his early life in Rye.

Reg Weeks was born at 2 Bridge Place, Rye, Sussex on the 1st February, 1907. His parents were married in the Registry Office on 30th November, 1901 and their first child, Elsie was born a month later. Alice was relieved that Reg was born healthy, her previous baby had been stillborn and her first child. Elsie, was now five years old. She would soon begin to take in washing again to supplement her husband Charles’ earnings as a bricklayer. Continue reading Life & Times of Reg Weeks