Jim Hollands – Page 201 – Rye's Own Magazine

Telling of the adventures of Ryers Rona & Geoff Sheridan

Another Letter from Bedfordshire

After we moved to Kings Avenue, life for our family improved a great deal, especially for our Mother, no more to light on Mondays. no more tin bath, and a toilet across the yard. War soon arrived and we all suffered a harrowing time in Rye, I remember going down to the Mint to fetch our gas-masks. I should think the boxes became the start of graffiti – the things we wrote on them! We didn’t go to school for many weeks, many having gone to Bedford. Continue reading Telling of the adventures of Ryers Rona & Geoff Sheridan

The Street Names of Rye

By Kenneth Clark

Reprinted from a 1967 Issue of Rye’s Own

“In 1859”, wrote H. P. Clarke in his “Guide and History of Rye”, printed in 1861, “the houses were numbered and the names of the street were foolishly altered; as events in history often give names to streets. Continue reading The Street Names of Rye

Fireman Bob

The dreadful fire at the Central Garage at Rye in 1960 led to Rye Fire Brigade getting a new recruit.

Bob Rogers was only a lad at the time but heroically entered the blazing cottage at the rear of the garage, where he lived with his Mum and brothers, and attempted to save their budgie. He was burned on the hands by the wire on the cage which was so hot. Continue reading Fireman Bob

A Letter from Bedfordshire

By R. M. Sheridan (Rona Wall)

Events which took place in our household in October were not conducive to letter writing. A well known cable company sent a couple of juniors to re-route their previous installation and managed to drill into our water storage tank! Geoff and myself being nimble of foot and quick of thought managed to stop most of the sixty gallons pouring into our lounge. I wonder why some young people will not listen to advice. Continue reading A Letter from Bedfordshire

Rye Trades Exhibition in 1959

In the late fifties and early sixties Rye was a thriving market town. Each year there was a Trades Exhibition at The Monastery and local enterprises took stands to show their stock in trade, advertise their services and display their products.

There were demonstrations and film shows in a marquee erected in the Monastery Garden. Continue reading Rye Trades Exhibition in 1959

In Living Memory 2

By Clifford Jordan.

The Visit of The St. John Ambulance Brigade Cadets to Brighton.

Seen in the photograph, taken on board Alex Henshaw’s coach, are some of the Rye Ambulance Cadets on their way to the Royal Pavilion Brighton in the summer of 1956 to be inspected by their Colonel-in-Chief Princess Margaret. Continue reading In Living Memory 2

The Magic of Rye

By Jo’ Vincent

What gives Rye it’s special appeal? Some say the magnetic quality is centred on the Quarter Boys who guard the Church Clock and ring out the quarters. Old Rhodes did say “The sound of the Quarter Boys will draw you further than gunpowder can blow you”. This has proved the case so many times when old Ryers, who have spent many years overseas return to the town where they were brought up. Continue reading The Magic of Rye

Party Piece

By Jill Lowry

I was wondering around Rye Market this morning, noticing the Christmas items for sale, and it set me thinking of Christmases past. As a child and teenager in the fifties, I lived with my young war-widowed Mother in Croydon. Various other members of the family lived locally and after the excitement of Christmas stockings and a special dinner of roast chicken or even rabbit it became a tradition for everyone to gather at my Mum’s flat.She would make sandwiches and her famous trifle, and the Uncles would bring a crate of beer and perhaps a bottle of V.P. Ruby wine for the ladies.

Everyone had eaten a good meal and were fairly mellow after a visit to the pub and a few convivial toasts. Certain Uncles could be persuaded to do a card trick or so, and I was expected to do a ‘party piece’. I loathed doing this and grew more Continue reading Party Piece

Treacle Miner

A rare 1960’s Mick Avery drawing depicting a Peasmarsh Treacle Miner.

These legendary workers were famous for their amazing ability to work underground for long periods, sometimes even without lights. Some attribute this low light vision to the ‘Peasmarsh Gold’ strain of carrot that is prolific in the area. Continue reading Treacle Miner

Change of Routine

An Early Change Of Routine For The Camber Tram

by Laurie A Cooksey

At the Grand Opening Dinner of the Rye & Camber Tramway, held at the Royal William Hotel, Camber on the afternoon of Saturday, 13th July, 1895, Colonel Brookfield, M.P during the course of a quite lengthy speech, mentioned that at the Battle of Prestonpans, near Edinburgh in 1745, Continue reading Change of Routine