Author: Jim Hollands

Eileen Alstin 1916 – 2012

“Rye’s Own” sadly reports the death of one of our oldest subscribers.

Eileen was born at Camberwell on 28th October, 1916. This was at the height of the First World war It was a sweet tooth that led to a sweetheart when Eileen and a friend were in a shop; they both thought that the toffee apples on display looked delicious, but were far too expensive. Ron Alstin overheard them and offered to buy one for Eileen, which was how they met.

They married when Eileen was just nineteen and settled in Peckham after their honeymoon in Hastings. During the war, Ron worked out of Woolwich Arsenal Continue reading Eileen Alstin 1916 – 2012

Quotes From Newsfeeds Saturday 1 April 2016

Tony May

Thinking about Ronnie Corbett I think his legacy could teach a lot of people today a thing or two about how to live their lives. Ronnie was never one to take offence when someone made fun of his height, indeed he often would go as far as to instigate a joke at his own expense. How gloriously liberating it must have been Continue reading Quotes From Newsfeeds Saturday 1 April 2016

South Saxon

Life as it was lived 50 years ago in a small village near Rye as seen by R. D. Symons of Silton, Sasks., Canada I grew up in hearing of the slow, country speech of the people of Sussex.

Only occasionally have I heard it over the past fifty and more years, for most of the English immigrants to the prairies come from the industrial areas of the Midlands and North of England. Continue reading South Saxon

Winchelsea

Written In 1973 by Cristopher Davson

Let us take the bull by the horns. There is a love-hate relationship between Rye and Winchelsea. Such a relationship is most commonly found in families, and these two ancient towns are like rival sisters in a powerful family. Winchelsea, the elder, still beautiful in her widow’s weeds, looks down from a height of I20ft. Continue reading Winchelsea

Living On The Marsh

By Jimper

WATER

Living as I did, and still do on the marsh, one could not go further than two hundred yards without coming into contact with it. Water was all around one; the sea to the south and the River Brede to the north being the two largest obstacles to keep we kids in our area. The whole marsh is fence-less with only the odd gatepost to hinder your view to the hills of the west. The east had massive shingle banks that have in the last forty years been extracted to leave large lakes further east. The River Rother flows to the sea via Rye where my River Brede joins to swell its flow. Continue reading Living On The Marsh

Who Remembers Dancing At The Tower?

GREAT DANCE EVENING OUT

It could have been the Tower Ballroom at Blackpool but no – it was the function room at the Tower Theatre Shorncliff that echoed to the dance music of the Thirties, Forties and Fifties on Sunday 15 July 2012 . Continue reading Who Remembers Dancing At The Tower?