Local Movies are Coming to the Rye’s Own Website

Local Movies, many shot in Rye and District in the 1960’s will be coming to this website shortly.

Literally hundreds of local people are featured in the films, which cover many aspects of Rye life from Bonfire Nights to Rye Sports. There are parades past the Town Hall, local soccer teams in action, cycling time trials on the roads of kent, dramatic snow shots from the hard winter of 1963 when the sea froze and many more outstanding events. Continue reading Local Movies are Coming to the Rye’s Own Website

Back to 1930

The BBC’s second adaptation of E. F. Benson’s Mapp & Lucia books is being produced in the streets of Rye through the summer. Whole streets have been been given a 1930 make-over and turned into film sets. E. F. Benson was Mayor of Rye for three years from 1934. He wrote the Mapp & Lucia stories while living in Continue reading Back to 1930

George Clooney in Rye

Dozens of people waited at the Bottom of mermaid Street on Thursday 7 June to catch a glimpse of American film idol, George Clooney who is prime mover in the new war film recently completed at local locations. Continue reading George Clooney in Rye

Memories of a Great Actor

By Jim Hollands

When the film “Dunkirk” came to local cinemas’ in 1959 every seat was taken for every performance.

John Mills and Richard Attenborough starred in the War epic, but it was not just these two famous stars they had gone to see.

People from Lydd, New Romney, Hythe and Rye had gone to catch a glimpse of themselves! Continue reading Memories of a Great Actor

Rye Town Band & Googie Withers

Rye had a fine brass band for many years. Alas it is no more. This photograph was taken shortly before the Second War, in 1938, and was loaned to us by Sylvia Cutting whose Dad Bill can be seen third from the left in the top row. Continue reading Rye Town Band & Googie Withers

Dunkirk at Rye

One of the Best War Films Ever Made

One of the best and most realistic war films ever made was created in and around Rye. ‘Dunkirk’, made in 1957, recorded the epic evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the open beaches of Dunkirk in 1940. Rye was chosen for the film’s location because the beaches and area around the real Dunkirk had become too populated in the seventeen year period that had elapsed since that time.

Continue reading Dunkirk at Rye

The Film Extras

TRUE STORIES OF A RYE FAMILY FROM TIMES WHEN THE WORLD WAS YOUNGER

It was early May 1956 and the chimney sweeping season was over. Window cleaning should be the mainstay of ‘the family’ but an unusually wet April had meant there were slim pickings and times were hard. Continue reading The Film Extras