We have all heard of Flanders Fields, where poppies bloomed across the battlefields and were said by soldiers of that terrible war to represent the blood of the thousands that fell there, but what of the poppy fields of Rye? Continue reading The Poppy fields of Rye
At 12.30 on the night of 3 November 1943, there was an almighty explosion about ten miles off the coast of Hastings. Convoy CW221 was sailing from the Thames to Cardiff laden with supplies for the D Day invasion when German E Boat S138 fired a torpedo. The starboard bow of the SS Storaa was badly holed and she sank bow-first within thirty seconds, taking with her the bodies of 21 men. Sixteen men survived, but the Captain, a hero named Jens Fage Pedersen, and the Dover Pilot, Watson Peverley were both among the casualties. Continue reading The Story of the Storaa a Wartime Warrior
by Elizabeth Nathaniels
Behind the tall, Victorian, pastel coloured terraces which line the seafront at St Leonards-on-Sea, there is a gem of a unique Regency new town. At the back of the Royal Victoria Hotel, the steeply rising ground is carved and moulded into charming gardens with villas and terraces scattered in and around the green. After a massive Heritage Lottery Fund sponsored makeover, they are now to be re-opened on June 21, 2008, by Roddy Llewellyn and descendants of the original architects during a day of festivities. Continue reading St Leonards Gardens Renovated
The annual St. George’s Day Parade took place under clear blue skies on Sunday 27 April.
Michael Bourne lead a contingency of British Legion veterans and representatives from the Sea Cadets, Scouts, Brownies and Guides past the Town Hall, where The Mayor of Rye, Councillor Paul Osborne took The Salute. Continue reading St.George’s Day Parade
By Jim Hollands
As a small lad of six I remember exploring Fairlight Cove with my younger brother Robert. We made an amazing discovery, massive footprints in the rock. We raced back to our family picnic spot and dragged dad to his feet. “Come quick” I said “We have found a giant’s footprints!” Continue reading Dinosaur At Hastings
By Tim Lambert
SAXON HASTINGS
Hastings began as a Saxon settlement. It was called Haesta ingas, which means Haesta’s people. By the 10th century Hastings had grown into a little market town. It even had its own mint. Continue reading A Short History of Hastings
There is not much doubt that Rye was an exciting place to live when it had a lot more water round and about it and was still complete with all its gates and lots of its walls. Continue reading The Strand Gate
One of the features of Hastings Old Town is it’s famous Tavern, Ye Olde Pump House. It is situated at the heart of George Street and is the ‘local’ of many Old Town characters, who go a long way to enhance the special atmosphere of the Continue reading Olde Pump House Hastings
A revealing stories of prewar policemen. J Leadbetter was a conductor ‘on the buses’ for many years and has some revealing stories of prewar policemen. Continue reading Prewar Policemen
The concluding episode in Michael Whiteman’s epic account of his days as a P.O.W
The next day, the same thing, but we had hardly started work when the sirens blared, we were taken under the sub-way at the station which we weren’t too happy about, as we thought that was what might possibly be bombed. Anyway, as soon as the all clear was shouted we came back over the river to the farm, we didn’t go back to the town again, thank goodness. At about six o’clock in the morning round about the 17th April we moved off to another ferry along the river, it brought us to the south side of the Regensburg, where we went into another farmyard. It had been kept very clean, the buildings were all the way around a central yard. We occupied one of the buildings away from the main house. It was while we were here that the air-raids started again over the town. The day after this nasty one, we were told that a party of POWs were crossing the Continue reading The Long Journey Part Five
