Category: Local History

Seventy-Six Years Have Passed but Their Heroism Does Not Fade

Seventy-Six years ago the terrible lifeboat disaster hit the small community of Rye Harbour and claimed seventeen lives.

A copy of the Rye Harbour, Camber & Broomhill Magazine for December 1928 has been loaned to us by Paul Kennedy, a relative of one of the lifeboatmen lost on the Mary Stanford, who is researching the disaster and looking for more information and memorabilia. “Rye’s Own” will be happy to forward any such information or memorabilia on to Paul and help him in his endeavours. Continue reading Seventy-Six Years Have Passed but Their Heroism Does Not Fade

Potteries Of Rye Society November Meeting & AGM

The next meeting of the Potteries of Rye Society will be held in Rye on Saturday 13 November 2004 at the Stormont Studio in Ockmans Lane. The meeting will include the Annual General Meeting but this will be only a brief part of the programme for the day which is: Continue reading Potteries Of Rye Society November Meeting & AGM

To The Trenches Via Rye

A Rough Diary of my Soldier Life

By Pte. George Linney

The war broke out as you know in August 1914 but I did not join up before February 1916, as I thought it was my duty to stop at home and help keep things going because my father was incapable of work. Moreover, my mind was quite made up when I heard that two of my brothers had joined the colours. Continue reading To The Trenches Via Rye

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

The Life and Times of Reg Weeks

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 The Life and Times of Reg Weeks

The Changing Strand

 Part Two

by Arthur Woodgate

In 1938 the steel piles were put in along the river to replace the old worn out ones, which were wooden and been there for many years. On 2nd July of that year, I was crossing the bridge into Winchelsea Road in a terrific thunder storm and witnessed the most spectacular natural sight I have seen. Continue reading The Changing Strand

Caught In The Mint

          In the times when Policemen patrolled the Town

From Jimper’s Romantic Diaries

The Street in Rye called The Mint is narrow, twisting downhill and one-way traffic only. It was the quick way for me to visit my girlfriend up in Church Square. The shortest route to her home was by way of Mermaid Street but as this is also steep and paved in large cobblestones, did not appeal to me on my old drop handlebar push-bike. Continue reading Caught In The Mint

Hop Picking

By Eric Streeton

Hopping, why is it this one word conjures up so much nostalgia in so many people? I think the words unique atmosphere sums it up quite nicely. The feel of a damp chill in the air, the dew on the hop bines and bins. That shower of dew that fell on you when the first bines of the day were pulled. The smell of fires wafting across the gardens where pickers are brewing their mid-day tea. Have you ever tasted Tea brewed in a Billie Can? I have, there is nothing to compare with it, nectar of the gods. Continue reading Hop Picking

Boat Builders of Rye Part 3

 

The Warship Revival

Photographs from the collection of E.G. Pollington (nee Jempson)

“A Thirteenth Century traveller from inland, making his way through the gloom of the Sussex forests, might well have paused on the outskirts of Rye to listen to a strange sound, a rhythmic hammering, half-metallic, half wooden in its timbre, which floated out hour after hour on the southerly breeze. Continue reading Boat Builders of Rye Part 3