The sound of the maroons woke Alfie with a jolt. He knew instantly what it meant, but he also knew that at thirteen he was still too young to man the lifeboat. A fierce storm had blown up overnight and he lay for a while listening as bursts of rain lashed against his window. Continue reading Above and Beyond
By Jo Kirkham
Rye’s 97 year old historian, Arthur Woodgate, recently presented this rare survival of a ‘Storm Bell’ to Rye Castle Museum. Continue reading Arthur’s Museum Gift
Rye and District Lions were delighted with the huge crowd of spectators that turned out to watch their 32nd Annual Rye Raft Race on Sunday. Despite many other attractions on a Bank Holiday weekend the public from Rye
and its surrounding area supported the event in record numbers, an estimated 5,000. Continue reading Great Raft Race of 2010
Events day raised over £3000 in the charity’s biggest ever fund-raising day. The big event started on Friday 29 January at midday when the crew set off on a 24 hour marathon Tandem Ride, which resulted in £2758 being pledged in Continue reading RNLI SOS
The well known local fishing boat “Llamedos” was recently reported ‘sunk’ in The Strand.The owner of the vessel contacted the RNLI Operations Manager at Rye Harbour requesting assistance with the recovery of his boat, which had sunk due to the wind pinning the boat under the ledge of the Strand wall and with a high tide and excessive flood water coming from the River Tillingham, following a heavy rain fall. Continue reading Sunk in the Strand
On Sunday 31st May 2009 the last survivor from the TITANIC disaster died. Millvina Dean aged 97 years was living at a nursing home in Hampshire and only this year stars involved in the Hollywood blockbuster film of the tragedy agreed to contribute £20,000 to her fees. Continue reading Titanic Survivors
RNLI relief Lifeboat B722 ‘Beatrice Dorothy’ launched to the 24ft sail yacht ‘Nervous Tension’ who had been reported to Dover Coastguard as appearing to be in trouble, off Jury’s Gap. Continue reading Lifeboat Diary
Seventeen men battled with backs bent against the furious force of the wind along the straight stretch of beach to the Mary Stanford Lifeboat House between Rye Harbour and Winchelsea Beach. Continue reading 80 Years Since Lifeboat Disaster
Rye Harbour Lifeboat crew launched to rescue a Cavalier King Charles spaniel ‘Lotty’ on 27 July. The dog had jumped into the River Rother at Rye Harbour entrance, whilst chasing seagulls. Continue reading Rye Harbour Lifeboat Station
I have known the area around Rye for many years, but when house-hunting a few years ago, I was surprised to see a book about the Mary Stanford Disaster, as my name is Jacqueline Mary Stanford. I read with interest the terrible story of what happened in 1928 that decimated the small village of Rye Harbour and caused such ripples of grief in the pool of the world. In 2006, I moved to Winchelsea Beach and last year it was my privilege to become a Parish Councillor for Rye Harbour. I have enjoyed getting to know the families, and it was therefore inevitable that the history of the area would become part of what I could help them maintain. Continue reading The Mary Stanford Lifeboat House
