Dear Editor.
In your October issue Rye’s Own you ran a feature entitled have Health & Safety Regulations gone too far? May I suggest it’s not the regulations at fault but the job’s worth’s who interpret them. These examples are from a company safety magazine.
Have you got the handrail habit.?
(I thought, I do have a lot of habits, like picking my nose, scratching my bum, but not a hand rail habit.)
In June there was a lost-time accident in the same publication, where an employee was hurt when he slipped on some steps. He was not holding the hand-rail at the time and fell onto the steps, sustaining injury. This is another example of an injury which would probably have been avoided by holding the handrail.
Please make sure that you get the handrail habit. (Please do not bang you head on the table in frustration and disbelief while you read this) (Then they printed three very handy safety tips.)
Check the condition of the stairs, carpet and edging. Don’t rush or carry too much-ask for help. (And last but not least is this gem.) Look where you are going. (What’s that noise?)
More Little by Little more! Are you sure? Well if you insist. Here are a few extracts from another item and is a good example of George Orwell’s New speak.
The HSE issued the urgent warning after the HACA fixed rail vertical fall arrest system, type 0529.7102, manufactured by German company HACA Lxxxxn, failed to meet test standards. When tested by the HSE, the HACA type 0529.7102 system failed to meet the test standards stipulated in BS EN353-1:2002, The standard for this type of equipment. Just one more and I promise no more.
Who needs a DSE assessment?
How often should DSE assessments be done? Blah, Blah, Blah.
(What the heck is a D S E assessment)
Sorry I lied, just one more.
Did you know an equal number of accidents occur on rural roads in daylight as at night, although the severity of those that happen in the dark is higher?
(Not a lot of people know that)
I noticed in The Leadbetter Report, his comments on a trade union survey.
It sounds like I also must have received the same survey. There were tick boxes for every sexual orientation I have heard of, and some I have not heard of, and for all kinds of every race creed or colour and minority group you could think of. But nothing for a White, Happily Married, Straight, and English Male.
My first trade union the N.F.B.T.O was never like this, they had more important things to think of. Just a little more proof that the Lunatics have taken over the Asylum. George Orwell’s Thought Police are alive and kicking.
Little by Little. Rye P.S. God Bless our Nanny State.
Dear Editor
I have been following the media coverage of the marketing situation in Rye. In the last few weeks I have seen letters and quotes from the Chamber of Commerce and Rye Town Services kindly thanking me for my contribution to marketing Rye. What has not been mentioned and is, in my opinion, very important is an acknowledgement of the various groups and volunteers who organise some of the other well attended events in Rye.
The Bonfire Society bring thousands of people to the town each year, the Rye Festival attracts many visitors from all over the country to Rye every September, Peter Cosstick and his team do a fabulous job promoting and organising the Rye Christmas Festival, Christopher Strangeways encourages many repeat day visitors with the weekly Farmers Market (and hopefully with the new Rye Produce Market 11th October) not forgetting the Maritime Festival and Medieval Conference organisers. These groups spend hours of voluntary time arranging very special, beneficial projects that help to market this town, bring in visitors and provide entertainment for residents too.
These organisations all use their own methods of advertising and public relations. They have websites and weblinks, they send out press releases that reach the national media, produce guides that are sent out nationally and internationally, they have national travel fair representation by 1066 Country Marketing group and all benefit from the local press. Their marketing programmes are very effective.
The events they organise offer great marketing opportunities for the rest of Rye’s business community. Accommodation providers can and do use these events to attract business.
Marketing policy may be in limbo at present but I do not agree with the comments that nothing is happening to promote the town and whatever decisions are taken about the future I think it would be very sensible to acknowledge and utilise the benefits brought by the many volunteers who help Rye.
Lorna Hall Rye Dear Editor
It is nice to see the Rye lads have not been in trouble lately. I suppose the worst thing we used to do was scrumping, this is not pinching but helping the owner by slighting the fruit to allow the rest to get bigger, I remember one owner was pleased because he caught me and said I know you Dicky Bryant and I’ll tell your Dad and later Dad said you been at the apples again and I said yes, because I told the truth his eyes filled with emotion and he couldn’t see me because as he went to shake my hand he missed and slapped my ear, but he amends by instead of making me have my tea and having to go out to play football, he let me go to bed early.
I remember Tommy Apes – Robin Tiltman and me Dick Bryant were going scrumping when we met my sister Bunty, she said she was coming it was no good saying no because it would have been (I tell Mum when we go home) so out of the goodness of my heart or maybe I didn’t want a thick ear from Mum. I said OK. We were going over Gibbets Marsh, in our day the railway line there was a ditch with gardens in between, and the best fruit always hung over the ditch so Rob and me said we would dangle Tom by his legs from up in the tree he could pick the fruit, drop it in the water and Bunt would tickle into bank with a stick. We just started and Bunt said here comes the man from Cyprus Place we didn’t wait for him to thank us but just let Tom go. I gave him two out of six for the dive as he made a big splash as he went in, I don’t think you suppose to scream. I would have given him three out of six but he swore at me when he came up, he got my name Bryant right but when he said Mum wasn’t married when she had me he was wrong.
So three of us ran over to a ditch beside Ashenden Avenue to wait for the coast to clear. Tom waddled over later legs apart like he was wet but we enjoyed our selves. Well three of us had, I never thought to ask Tom.
So there you are lads no trouble and we were happy just think lads you will be like us later in life. I left school at 14 and when I retired I had never drawn one shilling dole money. So last year when I was 80 years old. Brown gave me 25 pence extra on my pension so I’m looking for another 80 year old so we can buy a newspaper between us. Failing this I will look for an immigrant who will adopt me so I can live a life of luxury with all the hand outs they get. I wonder what my gran would have got now as my Mum was Bessie Tiltman and she had 12 sisters, Dear old Beat care us the only one now I’m afraid so if I get a calculator from Father Christmas I will work it out.
Happy Christmas everyone and a prosperous new year still a Ryer at heart.
Dick Bryant
From “Rye’s Own” December 2008
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