Dear Editor,
The recent article by Rex Swain featuring the life and death of Tony Cager prompted me to search out a photo of the Rye Boys Club gym section, taken in the Mermaid Street School Headquarters, probably in the very early 1960’s.
Tony (front centre) was a star performer at the Gym Club run by my father assisted by Robert (Bob) Vincent, Reg Sherwood and Brian Booth. I would like to respectfully dedicate the publication of the photograph to Tony’s memory.
Clifford Jordan Rye
Dear Editor
I don’t recall Lord Lytton describing the Town Council’s Quality Town Status Certificate as ‘just a piece of paper hanging on the wall’ (Rye Gets Quality Town Status – January 2007). However, he did report on something which has the potential to make a major impact on the governance of Rye.
The latest Local Government White Paper proposes that Quality Town and Parish Councils be given the ‘power of general well-being’. This is important. Currently, parish and town councils may, on the whole, do only what the law allows them to do – so, for example, we are not allowed to finance or provide education or social services. With the new power proposed we would be able to play a direct role in such areas – should this be deemed desirable.
Richard Farhall Town Clerk
His actual words were “A framed piece of paper hanging on the wall.” Thank you Richard for enlarging on ‘Power of Well-being’. This does seem an avenue that Rye might exploit Ed.
Dear Editor
Further to your interesting article of January, by Frank Palmer, it brought back happy memories for the Lade family. Before the Church Square, Police Station closed in 1966, the resident police officer was Derek Lade and in the photo in front of the station with Mr. Palmers mother is Mrs. Mary Lade and young daughter, Jenny.
Derek Lade transferred to Polgate then to Bexhill and retired as station Sergeant in Hailsham, where he now lives.
By sheer coincidence, when we received Rye’s Own by post, our daughter Jenny was with us visiting from her home in Kansas, U.S.A. for Christmas, and saw herself in print!!
Derek and I return to Rye often (and Camber Sands) and the U.S.A. and the family were very lucky to be invited into the converted Police Station to have a look around on another visit to U.K. – bringing back very happy memories for all of us, of the happy police station, and our house.
Keep up the good work with Rye’s Own, we look forward to it every month.
Mary Lade Hailsham
Dear Editor
I refer to your article “Rye’s Christmas Lights” in the January edition.
I thought the lights were delightful. They were understated, tasteful, and the fact that they were all the same colour made them even more attractive. Anyone wanting to see bright and garish colours can easily do so at another local centre. Rye was refreshingly different, distinctly classy and looked old fashioned in the best sense of the word.
Of course whatever you do you will not please everyone, but I would like you to know that the 2006 Christmas lights did not go unappreciated.
Miss Avril Thurley Pett
Dear Editor
I wonder if any other readers remember the poems they learnt in their childhood.
Driving through Winchelsea in mid-January my husband and I noted that the daffodils were already in bloom on the grass verges.
This put in mind of a verse at junior school which exactly epitomises my childhood vision of our beautiful island.
In January, freezing
In February, floods
Then March with the daffs, and the tiny green buds
The primrose in April
The Cuckoo in May
Then June with the roses
July with the hay
Next, glorious August with seaside and fun
September means harvest, and summer is done
October brings apples
November has guys
December and Christmas, that’s how the year flies.
P. Pawley Rye