Scallop or Scollop from ‘Little by Little’
So Rye has just celebrated its third Scallop Festival? It’s what? I hear you say. Yes that’s right, a Scallop Festival. Now forgive me please for I am just a humble Sussex man, born and bread. All my life, and in my ignorance, I have always known them to be called the SCOLLOP in this locality as I thought most local people did.
Surely if promoting a local product would it not be proper to promote it in the local way? Yes I am aware that it is an archaic way of spelling the word, but it has served me well for nearly sixty years, why do we have to change things now? Or does the Sussex pronunciation and spelling of Scollop offend sensitive ears?
Note From the Editor:
Yes ‘Little by Little’ I have always known the scollop as scollop. I checked with my fisherman brother Robert who was the man that introduced scollop harvesting to Rye Bay back in the seventies when there was a period when fish were very scarce locally. He tells me that any scollop caught in Rye Bay is a scollop, the same applies to those caught by the Newhaven fishermen who advised him on how to construct a scollop rake. He was laughed at by other fishermen at Rye when he loaded the rake aboard his boat, but on seeing the results of his first catch they were all constructing scollop rakes within the month.
Whatever way the tasty shell fish is spelt we should all thank the Town Manager and Kate Hemmings for promoting Rye’s fishing industry and giving Rye Bay Scollops or Scallops a special boost.
March 2005 Issue of “Rye’s Own”
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