Tag: Arthur Woodgate

Hop Picking with Arthur Woodgate

 by Arthur Woodgate

I have always argued that the villages of the old Rye union of parishes were once part of the Borough of Rye. When I visited the Peasmarsh Spar shop one fine morning at the beginning of September and said it was lovely ‘hopping’ weather, no one seemed to know what I was talking about I thought I had better write something about it and describe how the area was all as one during hop picking, whilst I still can, so that history does not loose it.

It must have been in 1920 or maybe a couple of years earlier when I was initiated into the seasonal ritual of hop picking. Records seem to think I was in the hop Continue reading Hop Picking with Arthur Woodgate

Over The Sluice Part Two

By Arthur Woodgate

Many members of the Bryant family lived over the Sluice, either in Western Place or like me close by, so I claim that side Bryant, one of Rye’s top runners, second only to the great Shooty shoebridge of Rye Harbour, was one of us, and the Bryants were part of the builders or Rye as we know it today. Continue reading Over The Sluice Part Two

Police in Rye

 

by Arthur Woodgate

One day towards the end of July 2003, I was going for my newspaper at the Spar shop in Peasmarsh. To my great surprise, I saw a young lady dressed in a Police uniform. I said to her “Have I seen a mirage, or are you real?”. She assured me she was real and that she would be around from now on. Haven’t seen her or any of her colleagues since but I understand, there is a uniform still around. Its a long time since we saw our own village Policeman walking our roads as a regular thing, so lets hope we are on the verge of seeing the return of the village Policeman in ours and all the other villages, of the old Rye Union of Parishes. With our Rye Police station the nerve centre of our little corner of Sussex, acting as it were as a solar plexus for 24 hours a day, independent of the brain at Lewes, but able to go back to the brain if extra serious matters arise. Continue reading Police in Rye

The Sara Colebrooke Saga

The Sara Colebrooke Saga

By Tony Bridgland

Browsing through your June 2004 issue whilst in the doctor’s waiting-room, I came across two separate articles which dovetailed together to be of particular interest to me. One was “The Amazing Story of a Rye Shipyard” and the other, by Arthur Woodgate, told how the coaster ‘Sara Colebrooke’ was launched at Rock Channel on the day that he was born. Continue reading The Sara Colebrooke Saga

Pen & Ink

 

Dear Editor,

I feel I must point out a mistake you made in April’s issue. Reg Giles’ photograph in the Secondary School Football team of 1934-35. Reg lived at 7 Western Place, Winchelsea Road. Continue reading Pen & Ink

When Rye St John had Three Ambulances

 

 

 

When Rye St John Had Three Vehicles

By Arthur Woodgate

The picture below is of the three ambulances that Rye St John were using to serve Rye & District prior to the State run service that started in the 1950’s. Continue reading When Rye St John had Three Ambulances

The Strand 3

The Strand

Part Three

By Arthur Woodgate

As the Strand emerged from War time the scene was not quite what we had been used to, but apart from Strand House and its cottages and Havelock Villas not being there, it was not as bad as one would expect. The timber stacks were still there, and in fact had extended into the space left by the bombed houses and offices, and so they remained into the 60s. The amount of commercial shipping was being replaced by Leisure Craft. Continue reading The Strand 3

The Caister Family

By Arthur Woodgate

The Caisters of Rye Harbour – What a family. Fishing for a living father Mick Caister, skipper of the RX 30 Akela works his boat out of Rye from the new Simmonds Quay. Continue reading The Caister Family

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

The Changing Strand

By Arthur Woodgate

It was astonishing that anyone should suggest that gas was not made in Rye, but only stored. IT gave me the thought, however, that the strand in Rye had changed during the 20th Century and was worth recording. Continue reading The Changing Strand