The Old Billy

The Royal William  – Camber

By Clifford Jordan

From October 2001 “Rye’s Own”

A late nineteenth century postcard of the original Old Billy Pub situated at Camber opposite the Golf Club House which was weather boarded with a stove pipe chimney on the left and destroyed by fire in 1893 Continue reading The Old Billy

The Rye & Camber Tram

By Kenneth M Clark – (Rya)

The South Eastern Railway’s single line branch to Rye Harbour, which had been opened in 1854 was only utilised for goods traffic and, consequently, there existed no means of transport between Rye and Rye Harbour for fishermen and such other persons as made their living at the Harbour. It was only during 1894—the year in which the Rye Golf Club was founded—that a group of prominent local citizens decided to build a light railway which would not only link Rye with the Golf Club but enable fishermen to travel to the Harbour—crossing the Rother by means of a ferry. Continue reading The Rye & Camber Tram

Down Rye Way – Tom Upton

Down Rye Way

Tom Upton

On many hot summer evenings Special Police Sergeant Tom Upton does traffic duty in Rye keeping the flow of traffic passing smoothly through the town from the seaside beaches of Camber and Winchelsea Beach. To see Tom Upton in action, competently marshalling the hundreds of cars, its difficult to believe that this upright, fit looking man is over 70. Continue reading Down Rye Way – Tom Upton