Alf Horner – Noble Hero

By Jim Hollands

Pictures from the Horner Collection

Just recently, John Horner, who now lives in Hastings, loaned me two albums packed with photographs of his father and events in Rye and the local area in the 20th. century. Many are previously unpublished.

Alfred Horner, known to all Rye as Alf, was a friend of my father. They both worked in businesses in the town and later had their own grocery shops. They were in the Home Guard together in the war years and continued running shops in Rye until they died, within two months of each other, in 1969. Continue reading Alf Horner – Noble Hero

War and Peace

by Arthur Woodgate

The phrase “all but the kitchen sink” did not hold out when the Germans smashed Havelock Villas on the Strand for, large as life, there was the kitchen sink sitting on the top of one of the houses of “T square”. As it and the other contents of Havelock were blasted out, my dad working in his work shop, heard and saw a piece of rock drop through his roof and finish by his foot. The whole roof had to be replaced after the War. Continue reading War and Peace

Rye Town Band 1938

 

Rye had a fine brass band for many years. Alas it is no more. This photograph was taken shortly before the Second War, in 1938, and was loaned to us by Sylvia Cutting whose Dad Bill can be seen third from the left in the top row. Continue reading Rye Town Band 1938

17 Brave Men

The Story of the Rye Harbour Lifeboat Disaster

The Alice of Riga

In the early hours of the morning of 15 Novem­ber 1928 a chain of events started that was to lead to the worst Lifeboat disaster in the history of the United Kingdom. Continue reading 17 Brave Men