We are delighted to report that Frank Golden's is to continue as a draper's shop, even keeping the familiar name. The new owner is Mr. Fassum of The Golden Fleece in Lion Street, and he tells us that after a certain amount of internal reorganisation the shop will reopen sometime in the spring, stocking very much the same lines as did Mr. Healey and Mr. Hall before him. We all know that Golden's is one of the oldest businesses in Rye, but Mr. Fassum says that it is also one of the oldest-established drapery trades on the south-east coast, and it is clear that he is very pleased to be keeping this splendid tradition alive. He invites suggestions from Rye shoppers (in writing, please, to The Golden Fleece) about particular lines not at present available in the town which he could suitably stock, so we all have the opportunity to help create the business which will in its turn help the town.
The present Golden Fleece shop will, of course, continue trading in Lion Street with its normal stock of clothing, etc., particularly tempting at this time of year.
It looks as if Conduit Hill will soon get its handrail (GAZETTE nos. 1 and 11). Having considered the County Council's application plus the various views for and against, the Secretary of State for the Environment "is satisfied that the works are acceptable in so far as the character of this street of special architectural or historic interest is concerned" and has therefore granted the listed building consent necessary. He stipulates that the work must be begun within the next five years - but we have the impression that the County Council is keen to get on with it at the same time as the work needed to close Conduit Hill to through traffic. Rother Planning Committee raised no objection to the rail, so there seems no reason to delay.
Horses and hunting are of course nothing new to Rye, and many local riders compete in the hunt point-to-point races. But Julian Apps of Lea Avenue, 18, has always intended to make a career as a jockey and is certainly well on his way. Julian, son of John and Shirley Apps of Lea Avenue, has been interested in horses since he was six, with a gap in his early teens after a bad fall; support from his parents and coaching from Mrs. Mavis Hankinson of Tenterden helped him to regain his enthusiasm, and when he left Thomas Peacocke he was lucky enough to be taken on as an apprentice at Guy Harwood's Pulborough stables. After a year it was clear that though Julian had considerable potential as a jockey, he was going to be too tall for flat-racing, Guy Harwood's speciality. He was incredibly lucky to hear of a vacancy with trainers Mr. and Mrs. D. Grissell, who have a "jump yard" at Netherfield where they train steeplechasers. Julian joined the Grissells' stable a year ago and shares a cottage in Brightling with another of their lads; the work is physically very demanding, but Julian was able to cope with it and just before Christmas he had his first race, at Folkestone. His horse, Genevieve, was no way a winner and Julian was told not to worry if he didn't even finish; but in fact he came fifth and will be riding Genevieve again in the new year.
Julian's mother worked in hunting stables, including those of Mr. and Mrs. Piper at Humphreys Cross, Playden, so it is easy to see where his enthusiasm comes from. It is not particularly shared by his sister Tina (20) and brother Darren (12), but Mrs. Apps pays a glowing tribute to the help and support given to Julian by the Mairs of Wick Farm; the family have encouraged him since childhood, lent him a horse, and it was Claire Mair who helped him to get his present job. He has also owed much to Mr. and Mrs. Nass - Mrs. Nass was formerly Sue Jeall of Camber; and his membership of the Pony Club helped him make useful contacts and gain a wider experience of the world of horsemanship.
It is not all that usual nowadays to hear of a teenager who has not only a job but the job he has always dreamed of; we wish Julian every success and look forward to reporting his further progress towards the Grand National!
2.
The death in hospital after a short illness of Sgt. Roy Parrack takes from the town a much loved and respected member of the community. Mr. Parrack, of Ashenden Avenue, was 74. As a young man he saw service with the Royal Signals, and then went into the police force where he served for 31 years; part of this time was spent in Rye, and he and Mrs. Parrack chose the town for their retirement. For the next ten years Mr. Parrack was on the staff of Ellis's, the ironmongers on Hilder's Cliff, helping innumerable customers with requests often involving a search of the complicated back premises of that memorable shop. When the business changed hands, Mr. Parrack moved to Ellwood’s in Market Road, where he was still employed part-time at the time of his death. He was Vice-Chairman of the Rye Branch of the British Legion and, says Chairman Bob Bowler, a "good and faithful servant" of the Legion, where his opinions were greatly respected and by whom he will be much missed. The funeral will take place on Friday, 7 January, at 11.15 at St. Mary's, followed by cremation in Hastings - family flowers only, but donations in lieu of flowers will be gratefully accepted for Cancer Relief (c/o Mrs. Phil Ellis, 26 Cadborough Cliff) or for the League of Friends of Rye Memorial Hospital (c/o The Manager, Lloyds Bank, Rye). Our deepest sympathy goes to Mrs. Parrack on this sudden bereavement at Christmastime when she and Mr. Parrack had expected to be in Australia on a family visit.
Miss Gertie Wickersham, of Mason Road, died in Battle Hospital on Christmas Eve, after months of increasing frailty. Miss Wickersham was 86, and she and her sister Olive moved to Mason Road three years ago after living for many years in Military Road. Miss Wickersham used to work for two well-known Rye residents, Miss Baker (now Mrs. Hill) who taught at the Ferry Road school, and Mr. Sprigg Walker, once organist at St. Mary's. Miss Gertie, Miss Olive and their brother come from an old Rye family; their father, who had worked on the railway, was killed in the Great War, and Miss Olive can recall vividly a Rye which most of us find difficult to imagine nowadays. Miss Gertie was a much-valued member of the team which ran the Mayor's tea-parties for old people in the Rye Corporation days - indeed, she was co-opted on to the Bequests Committee - and used to call round to deliver the invitations personally; she would, Miss Olive says, never sit down at the party herself though she was well inside the age limit! However, in recent years crippling arthritis meant that it was difficult for her to get about, and she went into Battle Hospital in August. The cremation takes place today (Wednesday).
Mrs. Kath Fairhall, of Iden, who died suddenly on Saturday, was a founder member of Iden WI and a keen supporter of the WI movement generally. She is perhaps best remembered in Rye as the friendly face behind the handicraft stall at the WI Market until a year or so ago. Mrs. Fairhall was 86 and had lived in Iden, with a brief spell in Peasmarsh, ever since her marriage. As well as a host of friends, she leaves her sons Reg and Ken, her daughter Elsie, and six grandchildren. The funeral takes place next Wednesday (12th), at 2.0 at the Methodist Church followed by cremation at Hastings.
Dressed in Victorian style, with the girls in maidservants' outfits lent by Peppers Restaurant, nine enterprising young people raised £125 for the Blue Peter kidney machine appeal on Christmas Eve. House-to-house carol-singing tends to be less rewarding in these days of television and nervous householders than it used to be, but this group stuck to the hotels, where generous guests contributed £5 and even £10 notes to the good cause. They started at the Mermaid and returned there later by special request, and also visited the George, the Saltings and the Monastery; they would very much like to thank their hosts and hope to see them again next year. The singers were Jane Jenkinson, Debbie Gale, Fiona Yelland, Susan and Charles James, Simon Winkworth, James Nunn, Guy Simpson and David Dee. Congratulations!
By courtesy of Rye Fire Brigade, Father Christmas delivered 250 parcels in the Rye area between 8.30 and 11.30 on Christmas morning; he visited Winchelsea Beach and Rye Harbour, even making a second trip to the Harbour because someone's grandchildren would otherwise have missed him. In fact, there were three Santa’s, each with his Rudolph as driver; the donkey-cart was unable to attend, but vans were provided by T. Bourne & Son, Michael Bryant and the Brigade itself. The venture gave a great deal of pleasure to the young, as well as raising £90 for Fire Service benevolent funds.
THE RYE GAZETTE, 5.1.83 p. 3
We are much indebted to Mr. Geoffrey Bateman for the following list of visitors from overseas to St. Mary's during 1982 (1981 figures in brackets), Mr. Bateman's original list was even more detailed, but we have had to condense it slightly for reasons of space.
West Germany 2060 (2330) Chile 20 (5)
U.S.A. 1084 (1038) Greece 18 (15)
Holland 709 (880) Argentina 15 (55)
France 534 (676) Hungary 15 (4)
Australia 519 (491) Luxembourg 14 (2)
Canada 471 (466) Israel 14 (10)
Italy 342 (297) Brazil 11 (15)
Sweden 301 (272) Saudi Arabia. 10 (7)
Belgium 2257 (265) Poland 9 (27)
Switzerland 147 (213) Hong Kong 9 (19)
Spain 147 (172) Muscat and Oman 8 (12)
New Zealand 138 (195) India 7 (2)
Austria 122 (140) China 7 (1)
Norway 90 (72) Kuwait 7 (1)
Denmark 88 (104) Turkey 6 (15)
South Africa 64 (83) Portugal 6 (7)
Zimbabwe 28 (27) Malaysia 6 (7)
Mexico 24 (35)
In addition, the church welcomed a smaller number of visitors from Cyprus, East Germany, Nigeria, Tunisia, Trinidad, Russia, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Monaco, Bermuda, Colombia, Iraq, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Libya, Mali, Iran, Nigeria, Indonesia, Thailand, Lichtenstein, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, Uganda, Uruguay, Peru, St. Helena, North Yemen, Chad, Jamaica, Gibraltar, Mongolia, Majorca, Brunei, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Prince Edward Island, Tasmania, San Marino, Barbados, Spanish Morocco, North Korea, Netherlands Antilles, French Guiana, Egypt, Togo, Sicily, Kashmir, Sharjah, Ecuador, Hawaii, Honduras, Madeira, Senegal, Cameroons, Bangladesh, St. Kitts-Nevis, Albania, Faroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Antigua, Portuguese India, Namibia, Zambia, Swaziland, Haiti.
This amazing list reads rather like a stamp catalogue; we could never have supposed that so many nationalities visited Rye. The fact that there were nearly four times as many West German visitors as French does not seem to be confirmed by the conversation heard in the High Street, but perhaps the French are less diligent about visiting places of interest and prefer the shops. There were fewer Swiss than last year but more Italians; and, not surprisingly, considerably fewer Argentinians. The church also had 303 visitors from Wales (382), 212 from Scotland (263) and 117 from Ireland, North and South (91).
Rye Players would like more members - acting or non-acting. They plan a new play (not chosen yet) in April, and there is to be a play-reading at 7.30 pm on Monday, 10 January, at 5 Bridge Place. The group's President Joan Parkes says "Do come and join us - you don't know what your talents are until you try. One of our members (who shall be nameless) came along to the meeting when the Rye Players was re-formed ten years ago and said, 'I'd like to join and will do anything backstage, but don't ask me to act'. He is now one of our most valued and versatile actors - and we tease him that he has hardly had his feet off the stage since he joined."
Our recent enquiry for professional bookbinders has produced three offers to undertake such work. Adams of Rye have bound books for many years, not solely in connection with the printing business. We have also heard froth Miss Patricia Robbins, of Cadnam, Lydd Read, Camber (Camber 263), who is professionally trained and conveniently near; and from BD Bookbinder's of Hastings - Mr. J.W. Duffy (70 Athelstan Road, Hastings 442880) and Mr. R. Beal (6 Arthur Road, Bexhill 211170) were apprentices together some years ago and have recently set up a joint bookbinding business.
THE RYE GAZETTE, 5.1.85 p. 4
The late Mr. Len Stocks left, as is well known locally, a great deal of money to charity. Half of the residue of his estate was left to St. Mary's Church, which has already received £50,000, and PCC Treasurer Chris Davson says that the total may well reach more than £70,000 when the estate is finally settled.
This generous and substantial benefaction to St. Mary's is the latest in a very long tradition; doubtless equally large endowments by the standards of the day have been made by local worshippers in earlier times, and of course tithes on land-owned were paid as part of each church's regular income. The payment of these tithes became increasingly complicated, and around the time of the Great War the government took them over and gave the Church a capital sum once and for all to replace them (though doubtless the story is a good deal more involved than that). This money is administered by the Church Commissioners, and from the income clergy salaries are now equalised so that the incumbent of a parish with endowments gets the same stipend as the man in a richly endowed parish. However, the income of the Church Commissioners is not enough to pay clergy salaries in full, and so each parish is expected to contribute a proportion of its annual income for this purpose.
Chris Davson has only been Treasurer of St. Mary's for a year, and he assures us that he still has a lot to learn about the complications of ecclesiastical finance. Last year St. Mary's Church income was very roughly £18,000, and of this around £9,000 went straight to the Church Commissioners towards clergy salaries (the other parishes in the Rye Group of course also contribute to the salaries of the team ministry). The remaining £9,000 or so is needed primarily for the running costs of the church and the parish generally; visitors to the church will have noticed how successful the major redecoration scheme has been, though they may not realise just what the heating costs to run.
In Parish News in the January Fixtures, Mr. Davson makes two closely related points. Writing of the church's current income, he says that both tower and bookstall receipts are down on last year, and it looks as if the year's accounts will show a substantial deficit. "Inflation" he says "is hitting us hard, and increased giving is needed by those who value the Church's presence."
Referring to the Stocks legacy, Mr. Davson says there could be various ways of using the money. The PCC has set up a planning committee to consider ideas; this committee really does want help from anyone interested, and no holds are barred as far as suggestions are concerned. Any member of the committee (their names are in Parish News) will be glad to receive proposals, all of which will be considered before the committee reports back to the PCC in mid-February. We hope to be allowed to publish the gist of that report in due course.
We thought it might be of interest to our readers, and also a proper obeisance to a generous man, to publish the other charitable bequests made by Mr. Stocks (the will was proved in July and its contents are now, therefore, public). He left money as follows:
£500 to the British Legion.
£250 to the Red Cress (preferably for use in the Rye District); to the Red Cross Over-60s Club; to St. John Ambulance, Rye; to the Leagues of Friends of Rye Memorial Hospital, Hill House, Royal East Sussex, Buchanan and St. Helen's; to Cancer Relief; to the East Sussex Association for the Disabled; to Oxfam; to Rye, Corporation to provide comforts for people in Badger Gate; to Rye Sea Cadets; to the Monday Club; to the British Sailors Society; to the Tobacco Trade Benevolent Association; and to the Rye and District Council for the Welfare of the Elderly.
£200 to East Sussex County Council to provide comforts for people in Greyfriars; to the British Legion Club; and to the Rye Workman's Conservative Club.
£100 to Rye United Football Club and to Rye Cricket Club.
It seems very clear from this list how much Rye and its people meant to Mr. Stocks; we hope his memory will long remain green in the town.
5.
Before Christmas we mentioned the Lions International appeal on BBC1; now another organisation very strong locally is having the same publicity, this time on Sunday 23 January at 6.35 when Martin Muncaster is introducing a film and appealing on behalf of the Sea Cadet Association - which does not receive quite the same direct support from the Navy as the ATC does from the RAF.
Rye is, of course, a very suitable base for a flourishing Sea Cadet Corps, with both the river and Castle Water available for practising boat work and seamanship, whereas units further inland have to concentrate on bands and guard drill. The Corps has its HQ in Rock Channel, and the 24 cadets have no less than eight different types of boat including a 27-foot motorboat and three Mirror sailing dinghies, plus canoes. In charge is John Whiteman of Peasmarsh, who has just been awarded a bar to his Cadet Forces Medal for 28 years' service to Rye Sea Cadets; he is due to retire within the next two years, but the Whiteman family interest is hardly likely to wane since his sons Paul and Mark are First Lieutenant and Petty Officer Instructor, and Mrs. Joyce Whiteman copes with the administration and uniforms. There is plenty of support from parents, who raised £160 towards the running costs of the minibus at their Christmas Fair at Icklesham on 18 December.
New recruits aged 12 1/2 upwards will be very welcome, and those interested should get in touch with Mr. John Whiteman at Peasmarsh 357 or come along to Rock Channel on a Monday or Friday at 7 pm.
June Haviland's pupils at the Rye Dance Centre are coming on so nicely that she is beginning to think of putting on a stage show this year. But a show means costumes - and what June is looking for now is someone who would be prepared to organise this. She doesn't have anything very elaborate in mind, just ballet tutus and perhaps some "national" costumes, and she could provide patterns and a clear outline of what she wanted. But someone who can dressmake herself and perhaps has friends who would be willing to lend a hand would be an absolute godsend. June would also be most grateful for any suitable costumes that people may have lying about from previous shows, etc., as she is naturally anxious to keep costs down as much as she possibly can.
Call at the Community Centre on Saturday mornings or ring Rye 4979 in the evenings if you would like to know more.
Playden Church offered an enthusiastic audience a very full evening's entertainment on the Tuesday before Christmas, with a "Picture Show and Sing-in" at the WI Hall.
Alan Dickinson, who has been interested in local history since he was quite a small boy, now has a large number of slides relating to the history of Iden and Playden, showing buildings, scenes and personalities of the past; he has built up this collection from photographs lent to him (and would be glad to hear from anyone who has more material which would help him to expand it further), and he showed a selection from it.
A group of singers then led the audience in singing carols, and there were seasonable readings from the work of Dickens, Hardy, Dylan Thomas and Kenneth Grahame. In addition to providing a most enjoyable evening, the event raised £26 for charity.
There is not a lot doing in the evenings at present, compared with the social whirl before Christmas. So anyone wanting an evening out might like to drop in on the Rye Old Time and Modern Sequence Dance Club, who meet on Wednesdays (except the second in each month) at the FE Centre from 7.30 to 9.30. Leaders are Margaret and Bill Baker, of Winchelsea Beach, who have been coaching dancers for ten years in Rye and for nearly 30 years all told. The Club has around 28 members at present but would like more; never mind how old - or young - you are, men and women are equally welcome. Just come along to a meeting and revive your dancing days, or start from scratch, or simply watch to begin with. The 30p entrance fee includes refreshments - about the cheapest evening's entertainment we have heard of for a very long time:
6
Thursday, 6th Christian Lunch Club, CC, 12 for 12.30; speaker, Mrs. Barrett on the work of the Sue Ryder Foundation.
Friday, 7th Papa Joe's film: "Flesh Gordon Visits the Planet Porno", Pizzeria, 9.
Monday, 10th Rye Players meeting, 5 Bridge Place, 7.36 (see page 3).
• The 1983 Town Diary is now in place in the Spar shop opposite the Post Office. Please keep us informed (Rye 2303) of new bookings.
• Congratulations to Doris and David Paine, of South Undercliff, whose daughter Katherine Mary was born in the Buchanan on 20 December - the best possible Christmas present, both to her parents and to her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Les Paine of Bridge Place.
• Chris Ashbee of Military Road also had a very pleasant Christmas present; he heard that he has been accepted to run in the London Marathon in April.
• We trust that our well-informed readers were not among those who arrived for the 9.11 train on Tuesday, 28th, only to find the station locked; the first train was of course the 10.11, since BR were running a Sunday service on that day but had apparently omitted to put a notice outside saying so. Rail fares rise on 9 January, when a day return to Hastings will cost £1.50 and to London £7.60; an ordinary return to London will be £14 and a single £7.20. (We notice that Davie's are advertising coach trips to London during January and February, every Wednesday and some Saturdays, at a return fare of £2.85.)
• We are very sorry to hear that Simmons in The Mint, which only opened at the end of April, had to close before Christmas because the floor of the restaurant had become unsafe due to serious dry rot infestation. They will reopen as soon as the major repair work necessary is finished, which they hope will be in February.
• The Swiss Patisserie will be closed for staff holidays from Monday, 17 January until Wednesday, 2 February, inclusive.
National Trust members and others who were looking forward to hearing Kenneth Clark talk to the local Centre on "The Camber Tram" on Saturday, 15 January, will be sorry to hear that Mr. Clark's health has meant the postponement of the talk. However, Mr. Charles de Salis will be speaking instead (at 2.30 in the Community Centre) illustrating with slides his talk on "A Visit to South America".
Recently we were asked to warn readers about forged £20 notes (a Hastings shop assistant held our fiver up to the light last week!). This week's "forgery" is perfectly legal, and incredibly authentic. The Decorator's Warehouse has a piece of old oak beam. It looks right, it feels right - until you pick it up, when it weighs practically nothing and can be fastened to the wall with glue. While the ingenious French manufacturers were at it, they moulded into the back a channel for piping, so anyone hankering for an Old Englishe bathroom knows where to go; but the imitation is so good it deserves a look anyway. As Tony Meyer says, once this material gets around, anyone buying a house full of old oak beams will have to check very carefully that they are old oak beams - though at least they won't have woodworm to worry about if what they have is just expanded polystyrene.
• The Garden Shop on Strand Quay sells, among quite a lot of other things, brussels sprouts seeds. Customer Jim Pilcher of East Guldeford annually supplies Brian Thompson with a sample, for display outside the shop, of what a really expert grower can produce; this year's plant, almost 5' tall, is an F.1 hybrid "Rampart" and says Mr. Thompson, the biggest yet. We tried, and failed, to count the sprouts.
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. It is published by Mrs. Mary Owen at 94 Udimore Road, Rye (Rye 2303), who is always glad to receive news items for inclusion. Normal deadline is Monday afternoon, though minor alterations can be made first thing on Tuesday morning. The GAZETTE costs 20p a week and is normally delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday.
Photocopied by Sussex Secretarial Services, 11 Claremont, Hastings (942 2633).