Subscribers are reminded that this is the last week of the current quarter; subscriptions (£2.75) are now due. See last week's issue for holiday arrangements. It would be much appreciated if any readers who do not wish to continue would let the Editor know by 4 July, since we shall give late payers the benefit of the doubt and deliver the 6 July issue anyway; thereafter, if you haven't paid, we shan't deliver!
Mrs. Sarah Jane Martin celebrated her hundredth birthday on Sunday - not just sitting in her chair at home, either; she had a party for fifty of her relatives and friends at the George Hotel - to include them all would have been quite impossible! There were two cakes, made by friends, one with a hundred candles and one made in the shape of the number, and of course endless tributes from friends and admirers. The traditional telegram (or rather, tele-message nowadays, but still very prettily got up) arrived from Her Majesty the Queen; and to the family's surprise, there were also tele-messages from the Ministry of Health and from our MP Ken Warren, and flowers from Rother Council, and also from (as well as via) Interflora! The Mayor came to read out the telegrams, and brought Mrs. Martin flowers from Rye Council. The family are still trying to sort out who all the cards are from...
Mrs. Martin was a Miss Axell; her father was a trawler skipper, and she and her nine sisters and one brother were brought up in Judge Place. Three of her sisters were at the party; Mrs. Louie Le Fevre, now 90, and Mrs. Winifred Igglesden, who had come all the way from Winchester where they share a house, and Mrs. Bessie Bray who only had to come from Fishmarket Road. Mrs. Martin's husband Jack died in 1964, aged 81, and she now divides her time between the homes of her remaining three children: Mr. Philip Martin and Mrs. Phyllis Winter in Rye, and Mrs. Winifred Giles in Icklesham (their brother was killed at Dunkirk, and a third sister also died during the war). Mrs. Martin has five grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandson aged just over a year, whose behaviour at the party was much admired. (And they are a very long-lived family; Sheila Axell tells us that her own father was the only one of the eleven to die before achieving at least a ninetieth birthday!)
Just before the party - which went on for four hours - Mrs. Martin was fetched from Icklesham by her son just to "come and have tea with us". We are delighted to report that, far from being overcome by the unexpected reception which awaited her at the George, Mrs. Martin was thrilled to bits and enjoyed every minute of it, and so did her guests. We offer her our most sincere congratulations, and hope that her subsequent birthdays will be equally enjoyable if perhaps rather less strenuous.
Congratulations to Jo Spencer of Iden and now taking A-levels at Thomas Peacocke; she is the Sussex Schools champion discus-thrower, winning with a throw of 35m 10 which is a record for the Hastings Athletic Club where she trains (though, Mrs. Steeds tells us, Jo's personal best is in fact 39m). Jo recently won a silver medal in the Sussex Ladies contest, and has a place at Chelsea College to train as a PE teacher with Maths as a second subject (as long as she gets 2 grade-D A-levels).
As Sussex champion, Jo might expect to be included in the team for the All-England match. But Sussex is only allowed to send 40 competitors (some counties are allowed 70) and owing to the very high standard this year there were 52 eligible contenders. There are twelve very disappointed young people - and a bitterly disappointed PE department at Thomas Peacocke, who only get an athlete of Jo's calibre once in perhaps ten years. Why, we wonder, was Jo one of the twelve left out? Was it because she comes from the extreme edge of the county and hasn't got the right contacts? They couldn't even be bothered to send her certificate to her at Rye, just saying that they could get it as far as Hillcrest and after that she would have to collect it!
2.
Mrs. Hilda Joan Pankhurst, of Cooper Road, died in hospital on 21 June.
Mr. Albert Edward Catt, of Kings Avenue, died suddenly at his home on 24 June; he was 67. The funeral takes place at Hastings tomorrow (Thursday) at 11.
Rye Museum has just received a most generous gift from Miss May Hinde. It adds seven pieces of Rye pottery to the Museum's collection, including a particularly fine jug, with examples of Frederick Mitchell's work using oak-leaf-and-acorn decoration as well as the traditional hops. The curator has reorganised the upstairs Rye pottery showcase, in one of the roundels, to incorporate this very welcome gift. Although she does not now live in Rye, Miss Hinde was once a pupil at the Grammar School, and we hope to include in a forthcoming issue of the GAZETTE her account of the Rye of her girlhood.
Another recent gift to the Museum was found during building work at Mr. R. McGann's electrical shop in Lion Street. It is a costrel, a little fat pot with two small pierced lugs to take a carrying handle, and Mr. Bagley dates it from the sixteenth century; it is to be found in another of the upstairs roundels, near the heron and the crested grebe - just as if someone working on the river bank had forgotten to take his dinner-bag home with him, four hundred years ago.
Also upstairs is the showcase full of hats and other things from Frank Golden's shop in the High Street, which were given to the Museum by Mr. C.E. Healey; and of course the much-loved collection of toys and dolls for which the Museum is well known, to such an extent that Mr. and Mrs. Bagley were recently invited to the launch of a new magazine devoted to dolls, and Mr. Bagley was surprised to receive a catalogue from a Paris auction house relating to a forthcoming doll sale there!
The Ypres Tower itself is suddenly bristling with scaffolding. Rother Council, the owners, are to spray the stonework with an invisible water-repellent liquid in an attempt to cure the water penetration that has be-devilled the tower ever since it was repointed. Rother used the type of mortar recommended for this purpose by the Department of the Environment, though some members of the Museum Association Committee were doubtful about its suitability; it may be only coincidence that the rain began to come in soon afterwards, but anyway, all concerned sincerely hope that this new treatment will do the trick. The work is expected to take about a month.
The summer service began on 16 May. The only timetables available so far from Rye station are leaflets basically about something else and in tantalisingly small print; but under a magnifying glass, Table 210 states clearly that the 16.40 from Charing Cross connects with the train arriving at Rye at 18.12. So what? - it always has.
Not any more! Although there has been (lately, anyway) nothing at Rye station to say so, the 16.40 now arrives at Ashford at 17.50, neatly retimed to miss the Rye connection by two minutes, and Ashford staff definitely don't hold the Rye train.
When we spoke to the Ashford station manager's office, they thought that there was a notice to this effect at Rye - perhaps there will be by the time you read this. Anyway, the late afternoon trains are now as follows:
Charing Cross arrive Ashford depart Ashford arrive Rye
15.30 16.39 16.45 17.08
16.28 17.45 17.48 18.12
16.40 17.50
17.05 18.13 18.20 18.44
17.20 18.40 18.52 19.14
If the London train is late, the Ashford staff can hold the connection for up to five minutes off-peak, but theoretically not at all during the rush hour (though we gather that sometimes a point is stretched). As for the useful little time-table leaflet, this is going to appear (with the correct connection timing) but has only just one to press.
THE RYE GAZETTE, 29.6.83 - page 3
Rye Police are worried about the number of wild birds found dead in or near Thomas Peacocke playing fields on Monday. They include rooks, magpies and blackbirds, and there are more than can be accounted for by natural causes. The suspicion is that death is due to a poisonous chemical of some kind, not yet identified, and the police are anxious that people - particularly children - shall not pick up the dead birds. The Ministry of Agriculture are investigating. Rye schools have been told and police cars toured the town on Tuesday making loudspeaker announcements. The Police ask that anyone finding a wild bird dead without obvious cause should not touch it, but get in contact with them (Rye 222112). (They are not interested in the one that flew into your car, or that the cat killed, thank you!)
We heard on Tuesday that the Tenterden railway are acquiring the crane and doors from the shed for purposes of their own - anyway, they are safe. More next week. Mr. Saunders, one of the demolition firm's directors, promises to do his best for the birds in the ivy - he will try and leave those bits till the end, so that most of the current fledglings will, with any luck, have flown.
There have been so many complaints about the state of the cemetery in recent months that the Mayor met Rother officials and councillors on site last week. Mr. Hudson now tells us that arrangements are being made with existing staff to deal with the knee-high grass; we understand that there should already be a noticeable improvement. The position is complicated by the illness of the regular cemetery caretaker who lives in the adjoining cottage. Mr. Hudson's Department is fully aware of the concern felt locally about the maintenance of the cemetery; and the Mayor tells us that he intends to continue pushing if necessary.
Each year Rye Community Centre Committee makes a point of giving a free hiring to whatever charity may be associated with the current Year of the...". Last year was Maritime Year, so the RNLI and the Sea Cadets benefited. It has taken the Committee six months to discover what 1983 is - which seems illogical, since it turns out to be World Year of Communication! Any organisation working for - we think - improved relationships with the Third World and which would appreciate a free hiring should get in touch with Mrs. Sherwood at the Centre office.
The impending retirement of someone who has taught in the same State school for 37 years marks the end of a very special career. Bob Huxstep, of New Road, was a pupil at Rye Grammar School before the war, and then trained as a teacher at King Alfred College; he went straight into the RAF (and keeps rather quiet about the DFC he won there), and when he was demobbed in 1946 he came back home to the Secondary Modern School in New Road. As PT master, he was regularly in charge of the ESCC school camps at Pett for children from all over the county; Babs and their two small children used to join him at weekends. (Those were the days, when a school could spare a staff member for six weeks every summer). As time went on - and with a back which was not quite 100% - he switched from PT to Maths; and when Rye went comprehensive, he moved to the present Lower School in Ferry Road where he is now the Deputy Head.
A keen do-it-yourselfer (which is why we couldn't resist the headline), Mr. Huxstep used to take the adult education woodwork classes. As far as school is concerned, he has found himself teaching the children of his former pupils for a long time now, and by our reckoning it would be just possible for him to be teaching their grandchildren among the current first-years - can anyone produce an actual example of this? A presentation is being organised among Lower School parents, but we feel sure that there are other people in the town - or, indeed, away from it - who would like to be associated with this, and Mrs. June Homard at the Lower School office (Ferry Road, Rye) will be pleased to receive any additions to the fund.
(Fortunately the Huxsteps don't take the GAZETTE; please don't spoil the surprise by showing him your copy!)
THE RYE GAZETTE, 29.6.83 - page 4
The Rye Council for Voluntary Service AGM at the Town Hall on Thursday was not well attended - which was a pity, since some interesting ideas were put forward. One of these we shall cover next week, since the leading spirit, Jo Ciccone, had to rush off immediately after her talk to help with the Lower School camp near East Grinstead (more about this next week, too). Neil Weatherall of Social Services gave a progress report about the Day Care Centre (see GAZETTE no.39); they are hoping very much to find an organiser soon. Mr. Fooks (who is retiring as Chairman, to be replaced by Jo Kirkham) spoke about the YOP scheme, to which we referred last week; he specially thanked Jean Bull-Marshall, Adrian Perry and Ivo Fowle for all the time they had given to this, and also Jean Stevens and Peter Jones for their excellent support.
Two established institutions were described by their respective managements: the WRVS and the Library. It is difficult to visualise the WRVS in Rye without Mrs. Barton at its head, though there must have been a time; she spoke very entertainingly of the Service's early days, and mentioned some of the jobs undertaken, then and now. Best-known is probably meals on wheels; this started in Rye in 1961, and Mrs. Barton reckons that the total number of meals served since then, cooked and distributed entirely by volunteers, is 697,440 (the national total is over 13,000,000)! Rye still needs more cooks, please; and the demand for paper-backs is insatiable, her N. Ireland military correspondents tell her.
Mrs. Haines spoke of the three functions of the library - recreation, education and information. She mentioned several unusual aspects: Hastings, which has a very good legal section, houses the Companies Register on microfilm (pleased noises here from the police representatives). She would like to arrange a conducted tour of the Library for deaf people; does anyone know of a lip-reader who would be willing to act as interpreter? Music cassettes are available from Lewes, and there is a Scheme for "visiting collections" of books on particular subjects to be made available to teachers for limited periods. The library is part of the London and S.E. Regional Library Service, for borrowing specific books, and there is also an International Book Service. (They do try to help with borrowers' requests; even a prospective breeder of edible snails was supplied with information, including how to erect a stock-proof fence...) A children's event is planned for Tuesday, 16 August (not a normal opening day) on the theme of "Ghosts"; children are asked to come dressed in sheets!
Inspector Judge then introduced a suggestion which had originated from the Cadborough Jubilee Social Club, though he would like it to cover what he rather flatteringly referred to as "Greater Rye". The idea, new to this country though spreading in America, is known variously as "community watchdog" or "homewatch" ("doomwatch" felt to be over-pessimistic), and seems to be another return to Victorian values, since it seeks to involve ordinary members of the community in keeping an eye on things. In areas where such a scheme has been in operation, the burglary rate has dropped dramatically, but - like most other projects referred to at the meeting -
it would need volunteers. However, the feeling of the meeting was certainly in favour of the plan, and we hope to report developments before too long. (Perhaps relevant to this is the story of the trail of damage left by vandals along Ferry Road early on Saturday morning: hedges and flowerbeds spoilt, fencing wrenched at, and, we are told, gardens on the Estate completely devastated. One furious victim mentioned it to the police; some of the others definitely did not. But not long ago there was a similar outbreak, with gate pillars pushed over; and Rye Pottery have simply given up trying to restore their nice new railing. The people affected have their own ideas about the cause of the trouble; if they would make a point of reporting it, the police might have some ideas about dealing with it?)
Between 150 and 200 people (the organisers lost count) came to the Thomas Peacocke PTA barn dance on Saturday evening. Some were regular followers of the Catsfield Steamers, the very popular 8-strong band who blasted their way through the evening with a powerful beat that set even the washers-ups' toes tapping. Newcomers counted under their breath to begin with, but soon unsuitable shoes were shed and everyone enjoyed themselves - everyone in the hall, that is; we are not too sure about the neighbours!
THE RYE GAZETTE, 29.6.83 - page 5
At 2274 (Rye) Squadron ATC's Wing Inspection on Friday at Upper School, plenty of people went up to collect awards and certificates from Wing-Commander Blakeborough. (We apologise for leaving out their ranks, but it gets monotonous for the general reader.) Maurice Sargent and Stephen Hunt have passed their examination for Staff Cadet; Edwin Donald, Simon Snashall, Simon de Ste Croix, Frank Roscoe, Simon. Hunt and Michael Irven for Senior Cadet; David Oakley, Stephen James, Paul Dunlinson, Neil Duffy and Andrew Denny for Leading Cadet; Daniel Ivimy, Mark Fairhall, Graham Vincent and Geoffrey Groves for 1st Class Cadet; and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (Bronze) went to Andrew Starling, Simon Hunt and Ian Hart. We are also glad to report that Mr. Brian Sealy received a certificate of appointment to civilian instructor - not that there could have been any hesitation about that!
Best Cadet awards were as follows: the RAFA Cup (Senior Cadet), Andrew Starling; the Gibb Cup (Leading Cadet), Stephen James; the Thompson Cup (1st Class Cadet), Graham Vincent. The Larkin Trophy went to Maurice Sargent and the Endeavour Shield to Daniel Ivimy. Shooting trophies, at Squadron and Wing level, .22 and .303, went variously to Carl Abrams, Andrew Starling, Stephen Hunt, David Oakley, James Nunn, Robert Roscoe, Martin Kemp (twice) and Jason Osborne (four times!).
After the presentations, parents and friends enjoyed refreshments and were able to look at a display of the Squadron's work.
Ceramics by Alistair Knights, paintings by Keith Knight, and "weavings" by Lesley Millar are on show at the Easton Rooms until 12 July. Alistair Knights's work has two contrasting styles - rough “crank" ware, and vases in porcelain so thin that it is difficult to tell it from the paper incorporated in some of his designs. Keith Knight's pictures are interesting, though it is not easy for the uninitiated to see the point of them - perhaps that is the point? - but several would have made lovely dress fabrics. Upstairs Lesley Millar was showing seven good-sized rugs - not cheap, but beautifully made (even the fringes were carefully knotted) - in different weaves, with drawings and notes on the techniques used. The blackberry-and-heather shaded rug was, we thought, very desirable.
New work at the Kurrein Gallery in Lion Street reflects some extensive travelling lately by Mr. and Mrs. Kurrein. A visit to the Craft Show at Harrogate suggested new avenues for them to explore, and some of these avenues led them to East Anglia, Yorkshire. Wales, and all over south-western England. The Kurreins have learned from experience that it is more satisfactory to choose themselves what they want for the shop than to leave it to the artist to send his or her own choice, so the boot of the car is sometimes very tightly packed on the way home; but patrons who know the gallery's high standards will appreciate this very personal approach to buying. As a result of their latest Grand Tour, the gallery has some new glass by Pauline Solven, including a beautiful studio piece which can only be described as an interior landscape (see for yourself), and a splendid seascape vase by Anthony Sterna. There is attractive pottery from Guy and Pip Perkins in Wiltshire, from Colin Kelham in Devon, and also from Ron Davies in Yorkshire, who makes unusual outdoor flower-pots and also 3-D indoor wall-plaques in different kinds of ceramic (these also need to be seen rather than described). Ruth Mitchell from East Anglia has some cheerful cushions, with zips to release the feather-filled inners. Jan Shaw's miniature boxes and pendants were not on view officially last week, since the Kurreins were puzzling how best to display them, but his tiny ivory and shell landscapes are really most alluring.
One of the gallery's regular exhibitors, Gordon Miles, who had his first one-man show there in 1973, has been very successful already at this year's Academy. His picture of Rye from Star Lock, in an edition of 100, has completely sold out, and he tells the Kurreins that he was delighted to get a really useful cheque from the account’s office at Burlington House. Another of his prints - Lion Street - is rapidly on its way to becoming an historic record. It is also a view of Rye from Star Lock, but this time Rye is tiny in the distance and the main interest of the picture is the structure of the lock itself - as it was, is now, but soon never more will be, once the new works are complete and the old ones demolished. We do feel that a copy of this should rightly hang in the SWA offices somewhere.
6.
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve was looking its very best on Wednesday. The morning mist lifted, the unexpectedly vivid flowers made bright splashes of blue and yellow on the shingle, tall clumps of red valerian set off the grey-green sea-kale. Overhead, jittery oyster-catchers wheeled and worried, while the terns, nesting at a safer distance from the road, went about their business taking no notice of two rather special parties of visitors.
The dedicated group who run the Reserve were putting on a public relations exercise. The Reserve has two main sections, divided by privately-owned gravel pits and bordered by marsh and farmland. At intervals there have been planning applications for the area - some approved, some refused, some compromised over; and the Management Committee wanted Councillors to know what issues were involved. Also, the Reserve was set up by the County Council, which pays the Warden's salary; but. Rother's contribution to the enterprise is not very generous in view of the unique nature of this stretch of shingle, and Rye Town Council is also not inclined to support the Reserve which, although most of it lies outside the Borough boundary, does bring visitors and trade to the town. So both Rother and Rye Councillors were invited to see for themselves on a conducted tour of part of the Reserve - going the easy way, by car, normally only possible for those with a key to the gate of the SWA's private road. There were disappointingly few Rother Councillors there in the afternoon, shepherded by Mr. Lee from the Chief Executive's office; but the three Rye members joined the evening tour which was basically for Town Councillors, and there were also three members of the County Council - Mrs. Yates, Mr. Bromley, and Mrs. Anne Moore.
The two groups met at the Village Hall for an excellent tea, very kindly provided by members of the Rye Harbour WI, when thank-yous were said to everybody from everybody. Earlier, the afternoon group had been told about the importance of the Reserve from various aspects, in a preliminary talk at the information kiosk; the party then visited one of the hides and did a bit of bird-watching, walked along the road talking botany, and admired the efficiency of the five-strand electric fence erected by the management sub-committee to keep foxes and dogs out of the main nesting areas. Much of the money for work of this kind comes from the Friends, over 470 of them from all over the world; much of the labour, too, including shifting endless barrowloads of shingle to form artificial islands in the pools so that the birds can nest in safety.
Perhaps the Friends’ outstanding achievement is the annual tern-watch: this is a careful rota of 100 people who undertake to do one or more stints out on the reserve watching over the nests of the little tern community. These birds keep themselves to themselves, and don't like nesting with the nasty rough types inside the electric fence or on the islands; instead, they lay in scrapes in the shingle, and their camouflage is so good that it is perfectly possible to step on the eggs in all innocence. Less innocent harm can also be done, hence the tern-watchers; and they have been so successful that the Rye Harbour colony has now built up to over 60 pairs out of the 2,000 in the whole of Britain, having been down to just two pairs some years ago.
Study groups come to the Reserve from as far away as London, to see the birds, the vegetation, and the invertebrates (creepy-crawlies of various kinds) for which Rye Harbour is the best site in East Sussex. Local people also use the Reserve, of course, and Richard Knight and Pam Haddon (Warden and Deputy) welcome enthusiasts or genuine learners. It is not, however, a suitable site for a casual picnic, let alone somewhere to walk an ill-trained dog, birds come before people down here, and as long as the birds keep coming, the Wardens, the Friends, the Management Committee and the various organisations who back the project are happy.
Footnote for those who would like to support the Reserve (and enjoy themselves): there is to be a Strawberry Tea at Float Farmhouse, Udimore, on Sunday 10 July from 2.30 to 6. Entrance is free, there are all sorts of attractions - games, stalls and, competitions, and a Punch and Judy at 3 - and the money raised goes towards the running of the Reserve. If you can't come but would like to join the Friends (minimum sub. is only £l) contact Richard Knight at 1 Coastguard Cottages, Rye Harbour; all members get a newsletter and are welcome to take part in the working parties and other less energetic events.
7.
When they bought the Farnborough Engineering premises, John Jempson and Son told us that they would not need the whole of the building, and now Messrs. Dyer and Overton of Hastings are offering some of the accommodation on medium-term lease - we hear that interest is already being expressed. The areas range in size from 2,500 to 11,000 square feet, and although the detailed rentals are complicated by various factors, Mr. Dyer says that £1.25 p.a. per square foot would be a helpful figure to quote, very considerably below the rent asked for newly-built premises.
Jempsons figure in this week's new planning applications, too; they want to use the yard area at Farnborough as a public car park from May to September. Perhaps they could be persuaded to take lorries and coaches (see "Somewhere to park", below) and so relieve the pressure on those parts of the town which have no yellow lines and are, we hear, much frequented by parked "foreign" heavy vehicles? The other new application this week is a request to change the colour of the external window frames of a house in Mermaid Street from black to white - obviously someone playing very safe!
Last Thursday Rother took the following decisions about Rye applications (as usual, this information is only from the draft minutes). Three applications were deferred: new fencing in South Undercliff, a sash window in Ypres Lodge, and a new sign for the TSB; permission was given for repainting Simon the Pieman (the same colours as before, of course), and for a garage/bedroom extension in New Road. Outline permission was given for the demolition and rebuilding of Paygate Cottage. Permission was refused for the erection of a 4-bedroom house on the Castle Water estate; the committee agenda contained a long, complicated and rather interesting history of the planning aspects of this area.
Rother Council's full-page ads last week are part of a plan to tidy up the patchy and complex arrangements for car parking throughout its District. The new charges proposed are likely to take effect in September - but these were approved by the appropriate committee in November 1981, so we can hardly complain.
Rother owns six car parks in Rye: Bedford Place, Cinque Ports Street (Town Wall), Lucknow Place (Salts), Gun Garden, The Strand, and Wish Street (Gas Works). None are suitable for lorries or for coaches, and caravans are only allowed at the Gas Works. All are open every day, all day, and you can park for 24 hours maximum. If you can get in, the Gun Garden and Strand are free; at the others, you pay if you are there between 8.30 am and 6 pm, the maximum charge under the new proposals being 50p for 8 hours. Other charges are 10p for one hour (instead of the present two), 20p for two hours, then a further 10p for each subsequent 2 hours. Season tickets are available for the winter months only in the popular Bedford Place and Town Wall parks (£15, with no guarantee of a place), and for the whole year, or for either half-year, on the Salts and the Gas Works (£30 or £15, ditto).
The only park which can accommodate coaches (because of access difficulties at the Gas Works) is British Rail's in Ferry Road. That will presumably have to close when work starts on the supermarket (see last week's GAZETTE), though the plans are said to include parking arrangements for cars. Negotiations are apparently taking place with British Rail for the use of the land between the railway line and the market, as a replacement - with an exit into Rope Walk? British Rail usually doubles its winter car parking rates (whole day) for the summer; this summer the rate has gone up to 50p. The park in front of the station is the same price, and when the goods shed finally goes, there will be a clear run between the two.
The town's remaining car park, at the bottom of Rope Walk, belongs to the Cattle Market Company, and is out of use on Thursdays. This is far and away the cheapest in the town for all-day parkers - 20p for the day, though Vidlers say this is likely to go up before long. This park is unlikely to be affected by the supermarket development, though Colin Stutely tells us that some of the land at the other end of the cattle market does belong to British Rail and everyone is extremely interested to see exactly what the new plans due out soon propose.
For a possible new summer-only park in Winchelsea Road, see "Business and Planning" above.
8.
Thursday, 30th Talk on natural medicine by Peter Hudson, CC, 7.30 (GAZETTE no.39)
Friday, 1st Vidlers' monthly auction sale, 10
Rye Hospital League of Friends AGM, Town Hall, 2.45 (see below)
Rye Sea Cadets Annual Inspection, HQ, 7
FRAG jazz and blues evening, 35a The Mint, 7.30 (see below)
Saturday, 2nd C of E Children's Society coffee morning (invitations), 10.30
Playden WI Summer Fair, FEC, 10 to 12
Gardens open in Church Square (for FRAG), 2 to 6 (see below)
Rye Horse Show, Lamb Farm, East Guldeford.
Sunday, 3rd Hill House Fete, 2 (see last week's GAZETTE)
Blackheath Opera, "La Vie Parisienne", CC, 3 (ditto)
Choir of Mayfield Parish Church sing Evensong, St. Mary's
Monday, 4th Rye Town Council meeting, Town Hall, 6 (to 6.45 approx.)
Tuesday, 5th Rye Conservative Association coffee morning, Iden, 10.30
Congratulations - sorry they're belated - to Robert and Lorna Booth, of The Close, on the birth of their daughter Anne (51bs 10ozs) on 12 June.
• Phil Ellis asks us to say that the Hospital AGM on Friday is open to all, not just members of the League of Friends, and he hopes plenty of people will come.
• Donations to the RNLI in memory of Mr. R. McMurray (affectionately known as Mac), Northiam representative on the Rye District committee, amounted to over £133. Joan Parkes says that his death leaves a very big gap in the committee, and she is most grateful to Mrs. McMurray who has nobly offered to run this year's Lifeboat Day collection in Northiam.
• For £1 you can support the Rye Art Gallery and spend an evening in The Mint listening to Louis Turpin and his band and other blues and jazz musicians, from 7.30 to around 11 on Friday. Refreshments will be available.
• Next Attic Sale at the Community Centre is on Sunday, 10 July, and those wanting to book tables should do so as soon as possible (rent from £2.50) by ringing Rye 223917 any evening.
• Wimbledon doesn't look all that good this year - why not forget the whole thing on Saturday afternoon (the best bits will be on telly in the evening anyway) and enjoy yourself looking round some of Rye's prettiest gardens instead? Teas are available at 32 Church Square, and everything else is only a short walk away. Proceeds go to the Rye Art Gallery.
• We are asked just to mention the Peasmarsh School Summer Fair on Saturday at 2.
• The police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed an accident on the Camber Road early on Sunday morning. A Broad Oak man on a motorbike collided with a car, which failed to stop; he was taken to hospital with leg injuries. If you were passing, please contact Rye 222112.
• An audience of about 60 enjoyed the cello group's concert in St. Mary's last week.
• Two worried American tourists came to Rye police for help on Monday evening. They had left a camera in one of the Rye bookshops earlier in the day, and when they returned it was closed; and they were due to leave early next morning. The police were able to contact the key-holder, the shop was opened, and the camera was restored to two very grateful women the same evening.
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office. It is published by Mrs. Mary Owen at 94 Udimore Road, Rye (222303), and news items for inclusion are always welcome - deadline is Monday afternoon, 9 am on Tuesday for emergencies. The GAZETTE costs 25p weekly and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday morning.
Photocopied by Sussex Secretarial Services, 10 Cambridge Road, Hastings (0424 422633).