Welcome home to Jane Blackman 17, of Udimore Road and Landgate Stores, who has just returned from sailing the high seas on the "Malcolm Miller" with 38 othergirls plus the permanent crew. Jane was last year's winner of the John Williams Memorial award, and she had a smashing times She joined the ship at Ipswich, and they disembarked at Chatham having visited Ghent, Fecamp and Ostend over a fortnight; the captain told them they were the best crew he had had for a very long time. Jane, who had not been away without her family before, feels that she grew up a lot during the two weeks; she has made lots of new friends, and a reunion is planned for the New Year. The voyage, she tells us, meant very hard work - a 19-hour day with sleep snatched at odd times - but the food (and each girl was a "galley-rat" for one day) was excellent. After the first unnerving ascent (and even more unnerving descent) she found the crow's nest a doddle - she was up there as one gale started to blow, and at the helm during another, both Force 8/9. (The only thing she didn't care for was nothing to do with the ship self; at Fecamp they were ashore having a meal in the sailing club when a group of drunken Frenchmen threw a canister of CS gas through the window, and she was among the half-dozen girls who spent a couple of hours in hospital recovering from the effects.) Jane, who starts a business studies and secretarial course at Hastings College in September, has a lot of photographs, and will be talking about her experiences and showing slides in due course.
Two girls from the Rye St. John Ambulance Division have been awarded places on the "Malcolm Miller" later this year. Nursing Member Paula Sams (17) of Bankside and Nursing Cadet Sgt. Ann Newman (16) of South Undercliff will leave Southampton on 29 September and return to Dover on 12 October, via an unspecified route which will depend very much on the weather, tides, and the calibre of the particular crew. They are the only two Sussex St. John girls on this cruise, and neither has done anything of the kind before. The trip is funded largely by the London HQ of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, and Paula and Ann only have to find their own insurance and pocket-money. This is the first time Rye has put forward any candidates for this award, and it does seem likely that they have been chosen both on account of their own record of achievement and service to the Brigade both girls have spent much of their spare time on duty all over the area and a tribute to the extremely successful Nursing Cadet Division under Mrs. Marilyn Mitchell.
The latest winner of a John Williams Memorial Award for a sail-training course, probably in September 1986, is Andrew Manktelow, of Udimore Road. Although Andrew has, through his mother's family, fishermen's blood in his veins, he has never been to sea in a sailing ship - though two years in the Sea Cadet Corps did give him a trip on something rather more modern. Andrew has been a member of the St. Mary's choir since he was a little boy, and was very fond of John Williams, so it is particularly pleasant that he should be chosen for this exciting voyage in 1986.
It appears that this year's selection committee for the John Williams award had a particularly hard decision to make, and the runner-up to Andrew would also, they thought, benefit greatly from such a cruise. Funds will not allow them to send two candidates at once, but if anyone knows of a trust or organisation which might be able to contribute, or would like to make a personal donation, please contact Mrs. Kate Dayson Market Road as soon as possible.
(This seems to be an unusually maritime GAZETTE; more sea stories on page 2...)
2.
Mr. Frederick Paine, of Pottingfield Road, died at his home on 4 July; a widower, Mr. Paine leaves a son and daughter. The funeral has taken place.
Mr. Don Moore, restaurateur of the Monastery Hotel, died very suddenly on 5 July, aged 52. He leaves a widow, son and step-daughter. The funeral takes place in Hastings today. Although Mr. Moore lived in Brightling, he spent a great deal of time in Rye and will be much missed locally - not only by the customers and staff of the restaurant, particularly the youngsters to whom he gave generous help and encouragement in their training, but also by the members of Rye's artist community to whom he was a real friend in so many ways, and who regarded him with great affection.
Mrs. Olive Michell, who died on 8 July, was 96. She lived in Iden for many years, and more recently in Mermaid Street, before she moved to a nursing home near her daughter in Chichester. The funeral took place in Rye Cemetery, where Mrs. Michell is buried with her husband Harry who died in 1963.
The "Home on Sunday" programme filmed in St. Mary's (GAZETTE no. 125) with local choirs will be broadcast this Sunday (21st) at 6.4o with a repeat on Monday mornings at 9.30 (but check printed programme times on the day to make sure).
The full Town Council meeting on Monday (22nd) - see back page - has now been postponed until Tuesday week, 30th, though the Planning Committee will meet as arranged.
Rye Lifeboat had an eventful day on Sunday (it would have been even more eventful if they hadn't had engine trouble). First they were called out to a sailboarder thought to be in trouble; then, on the way back, they were alerted by people who had seen a red flare. They searched the Bay for half-an-hour, finding nothing, and then returned to be told that the flare was thought to have come from the chain-moorings at the back of Mary Stanford Green. If this was indeed so, says Mary Lestocq, it is disgraceful, irresponsible and immature, showing a complete disregard for the time and money wasted; anyone with flares which have become out-dated should not simply fire them off, creating unnecessary alarm, but should contact coastguard or police about disposal.
Later that evening two boats went aground in the Bay. There was no real risk to life, though an onlooker told us that certainly the crew of one were extremely glad to be rescued - but because the Rye boat's engine was playing up, the coast-guard had to summon the big boat from Dungeness. This was due to take 50 minute to get to Broomhill, and in fact took hours (our correspondent wonders why?). The Pett rescue boat turned up just before the Dungeness one, and took off the crew and eventually towed the boat in (and presumably they or someone else sorted out the second boat too). But our correspondent says that this little tale shows the value of the Rye Harbour boat to the whole Bay area; the hour that the other boats took to come could have been disastrous. (PS A replacement engine for the Harbour boat arrived next day.)
And since we are still at sea, one more maritime story. If, crossing from Dover to Calais by Townsend Thoresen, you notice that the Ensign your ship is flying is not Red but Blue, it will mean that your Captain is David Osborne of Cadborough Cliff (and, in his spare time, of the Gluepot, and also, for two years from 1967, Lifeboat Secretary at the Harbour). As an RNR officer who is also Captain of a merchant ship, he is entitled by virtue of a special Admiralty Warrant to fly the RNR Ensign, the only Townsend Thoresen captain with this privilege. David's Blue Ensign has been flown for the past year on his present command, the company's Spirit Class Blue Riband holder "Herald of Free Enterprise" - though he has in fact been one of the captains for the past ten years. He says that most Rye people who know he works for Townsend Thoresen think he is a steward - and are very surprised if they happen to encounter him in uniform and are invited up to the bridge for a drinks
- 3 - THE RYE GAZETTE, 17 July 1985
At Lower School on Thursday morning a pleasant ceremony marked the presentation of Progress Prizes for work during the past year. Before the awards – books chosen by the winners - there was a short entertainment. The chair sang, Victoria Whiddett danced (it seems no time since her big sister Sarah was a star performer at Lower School), Darren Moore sang the Skye Boat Song, Angharad Bowman played her clarinet with her usual expertise, and Graham Slack gave a most spirited rendering of the Arrival of the queen of Sheba according to Handel - without the music! Graham, 13, won the Cup for under-16s in the Sonata Class at the recent Hastings Festival, and came away with two second places and two thirds as well; he has been playing the piano since he was 7, and is now working for his Grade Eight exam.
The prizes were presented by Miss Susan Ritter, MA, SRN, who was a pupil at the Grammar School just before it went comprehensive nearly 20 years ago. After university she turned to nursing and is now in a senior position at the South London Hospital as well as being a nursing sister in the Territorial Army.
She recalled her Grammar School days, and spoke about the value of being members of a group. Mike Thomas, Head of Lower School, explained that the prizes were given for those who had "done that little bit extra" in the course of the school near, at whatever level of academic ability; for instance, Keith Williams had raised £40 in one week in Lower School for Ethiopia, including selling cakes he had baked himself! The Chess Prize went to Brett Looker (1.3) and the Classical Studies Prize to Daniel Channon (2.5); Anthony Gray (1.2), Jackie Bartrom (2.3) and Bernard Le Roux (2.2) shared the first prize for a short story. Other winners were Lorraine Charman (1.5), Eliza Phillipidis, Christopher Skinner and Matthew Wilkinson (all 1.6), Georsiea Masters (2.1), Anna Kemble, Simon Scott and Keith Williams (all 2.3), Nanette Randall (2.4), Samantha Dalling (2.5), Angharad Bowman, Sarah Trueman, Timothy Lambourne and Darren Moore (all 2.6). Four winners came from Guestling School, three each from Beckley and Freda Gardham, two each from Winchelsea, Brede and Peasmarsh, one fron Northiam, and two from primary schools outside the normal Thomas Peacocke School catchment area.
Congratulations, too, to a rather older generation of Thomas Peacocke nupils who have graduated this month - and very special congratulations to Cathy Keynes of Beckley, who has given the school its second First Class Honours this summer. Cathy has a First in Maths and Computer Studies from the University of Essex. Her friend Heidi Moeller of Broad Oak has a 2.1 BSc (London) gained at Nene College, Northampton, in Combined Science.
Ken Warren's House of Commons Select Committee on Trade and Industry has been studying tourism throughent the country, and last week he brought two of its members down to have a look at the south-east. Coming along the Kent coast, they spent the Monday night at the Mermaid, but chose Simmons in The Mint for a working dinner: Kenneth and Sue Simmons, knowing that Mr. Warren is interested in the local fishing industry, included three fish dishes in the special menu. Officials from the SE Tourist Board and from ESCC's Leisure and Tourism section were present, as were four renresentatives from Rye: County Councillor Robert Bromley, chairman of the 1066 Development Panel, a member of the SE Tourist Board and chairman of the Rye Hotel and Catering Association; his wife Geraldine, chairman of the Town Council's Leisure and Tourism Committee; Ernest Thompson, treasurer of the Hotel and Caterers Association; and Roy Barnes, chairman of the Chamber of Trade.
Next morning they toured the town accompanied by the press (not including the GAZETTE since Tuesday, alas, is our production day) and had coffee at Lamb House with Sir Brian Batsford - himself a former MP - before moving off westwards to Battle, Hastings and ultimately Herstmonceux. Mr. Warren tells us that the Committee found the discussion on the present and future development of tourism in Rye "encouraging and of tremendous value"; he was "absolutely delighted in the way Rye presented itself to the Committee and very grateful to everybody who put on such a splendid show".
4.
Two coachloads of Guides and Brownies from Rye travelled to Ardingly on Saturday to the Sussextravaganza with which East Sussex marked the 75th birthday of the Guide Movement, and despite the heat they had a lovely time. Doris Henley kindly lent us her programme, and it is easy to see how much careful forward planning went into making the day such a success. The Parade of Colours was particularly impressive, she told us, and a giant bring-and-buy sale raised £2,000 for charity.
The previous Wednesday the 1st and 4th Rye Brownie Packs, some 35 girls in all, had joined in a party of their own at the FE Centre when the candle ceremony which we described in GAZETTE no. 137 was repeated for the Brownies. There was a big birthday cake, cut by the 3-year-old daughter of one of the helpers as being the person most likely to be still around in another 75 years' times The little girls played some of the games popular with the very early Brownies, and prepared candle-holders as their big sisters had done at Guestwell. Then the moment came to light the candles, and they were asked to relight them at 7 each evening for the rest of the week and think of all the other Guides and Brownies all over the world for a few minutes. Then they renewed their promises, and the party ended with the traditional "Brownie Bells".
Earlier in the evening Miss Henley had produced some interesting historical souvenirs of the Guide Movement in Rye, including a coloured photograph of Lady Maud Warrender in a Commissioner's uniform of about 1920, and the elaborate persoaal standard - really more of a banner - which she took with her when she went out on Guide business. Our older readers might like to be reminded of some of the names from those early days. When the 1st Rye Company was founded in 1916, Miss C. Bushby was Captain, Miss Q. Bushby Lieutenant, and other helpers were Miss Allen, Mrs. Pendleton, Mrs. Howes, Mrs. Cory and Mrs. L.A. Vidler; they met at the school kept by the Misses Bushby. In August 1916 there were 38 Guides and a waiting-list, and Lady Baden-Powell came down to inspect them and open a Sale of Work. In 1918 Norah Delves was Captain, with Lucy Dunster and Gladys Moon as her Lieutenants; in 1919 the management changed again, and the company became known as "Lady Maud Warren-der's Own", with Molly Shadforth, Ruth Delves Broughton and Violet Warrender in charge. They were inspected by Lord Beatty in January 1920 when he came to Rye to unveil the memorial to Sir George Warrender in St. Mary's (which we had always assumed represented Joan of Arc, but must of course be St. George). The first patrol-leaders were Winnie Walker (White Heather), Ella Harvey (Forget-me-not), Gladys Moon (Poppy) and Barbara Vidler (Red Rose); if they were, say, 14 in 1916 they would now be 87 - and doubtless with different surnames anyway. Are any of them still around?
The Press Book has just two Rye entries this week, both unusual. £450 in assorted notes was stolen from a vehicle left in the yard of Rediffusion in Cinque Ports Street, at some time between 3 pm on 4 July and 8 am on 7 July - which does seem an unwisely long time to have £450 in cash lying about! On Tuesday, 9 July, Rye window-cleaner Allen Choate left his 10' double-extension aluminium ladder outside the Spar shop in Cinque Ports Street from 4 to 6 pm - and when he came back it had gone; Mr. Choate was caught two ways, since the reason why he had abandoned his ladder was to chase up some foreign students who, he was told, had been fooling about with his extending pole in the High Street - the pole is also missing. He is insured for the cost of a new ladder, but in future he says he will have to chain it to a lamp-post instead of just parking it in the trustful way he has done for years. It is perhaps possible that someone took it by mistake for a builder's? - anyway, Rye Police would be glad of any information.
Various burglaries in the villages include one at Guestling Post Office early in the morning of 9 July, when thieves removed entirely a free-standing safe.
No-one was hurt when two cars collided near the East Guldeford level crossing just after midnight on 14 July, but a passenger in one car was taken to hospital suffering from shock, and both cars had to be towed away. None of those concerned were local people.
We couldn't get official confirmation from Ashford, who failed to ring back as promised, but we understand that owing to staff holidays and illness Rye Station will be unmanned from 5.30 pm for at least the whole of this week. Trains will stop here as usual, of course, but tickets will have to be bought on the train and other enquiries will have to wait until next morning.
Trains are likely to be peculiar this coming Saturday (20th) when more weekend engineering work between Robertsbridge and Wadhurst could also affect our line - check before you travel. On Sundays at the moment they are always peculiar, for the same reason; but the lunch-time train last Sunday did not run simply because of some confusion over its guard.
Now the good news...
Our Area of BR is offering a %Teri good-value outing for the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend (24 August - when there is nothing at all in the Town Diary). For £12 (adult) or £7 (child), with the option of first-class travel for a further 21, a train will take you direct - no changes - from Ashford to Southampton, with coaches waiting there to take the party to the superb Montague Motor Museum at Beaulieu, where the lovely house and gardens are also open. Rail, coach and museum entrance are all included in the ticket price. (Or, if you prefer, you in spend seven hours in Southampton instead, where there are some very good shops.) It is essential to book, and this can be done from Rye Station (who will soon have leaflets about the trip), and passengers with the special tickets can even travel free from Rye to Ashford to join the excursion train, on which refreshments will be available.
The train leaves Ashford at 8.33 am (which means the 7.06 from Rye to be safe, or the 8.06 if you like to chance a 3-minute connection), reaching Southampton at 11.12 and leaving again for home at 18.35. Back at Ashford at 21.13, and the last train to Rye (assuming a normal timetable) leaves at 22.02.
And finally, a happy story...
Recently Sheila Draffin of West Street went up to London with her sister for their nephew's ordination at Southwark Cathedral. Having forgotten about the idiosyncrasies of the Sunday trains at present, they were delighted to find they didn't have to change at Ashford; but since the train didn't stop at London Bridge the ticket inspector explained that they should go on to Charing Cross and then return. Miss Draffin murmured about a taxi, but he assured then that there was no need, BR would see to them; and indeed at the barrier they were greeted by a railway official who asked if they were the two ladies for London Bridge. They explained that they had planned to go to the cloakroom before getting the second train; "No problem", he said, he would wait for them - and he did, and eventually put them courteously on the right train. Miss Draffin asked how he had identified them in particular - "two old women"? Not at all, he replied; he had been asked to look out for "two small ladies, with handbags". That, she says, showed real tact!
(Some years ago a message was left at Rye Station for an arriving visitor. A porter delivered it verbally, consulting a piece of paper. "Are you sure that's right? Let me see" she said, and seized the paper from his very, reluctant hand. The message had been given quite correctly; equally accurately, he had been told to look out for "a tall, stout, rather bossy type of woman" - her son-in-law's description!)
TPS pupils have been helping the bypass consultants by doing two "counts" of people using all the crossings of the railway line in Rye: three footpaths, two level crossings and the road bridge. A group of 25 pre-VIth-formers also carried out another search, this time of all the class registers for the school's 1300 pupils, since the consultants wanted to know the direction from which each child arrived at school; this was apparently accomplished in little more than one carefully-organised hour!
6.
• A familiar face will be missing from Rye streets now that Mr. George Deadman, of Udimore, has parked his road sweeper's cart for the last time. Mr. Deadman, who worked at Wick Farm for 25 years before joining Rother's staff almost ten years ago, has been mainly responsible for street sweeping, though he has helped out on the dustcarts and road-sweeping lorry when necessary. Monday was his last day at work, as he has a lot of holiday time accumulated which must be "spent" before his 65th birthday on 17 September. A replacement will be appointed then, and in the meantime there is temporary cover for the job, so vital in the town at this time of year.
• At the July meeting of Rye WI a presentation - a pottery bowl and a handmade card signed by all the members - was made to the Institute's Vice-President and Craft Leader Mrs, Olive Mason, who is leaving the area with her husband to live nearer their family in Lincoln. Mrs. Mason has been a member of Rye WI for some 12 years, and will be much missed. Her last meeting was marked by the Institute's new Drama Group's presentation of two very enjoyable sketches, and visitors from Woodchurch WI were among the audience. The recent coffee morning for the Day Centre produced L42; the Institute will be giving the Centre a table.
Welcome to a new business which could prove really useful to residents and visitors alike! Tony Day, who already runs a taxi service from the Mizpah Guest House just past North Salts, has decided that there is room for a bike-hire service too. He has 8 machines, the unisex type which can be adapted for children aged from about 9 right up to full adult size, and is prepared to hire them out by the hour (L1), the half-day (L2.50), the day (15), three days (C12) or a week (L22); a deposit in the region of £20, repayable when the machine is returned, is also required. Mr. Day first had the idea when people staying at the guest house asked if anyone rented bikes in the town, and he found that no-one did. He recommends the pleasant level rides out to Appledore, to Camber or even to Pett Level, and for those who are prepared to tackle hills there are of course much greater possibilities. Since the bikes fold, Mr. Day can deliver up to three to the hirer's door, or they may be collected from Military Road.
• Ladies who count on Mr. and Mrs. Taylor at Rye Market for their dressmaking fabrics will be glad to know that the Taylors now have a shop in Ashford, at 2 Chapel Mews, off North Street (formerly Flair Fabrics). They assure us they will still be coming to the Market, thank goodness, but the shop will be there as back-up for the rest of the week. Certainly no-one in Hastings, let alone Rye, can offer anything like the variety which the Taylors have, at such good prices, and we wish them luck with the new shop.
When we wrote on this page last week about planning regulations and advertisements we were being much too naive. In fact, as Peter Smith of the Conservation Society points out, we were definitely misleading in one respect. The whole planning business is, he said, really too complicated to be dealt with in any brief summary - which is doubtless why the general public find it such a mystery and regard it with such suspicion! Anyway, the best course seems to be (as we did say last week) to consult Rother's Planning Department before taking and steps at all; they will advise whether or not planning permission is necessary at all for a particular advertisement.
We were surprised, not to say horrified, to learn that, even in the Conservation Area, it is often not necessary. So if you don't care for an advertisement, either because of its content, its appearance or its siting, your only remedy seems to be to write to the proprietor of the business concerned, expressing your dismay (and this applies to readers who have been phoning the GAZETTE on the subject over the past few days!); no shop likes losing trade, and local trade becomes increasingly valuable once the summer visitors start to go home...
The town has a good many different types of advertisement already, but we don't think anyone has ever tried one version Peter Smith found listed in the regulations - a captive balloon. Just the job for a stiff south-westerly gale, if you want to advertise in East Anglia!
7.
An unusual entertainment for the summer holidays takes place in the south transept of St. Mary's, starting this Saturday. One of Britain's most experienced teachers of brass rubbing, Gerard Gillam, will be on hand for, we gather, several weeks. He brings with him his own brasses for students to work on, so there will not be bodies sprawled all over the floor of the church; and for those who lack skill or time, ready-made rubbings will be on sale. The art is suitable for an age- range of 6 to 80, says the leaflet - "but we're flexible", it adds: The Town Hall on Saturday week, 27th, will be dazzling indeed, since it will be housing a Rainbow Faire Held by the Friends of the Churches of Rye, proceeds will go to the Day Centre, and the organisers tell us how very generous the town's tradespeople have been in respect of raffle prizes, etc., for this very local good cause. The Fair's full title is Rainbow Plus One, the One being the Sunday School which is selling posies of flowers; there will be a raffle, and other stalls will be, literally, in all the colours of the rainbow. One very special attraction, on view in the window of Freight Express the week before the Fair, is a beautiful Christening robe made by Rachel Sarrieddine's mother, which will be sold by "silent auction". This is in effect a form of tendering (as in building contracts, etc.) and means that prospective buyers make bids on paper (for those not able to be present, bids can be sent in advance c/o the Town Clerk) and when they are all bed the highest bidder writes the cheque and gets the robe. There is a reserve price of 280. The event runs from 10.30 to 4.30, and refreshments will be served throughout the day - morning coffee, ploughman's lunch and cream tea.
The Rye Mencap Branch has for some time been looking for a site to house a Charity Shop during August, and they have now been offered by a generous householder in The Mint the use of a large ground-floor room for two weeks (12 to 23 August). They will be glad of items for sale, and also of volunteers to help run the shop from 10 to 1 or 1 to 4 daily; if you can help, ring Vickie Piper. On Sunday, 25 August, the landlord of the Ypres Castle Inn has offered the use of the pub garden for a barbecue from 3 pm; this event will be open to the public, so please keep the date and tell your friends.
Programme leaflets for Rye Festival (31 August to 7 September) are now available in the town, including the Easton Rooms. Members will have received copies; booking for non-members starts on 12 August, so we shall be going into details nearer that time. But we are asked to mention now Kitty French's kite-making class for children on 31 August at the FE Centre, because she will need help - help from those used to the engineering aspect of kites. No-one is more capable than Kitty when it comes to helping the children to design the paper part of a but the woodwork is another matter, and she would be really grateful for any offers from people who would either help construct the frames in advance or be there on the day to attach paper to structure and perhaps even get the things into the air if the weather is right. Ring Mrs. French.
And finally a quick run-down on the Town Diary: Rye Carnival on Saturday, 3 August; British Legion VJ Dance on Saturday, 10th (tickets from Camiers); Rotary Country Fair in New Road all day on Sunday, 11th; Rye Racers' Silly Race at midday also on Sunday, 11th; Fire Station Open Day on Saturday, 17th; NSPCC Raft Race on Sunday, 18th, during the afternoon; and the Mencap barbecue the following
Sunday, 25th (see above). Nothing at all on Bank Holiday Saturday or Monday. Details of all these events nearer the time in each case.
Tony and Pauline Meyer at the Decorator's Warehouse had a persistent visitor last week - a racing pigeon. Like Noah's dove in reverse, three times she came into the shop and twice they put her out; then they gave in and let her stay. She seemed to like the pigeon-holes which house the paint! Identifying the owner by the name and phone number stamped on one wing-feather, they rang him, discovered that her name was Fanny, and arranged to send her home by rail - only to find that Rye won't take livestock and Tony had to drive Fanny over to Hastings to get the train. The weekend race had started from Portsmouth; Fanny obviously has a very poor sense of direction, because she was supposed to be flying home to Barnstable!
Thursday, 18th Thrift Shop, Red Cross, 10.30 to 4 (and Friday, Saturday)Rye Council for Voluntary Service AGM, TH, 7.30 (GAZETTE no. 138)
Friday, 19th Last day of term
Saturday, 20th Sports Centre Steering Committee Summer Fair, FEC, 10 to 12 (GAZETTE no. 133)
Methodist Church Summer Sale, Methodist Hall, 10
Monday, 22nd Rye Town Council meeting, followed by Planning Committee, TH, 6
• Congratulations to Yvonne and John Cronshaw of The Fish Shop in The Mint, whose strapping 10-1b son Ryan John, a brother for Tracy, was born early on Friday morning. Mother and son are now safely back home in Camber.
• Congratulations, too, to Tim Saunders, 11, of Marley Road, whose poem "Bike of the Universe" is among the Top Ten in the national WE Smith Poetry Competition this year, chosen out of some 30,000 entries. It will be published some time in 1986. This is, we think, the third time that Freda Gardham School has had a pupil in the competition's Top Ten?
• Fancy a trip in a Dakota, for old times' sake or just for the experience? To celebrate the 50th birthday of these famous planes, one is spending a few days at Lydd, and the RAF Association have been offered the chance of half-hour flights on Wednesday evening, 31 July, at just £12 a time. There may still be some places left when you read this: phone Gordon Stanbridge quick, tomorrow (Thursday) is the last day.
• The Cadborough Jubilee Social Club's Summer Fair at the Community Centre on Saturday afternoon - held in the proper manner with music and bunting, as well as lots to sell and plenty of buyers - raised £270 profit, from which a donation will go to the Day Centre.
• The coffee morning for the Arthritis & Rheumatism Council in Fair Meadow on 10 July raised £160.
• ESCC Highways Divisional Office moves today to the Sidley Depot, Ninfield Road, Bexhill; the phone number for Ralph Olesen's staff remains Hastings 220022. They are, incidentally, much puzzled by the disappearance of the large convex traffic mirror, frame and all, from the lamp-post under the Landgate Arch; can anyone throw any light on this?
• Planning: the current list shows applications for a kitchen extension in Mill Road, a front porch in Lea Avenue, and the erection of an external staircase for one of the Strand warehouses. This is the former Colebrooke's warehouse (not the factory, but the building beside the Ship Inn), and the staircase, in black stained timber, would replace one which collapsed some time ago and whose "ghost" may still be seen against the wall nearest The Deals.
• There is not room this week for the piece we had hoped to include about the Town Council's very modest plans for tidying up the Strand warehouse area; instead, we suggest that those interested/worried should attend the Town Council meeting on Monday and the Planning Committee meeting immediately afterwards and listen to the discussion on the matter.
• Gordon Stanbridge carried the Northiam and Rye RAFA Standard at the Royal Tournament again this year, on Friday (12th). They get a canteen meal between the two performances; he reports that the Army cooks this year were not a patch on those from the Navy in 1984!
|THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office, and published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 2 Cyprus Place, Rye (Rye 222303). News items for inclusion are always welcome - deadline is Monday afternoon, or Tuesday 9 am in emergency. The GAZETTE costs 25p weekly, and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday; a few spare copies are available from Squirrels, 9-13 Cinque Ports Street, and back numbers from Cyprus Place. (Copyright Mary Owen 1985)