The Editor wishes all her friends and subscribers a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year, and thanks them for all their cards and good wishes. We are in particular grateful to Geerings, who have maintained the office photocopier throughout the year; to Cinque Ports Stationers, who now do our photocopying (and are expecting delivery of an even more efficient machine any day now); to the Midland Bank; and to our pickup points who so kindly handle the GAZETTE for out-of-town readers - Cadborough Stores, Hazel's, the Freezer Centre, Penny Royal, the Tuck Shoppe, the George Hotel, and above all Veronica at Squirrels.
A final reminder (to those whose copies are still unticked) that your subscriptions are now due for the 12 weeks from 8 January to 26 March: £3.00 if you pay before the end of the year, £3.60 from 1 January when the price goes up to 30p (see GAZETTE no. 157). All receipts will go out on 8 January; this issue is the last until then. Au revoir!
Congratulations to Fred and Phyllis Smith, of Avondale, West Undercliff, who were married in Birmingham on 26 December 1935 and therefore celebrate their Golden Wedding on Boxing Day. A Rye Harbour man, Mr. Smith used to work in the building trade, and was employed by the Southern Water Authority until his retirement; he played football for Rye at one time. Mrs. Smith, a talented pianist, used to run concert parties locally for a number of years, but lately poor health has made it increasingly difficult for her to ret about. Doubtless, though, their children and grandchildren will make this Golden Christmas a really special one, and we would like to add our very best wishes.
The Rye Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade is losing its Divisional Superintendent at the end of this year. Alan Webb, of New England Lane and the Tuck Shoppe bakery in Market Street, has held the job for very nearly 30 years, and thinks that the time has come for him to retire. His successor will be Mrs. Margaret Farthing of Peasmarsh, at present one of the Nursing Officers.
Alan joined the Brigade when he left the RAF in 1955. The then Superintendent was due to retire shortly, and a successor was appointed - but owing to illness the post suddenly became vacant again, and Alan took over when he had only been a member for a year or so. We hope to extract from him, when everyone is less busy, some recollections of how things have changed on Conduit Hill over those 30 years. In the meantime we are relieved to learn that he is only retiring from St. John and not from the bakery - nor from the magistrates' bench in the Town Hall.
Rye Racers on Sunday at 5 entertained some 150 local elderly people to a hot Christmas dinner in the Upper School Hall. It would be impossible to mention all the helpers by name, the Town Sergeant tells us; but Mick Bourn, and Dick and Barbara Pearce of the Wipers, and those members of the Ashford Accordion Band who turned up despite confusion over the arrangements, must come in for special thanks. The cake, given by Longs, was wrapped in napkins after cutting so that each guest had a slice to take home; also to take home were gifts all round, given by Rye tradesmen (practically everyone asked found the Racers something) and presented by a very hard-working Father and Mother Christmas. The guests all had a lovely time, and were still dancing when the party ended at 8; but the helpers (and it is nice to record that there were young ones among them) still had to put everything back in time for school on Monday morning... Gus himself still has a few days of his holiday to run; where the first week went, he's not sure!
2.
Mrs. Barbara Edmunds, of the Standard Inn, died on 8 December after some months of illness. The funeral has taken place. She is survived by her husband Roy and their two children. Mr. and Mrs. Edmunds came to the Standard just over two years ago, and the family would like to thank all their friends and customers for flowers and kind words, and hope to reply personally in due course.
Mr. Fred Caister, who died on 7 December in hospital in Hastings at the age of 90, will be remembered in Rye Harbour as the landlord of the William the Conqueror from 1937 to 1955. Trained as a plumber - and responsible for renewing the leaded windows of the Mermaid Inn, in those days a job for a master plumber (the word derives from the Latin for "lead") - he joined the Royal Flying Corps in WWI and served in France, ending the war with a metal plate inserted in his skull. In his forties, and to the disapproval of his wife Nance, he joined the RAF reserves in 1938 and went to France again with the BEF, but was invalided back in 1940 and spent the rest of the war as a flight sergeant in Norfolk. Earlier he has helped recover the bodies of the victims of the lifeboat disaster in 1928; and he left his mark on the village, not only as the church organist (with his daughter Peggy pumping the bellows) but also as the sign-writer of the Roll of Honour on the lych gate. He is survived by his second wife Mavis, four children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Mr. Bill Hill, whose death at the age of 85 we reported last week, retired to Peasmarsh with his first wife in 1960 at the end of a distinguished career in telecommunications. During the war, he had been the Chief Telephone Engineer in charge of installation and maintenance for the West London Area, a highly responsible and taxing job. After only a few years in Peasmarsh, his first wife died, leaving him with a son and daughter and grandchildren. Mr. Hill was a staunch Congregationalist, and had been a Deacon; 14 years ago he married another member of the Congregational Church, Miss Edie Baker, and they moved to her family home in Wish Street. Mrs. Hill, teacher of all Rye's children now in their middle years and some who prefer not to think about their age, still helps with the Thursday afternoon clinic; her husband's declining health recently had caused her and their friends much anxiety. His loss will be deeply felt by family and friends alike.
Rye Festival Council's Annual Meeting at the Town Hall on Thursday heard welcome news about the Council's finances; last year's deficit of £607 was replaced in 1985 by a surplus of over £1,200. Jim Simpson, as chairman, reported on the 1985 Festival. He thanked his wife Carolyne, who had been involved in all but the first two Festivals (though with "maternity leave" for Abigail) and had been the organiser for the last two; thanks also went to the various professional firms in the town who had given the Council both time and secretarial services.
Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are both leaving the committee after long service. The new chairman is Mrs. Anne Wood, the new secretary Mrs. Bron Burke, and Mr. Payton is continuing as treasurer; other committee members are Osma Jones, Yvonne Metcalf, David Maundrell, Ivo Fowle, Francis Hadfield, Harold Pearce, David Briffa and Malcolm Nunn.
Anne Wood tells us that she is distinctly nervous about her new job: "I am not the sort of person who organises Festivals" she said - but no-one else was willing to take it on, and she would be sorry to see the Festival vanish. Like every other organisation in the town, the Council is always glad of support; but Anne particularly needs ideas for events, offers of contacts, etc., from anyone who can help. It may not be possible to include everything, she says, but all suggestions are welcome (Apex, Icklesham 412).
Local businesses might like to consider the Council's offer to anyone giving £100 or more to Festival funds; they can if they wish be listed as sponsoring one of the events. This of course brings the firm's name before the public eye both in the ubiquitous leaflets and in the handsomely- produced programmes, which reach an A/B readership unobtainable elsewhere locally! (Think about it...)
- 3 - THE RYE GAZETTE, 18 December 1985
Secondary Modern pupils now in their thirties will be glad to hear splendid news of Susan Birchall, now Susan Smith, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Birchall of Cadborough Cliff (Elsie Birchall of Spar). When Susan left school she worked for a short time at Reckitt & Colman, who then had their depot in the drill hall; as soon as she turned 19 she went to police college and was rated fifth overall out of her entire intake, men and women together. She reached the rank of police sergeant, marrying a fellow-policeman on the way, but resigned from the force when their first son, Mark, was expected. Now Mark is 9, his brother Adam is 7, their father has just been made an Inspector at Lewes; and three years ago Susan got herself a job as a receptionist at an 8-doctor surgery at Seaford. Her employers were so pleased with her that they sent her on a medical reception course at college in Worthing, where she was one of only three people in the country to gain distinction in her final examination. Now, a year later, she has been awarded the Unimer Prize for gaining a distinction in an examination in practice administration.
What next, we asked Susan's mother? Mrs. Birchall says that Susan, now 35, will be taking life easy for a few years, until her sons are a little older; after that, she has an eye on a career in hospital administration.
Two Rye businesses change hands today - perhaps exchange hands would be a better way of putting it, since the businesses stay put: the proprietors simply change over! Roy Edmunds, the landlord of the Standard, fancied trying his hand at shopkeeping; Marc and Jane Terry had always wanted a pub. So they swapped. The Terrys will have the benefit of Roy's experience for their first confusing weeks, and longer if they need it; he knows where to turn if he wants help over the shop at Banisters Corner, which has until now been "Marc and Jane" but is newly named "Ferry Road Galleries". The shop will continue to sell the same attractive reproduction furniture; the pub, of course... (well, we needn't tell you what the pub will be selling!) We wish both businesses every success.
Another business, this time a brand-new one, opens today. River Books, at 19 Lion Street, is a Christian centre selling books, cards, posters, and (later on) products from the developing world. The proprietor is Ann Hamilton, well known in local church circles, and she is keeping her fingers crossed that the shelves will be up in time for this morning's ceremony, when the venture will be blessed by a truly ecumenical group of local churchmen before the door opens to the public with Christmas shopping still in mind.
Normal winter opening will be from 10.30 to 5 (open during the lunch-hour but closed all day Tuesday); but the shop will be open this Saturday until 6.30, and on Christmas Eve. Ann's Eagle Road phone number is being transferred to the new shop. Good luck!
In GAZETTE no. 156 we gave details of the Christmas train service: none on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, alterations on other days. Now a press release from BR says that there will be no engineering works to complicate the trains the weekend before and the weekend after Christmas. This will mean that our Saturday trains (21 and 28 December) will go through Rye as normal, just past the hour. But what is our "normal" Sunday service at the moment? All winter the trains have been hourly at about 25 minutes past the hour, because of the on-going work on the Hastings-Tonbridge line. Now both Ashford and Waterloo assure us that on Sunday 22 December and Sunday 29 December we shall be back to the official timetable. This means that the first train to Ashford leaves Rye at 10.06, the next at 12.06, and so on, two-hourly; the first train to Hastings leaves Rye at 11.03, the next at 13.03, ditto.
If you have Christmas visitors, it would be as well to make sure they are aware of this. Anyone going by train on New Year's Day, when a Sunday service also applies, had better made their own enquiries.
4.
• Most of the Rye applications which came before Rother last Thursday received the go-ahead, either direct or "delegated to the Planning Officer for approval" if there are no last-minute hassles (so don't go ahead until you hear for certain). The Sports Hall plans were approved; and so was a County Council proposal for reinstating the gravel workings at the back of Spun Concrete in Harbour Road, which from the point of view of the area's wildlife appears to be an improvement on the original planning condition imposed in 1964 when digging was extended. Goulds, in Harbour Road, have permission for their new building; Swan Cottage in The Mint can put up and spotlight an "accommodation" sign, use two rooms for letting, and have a tea-garden at the back; the external paintwork at both Anglia and Frank Golden was finally approved; new windows at Wish House and Jeake's House are either approved or recommended for approval, as is a garage in New Road and the wheelchair loo on Strand Quay.
• The position about "Wee Nestie" is still subject to the receipt of amended plans; the applicants had reported that they had originally intended to re-roof the long-neglected house, but when work started the timbers were so rotten that the walls began to fall in! Approval goes to alterations at the back of the Old Customs House in Church Square, subject to no objections within the specified time. Anglia's application for a hanging sign, externally illuminated, was refused.
The proposal from the new owners of Fletcher's House to repaint the black parts in maroon, with gold lettering, was turned down. We were very surprised to see that Rye Town Council had approved this application for a building which is part of a block of three, all painted black-and-white, immediately in front of the church, and we asked Rye's planning chairman James Menhinick why? It seems, he told us, that his committee had not realised that a change of colour was involved at all - which is odd, since they see the actual applications, and this one definitely had a sample of maroon paint attached (GAZETTE no. 155)!
* This week's planning list shows proposals for more housing at the top of Rye Hill. The owner of West Point is seeking permission for a four-bedroomed house with integral garage on land now part of his garden and lying between his house and the one on the Point Hill corner, and also for a new garage for West Point on what would remain of that garden (the present garage being on the proposed new site). At the other end of Point Hill, a firm from Cranbrook wants to put up a Tudor-style house and garage on the triangle of land between the Saltcote Place stable block and the junction of its drive with Mill Road; the same firm has a separate application to convert the stable block itself by making four self-contained flats on the ground floor and refurbishing the three flats above.
A St. Leonards man wants to turn half the Decorator's Warehouse into a health food restaurant; Tony Mayer tells us that this is simply a tentative enquiry and nothing to do with him directly. Rye's veterinary practice wants to extend its office accommodation. Rother Council is seeking temporary planning permission for a car park on railway land beside the lane to the Mill; they obtained regular permission for this some time ago, so presumably temporary is different. Anyway, on whatever basis, the sooner the better!
• The official opening ceremony for the reconstructed Post Office takes place on Monday morning next week, at 9 am - obviously they don't want to disrupt normal business, particularly at this very busy period. The Postmaster tells us that people worried about escape arrangements if there should be a fire (GAZETTE no. 157) need not worry: the Fire Officer has been consulted throughout, and if the front entrance should be blocked they would of course shepherd customers out through the back. Dog-owners also need not worry; there will be a couple of ring-bolts set into the wall outside to provide anchorage for their pets.
(Just room for a gripe about this year's very pretty Christmas stamps; it really is something of a pantomime to sort a mixed bundle of envelopes into the new First and Second Class letter-boxes, once it begins to get dark! Green/blue on gold only shows in certain lights…)
5.
The County Rider team are already showing willing about altering the new service to what is most needed. Now, instead of providing Day Centre transport on Wednesdays, they are going to do so on Tuesdays, which means a slight alteration to the Udimore timetable which we set out in GAZETTE no. 157. On Tuesdays, the bus arriving in Rye at 10.05 will pick up Day Centre customers, and will therefore probably not connect with the trains in consequence. Also on Tuesdays, the 11.47 bus from Rye through to Hasting will not run, but the 10.47 will go direct to Hastings instead. In the afternoon, the Wednesday-only bus arriving at Rye at 13.45 is being scrapped, replaced by one arriving on Tuesdays only at 14.15, and the next one, arriving at 15.00, will run every day except Tuesdays (so the five-hour gap will now be every day except Tuesday when it becomes a 44-hour gap - ie.between the bus which arrives just after 10, and those arriving at either 14.15 on Tuesday or 15.00 on other days).
But Kim Clark says this will be better all round. Access to the Baptist Church car park is impossible for a bus on a market day (though she is most grateful to the Cattle Market Company for their co-operation over all this). Tuesday Day Centre customers are mostly people who can cope with a suitably-adapted bus and don't need individual car transport. And since Tuesday is early closing, she reckons that peculiar Tuesday bus arrangements will be less muddling for people in general than peculiar Wednesday ones.
The timetables for the new service should be available in Rye, from 21 December, at Thunders, Martell, Adams, Landgate Stores, the Corner Shop, Cadborough Stores, Tilling Green and the Social Services office, as well as the Council Offices and the Library. The operator for the County Rider bus will be Autopoint of Herstmonceux who, Kim tells us, run a number of rural buses round Battle and have "an excellent record of friendly, courteous and punctual services".
We look forward to being in the bus yard on Monday, 6 January, to see the start of the new services.
The recent meeting of the Crime Prevention Panel heard that the police were very concerned at the number of burglaries in the rural areas, particularly around Fairlight and Guestling; video recorders are prime targets, and often the television set goes too. Neighbourhood watch schemes have now been set up at Rye Harbour, Winchelsea Beach, Beckley and Northiam, with enthusiastic co-operation from the residents; but there is much less enthusiasm for such schemes in Hastings. (Could this, we wonder, be connected with the fact that Hastings villains figure with remarkable frequency in Rye court reports? The police suspect that several gangs based there are responsible for many of the thefts in the villages.)
Reference was made to the new Riverwatch scheme (GAZETTE no. 156), and to the Chamber of Trade's telephone grapevine, which has had satisfactorily little use lately, as far as the police know.
Sgt. Jefferies at Re has now taken on the part-time job of crime prevention officer for the sub-division, and will be glad to advise householders on minor security precautions, though if you want a major security survey done then the full-time officer from Hastings will come over.
PC Ian Elliott is giving up his job as Schools Liaison Officer after a five-year stint in succession to PC Young. Just about now, incidentally, every primary school child should be bringing home a 4-D Special Agent card with space for all their personal details plus hints about not talking to strangers, dialling 999, and the security of such possessions as bikes - a small Christmas present from the police.
Finally, a warning about door-chains: don't leave them fastened, particularly at night, since if anything goes wrong it is doubly difficult for help to reach the people inside. The proper time to use the chain is when you are about to open the door to someone you may not know - and when they have departed and you have locked the door again, then take the chain aa!
6.
Halley's Comet, as well as the traditional pointed star, blazed over a hilltop stable in Rye on Friday, when Hill House School presented its nativity play. Arranged by the school's new Deputy Head Miss Sarah Bagnall (the Headmaster is away on sick leave), the play had room for pupils of all ages to take part, and the simple props were used to good effect.
The littlest angels, beaming with pride, were only 2i; the older boys played the traditional male roles, and the Kings arrived in their own transport, wheelchairs replacing camels. The musicians performed enthusiastically, and Mary and Joseph maintained their poise throughout the play. The school's staff directed unobtrusively when they were needed, but let the children earn all the glory for the simple and touching presentation.
Afterwards, a group of yours pupils from Freda Gardham sung a carol, and the adults practised their own singing for the afternoon's carol service in Playden Church while they waited for a delicious buffet lunch.
In July 1983 your reporter walked through the cemetery, investigating its state in view of complaints in the town. Rother's staff had just had a blitz on the grass, but some still almost topped the sheep browsing worriedly among its roo' and a Sleeping Beauty patch of brambles and nettles and saplings completely shrouded one section of the graves. It was better than it had been, but not good.
Now things look very different. No-one would want Rye Cemetery to resemble a town burial ground with everything trimmed skinhead-close, and indeed it doesn't; it still has the look of a country churchyard, and the two chapels - one for Church of England funerals and the other, we understand, for The Rest appear in reasonably good order from the outside, though funeral services nowadays are usually held in Playden Church. We encountered the new cemetery keeper, Martin Hamlet, appointed by Rother just over a year ago, and living in the cemetery cottage; an ex-Army man, he is chiefly responsible for the place's improved appearance. Colin Hudson tells us that at the height of the growing season Martin has help from the other members of Rother's ground staff, which has always been their practice; equally, when things are slack at the top of the hill Martin goes down and helps out the rest of the team on the cricket ground or elsewhere around the town. It is obviously a very happy arrangement, and we are delighted to record it.
But an extra pleasure lay beneath the Sleeping Beauty bramble patch. The path from the pub takes a right turn towards the chapels; but straight ahead is wha4 was obviously the smart part of the cemetery during the second half of the last century. Mr. Hamlet's victory over the undergrowth has revealed a collection of top people's graves which will mean much to local historians. Jeremiah Smith was buried here in 1864, George Slade Butler in 1882, Charles Thomas in 1874 after 60 years as organist at St. Mary's, and not long before him his Vicar, Henry Cooper, after 27 years in Rye. John Symonds Vidler was laid to rest there in 1912; so, in 1856, was John Amon Vidler, who died aged 36 and lies beside his mother Mary Anne, wife of John Vidler, merchant, and Vidler children are also commemorated on small headstones. And, sweeping the leaves from a handsome box tomb, we found what we had really hoped for: the grave of Charles Pix Meryon, who died in 1879 aged 65 and lies beside his widow Mary (Brocket), buried in the New Year of 1907 at the age of 79, and their baby son Stanes, who had lived just 11 weeks forty years before. Harriet Meryon Proctor's name was inscribed in 1923 along one side of a low square curb which also doubtless shelters other members of that respected family. John Neve Masters, however, lies further down the path, beyond the chapels, with his wife Kate; her sister was Mrs. Vennall, and the family has remained together, even in death.
These musings are not entirely morbid. In an odd way, to see the graves of people who have hitherto been only printed names makes them come alive again; thank you, Mr. Hamlet, for these resurrections:
7.
• The welcoming Christmas tree at Strand Quay has been erected again this year by Rotary - they were given it, on condition that they cut it down! They also have their tree in Market Road, once again by kind invitation of Mary Lestocq, when Rotarians will be shaking a collection box to the accompaniment of recorded carols. They hope that people will be extra generous this year, since Rotary's usual donations to charity have been severely curtailed b.y the weather on 11 August when the Country Fair was in effect washed out, with what should have been a profit of several thousand pounds reduced to a bare £100.
• On 1 January Anne Hay is retiring for the second time: a former Matron of Rye Hospital, she is handing over as deputy warden of Devonport House to Mrs. Margaret Owen. Miss Hay tells us that she was asked to take the job on "temporarily" when the original deputy had to give up; 3- years later...!
There are a couple of alterations to the Natural History Society's programme for January and February. Ian Deans was unable to come in November so will be giving his talk on "Wildlife Around Us" on 28 February instead, while the talk scheduled for that evening was given on 8 November. Daniel Owen has changed his plans since the programme was compiled and will be away from Rye on 10 January, but Professor Michael Tweedie has come to the rescue with the promise of a slide evening instead.
Susan McGrath is unable to continue her WEA classes on "The Common Man" after Christmas, and WEA organiser Win Allen asks us to announce the new arrangements. The tutor will be J B Wright, speaking on "Diplomacy Worldwide"; taking as his theme Churchill's words "Jaw-jaw is better than war-war" he promises to prove that despite its obvious failings, diplomacy serves a clear need. Much opportunity will be given for discussion of current world problems. The 10-week course starts on Wednesday, 15 January, at the FE Centre, 7.30 to 9.30.
• Two Scouts from the Transvaal were expected to be among the guests at the Cub and Scout party on Tuesday evening; originally from Rye, they have come back on holiday and have attended recent meetings of the Troop.
• Canon Maundrell received a fraternal telegram from America on the eve of the 8 December joint service in St. Mary's with 13.7e NY; from the Rev. Edward Johnston, it brought "greetings from your American cousins at Christ's Church, Rve, NY, on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the joint commemorative service between our sister parishes; we wish you a blessed Advent and a happy Christmas".
• Four fire engines raced along Harbour Road last Tuesday evening when the alarm at Long Products went off; the company makes coating materials for pipes, and a fire there could be very serious indeed. However, the trouble was caused by an electric blanket, used to keep materials pliable, and the sprinkler system worked so well that the firemen's main task was sweeping out the water after the smoke had cleared. (The week's other call was to a chimney fire at Camber, mid-day on Sunday; Michael Bourn's dinner had just been put on the table...!)
The tank of opaque water in Anglia's window grows more interesting during office hours, when it is an intriguing mass of bubbles. It is nothing to do with bingo, it is not designed for goldfish in search of kicks; you put the portable fitting in your own bath, lie back and let the bubbles do you good!
STOP PRESS: Sunday, 5 January, sees birdwatching for beginners, and others, at the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, with the Warden and other helpers available in the hides at the Ternery Pool from 10 to 4.30. Information at the car park near the Martello Tower. (Sorry this came in too late for the back-page diary; please make a note if you are interested.)
TOWN COUNCIL BY-ELECTION: usual hours, usual polling stations
Thrift Shop, Red Cross, 10.30 to 4 (and Friday, Saturday)
1st Rye Brownies sing carols outside the George Hotel, 4.30 to 5, for the "Children in Need" Appeal.
Upper School carol concert, The Grove, 7.30
Last day of term
FRAG Christmas party, Rye Art Gallery, 6 to 8
Kitty French's hat-making party for children (Z1 for RAG funds), FEC back room, 10 to 12 - bring scissors.
(Details of all Christmas carol services, etc., appeared in last week's GAZETTE and are on the blue leaflet distributed with Fixtures.)
Old Scholars Association Recent Leavers get-together, Queen's Head, 7.30
Vidler & Co's monthly auction sale, 10 (special evening sale on Friday, 10th)
Rye Town Council meeting, TH (for time see TH board)
Epiphany celebration, combining worship and party celebration for all ages, St. Mary's, 7 to 9
Term begins
FRAG talk, "Elizabeth Farren: Walpole's Queen of Comedy" (Suzanne Bloxam), TH, 8
• Congratulations to Shelley (nee Murrell) and Martin Blackford of Cinque Forts Street on the birth of their son Dean (7 ½ lbs) on 30 November.
• A very happy Christmas and a settled New Year to Mrs. Elsie Philpott, who has now left Fishmarket Road and is living at Goldcrest, Churt Road, Beacon Hill, Hindhead, Surrey, GU26 6PS - rather further from Rye than we had expected, but not impossibly far, we are glad to say.
• Rye Town Council Bequests Committee has given the Day Centre £50 towards the expenses of a Christmas party, held yesterday for some 60 members of both Tuesday and Wednesday groups; Barbara Wild is very grateful for this generous donation.
• Once again Rye Firemen are helping Father Christmas with his Christmas-morning delivery service. Parcels for his attention can be left at the fire station-between 2 and 9 pm on Monday, or 11 and 6 on Tuesday; the label costs 50p, which goes to the Firemen's National Benevolent Fund. As well as Rye itself, the delivery round covers the Harbour, Playden, Iden, Winchelsea and the Beach.
• The NSPCC coffee morning at the George Hotel last Wednesday raised £360.
• Two handbags were stolen from school offices during the morning of 6 December, one from Icklesham and one from Tilling Green; one bag later turned up in Wales - minus its contents, of course.
• If, when you take down the Christmas decorations you are now probably just putting up, you decide not to keep them for another year, Rye Library would be glad of them. Their own, after some years' use, are getting rather weary, and they would love to replace them for 1986 if something better comes their way.
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TOMORROW: THREE CANDIDATES FOR ONE TOWN COUNCIL SEAT.
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 Monday afternoon, Tuesday 9 am for emergencies. The GAZETTE costs 25p weekly (30p from 8 January) and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday, though there is no issue on 25 December or 1 January. A few spare copies are available from Squirrels, 9-13 Cinque Ports Street, and back numbers from Cyprus Place. (Copyright Mary Owen 1985)