Rye was represented at a recent ceremony at Sussex Police HQ at Lewes by Michael Bourn of Udimore Road and his wife Sheila. Michael was one of 30 people to be presented with a "Three Nines" certificate for helping the police - not as Sub-Officer Michael Bourn of Rye Fire Brigade, but simply as a milkman with his wits about him.
Early one morning last June Michael was doing his Udimore Road delivery when he noticed a car being coasted down the hill in an attempt to start it. The driver was a stranger - but the car belonged to Michael's colleague Nick Mills, and Nick was out on his milk-float! The car rolled into Ashenden Avenue, and Michael engaged the driver in innocent conversation - and then nipped across to the call-box in Badger Gate and dialled 999. He continued his Ashenden Avenue delivery (keeping a wary eye on his milk-float, just in case), and very soon the police appeared and invited the driver to assist them with their enquiries... Michael heard no more about the case (he was not called to give evidence) until the letter about the award arrived a few weeks ago.
Sheila tells us that it was a most enjoyable evening; Lord Denning ("we could have listened to him for hours") presented the awards, and the High Sheriffs of East and West Sussex were among the guests enjoying a buffet reception afterwards. There was even a chance to see the 999 calls coming into the space-age police building. They got home about 11; Michael was off on his dawn round as usual next morning; luckily no-one's chimney caught fire!
The enormous crane or. Straad quay on Friday at lunch time was part of a complicated exercise to put a boat into the water at the top of the tide. The crane came from Paddock Wood, and there was also a low-loader from Hailsham, a land-rover and trailer, two police cars, three policemen and a traffic warden! "Funchito Negro" looked like a medium-sized cabin-cruiser as she lay alongside the quay, but then the crane picked up two masts and delicately slipped them one after the other into the appropriate holes in the cabin top - and suddenly she became a yacht. The low-loader (which had half blocked the A259) and the police departed, and "Funchito Negro" moved downstream. The crane, however, lingered to perform a second task - lifting out of the water a very different type of craft.
This was one of the derelicts which lie in the mud beside the Rother - the "Elizabeth", originally a Morecambe Bay prawner built around the turn of the century. John Royle had towed her up to Strand quay lashed alongside his own gleaming yacht, after the young couple intent on restoring her had caulked the worst of the holes so that she would float enough to stand the short journey up- stream. Heavy timber braces were fixed in place to take the strain of the slings, there was an anxious moment as she left the water with her lovely lines at last fully visible, and then she was placed safe and dripping onto John's trailer, to be towed to a nearby field where work could start on putting her back into good order. The new owners expect it to take about a year. Does anyone know the history of this boat? We will gladly pass on any information.
A large contingent of the Nunn family from Love Lane headed westwards last week for a very special event on Thursday - to watch James's Wings Parade at RAF Cuidrose in Cornwall. James - the middle son - became a Sub-Lieutenant in January and is now a qualified observer; he will remain at Cuidrose for further training. It was entirely coincidence that the pilot for his final test flight was Douglas Sealy of Broad Oak!
2.
Mr. Arthur Frederick ("A.F.") Buttery died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Hythe on 16 April; he was in his early seventies, and is survived by his widow, son and two daughters. Mr. Buttery came to Rye in 1958 to succeed Mr. Jacobs as Headmaster of Rye Grammar School. Within ten years he was confronted by the Herculean task of amalgamating the Grammar and Secondary Modern schools into the Comprehensive which bears the name of the Grammar School's founder, Thomas Peacocke. Mr. Buttery retired in 1976, but continued to work for publishing company from his home. He was a life member of Rye Cricket Club, and the Club, the Old Scholars Association and the school were all represented at the funeral, which took place on Friday in Kent.
Mrs. Grace Masters of Pottingfield Road died peacefully in St. Helen's on 21 April after a short illness - two days after the wedding of her grand-daughter Jenny. (Jenny sent her bouquet to the hospital, and Mrs. Masters was able to see some of the photographs of that happy occasion.) Mrs. Masters, who was 77, was twice widowed; she is survived by her four sons and a daughter, a large number of grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was born in Rye, a member of the Crouches fishing family of Cyprus Place. The funeral took place at Playden Church on Monday, and Mrs. Masters is buried with her first husband in Rye Cemetery.
Mr. George Simms, formerly of Ashenden Avenue, died recently at the home of one of his two daughters in Halstead. Mr. Simms was in his eighties, and had worked as a gardener for Rye Borough Council; he was particularly proud of having planted the trees on the grass verge outside the Clinic. He and his wife Annie, who died in 1982, were among the original residents of Ashenden Avenue. Mr. Simms was known locally for his paintings, which he used to show with the Rye Society of Artists in its early days; a painter with a style all his own, he worked at his easel right up to the time of his death. Some of his paintings were of Rye scenes, and are of considerable interest as part of the town's archive.
Ringo Chapman was annoyed at the lack of action about the footpath up to the Community Centre, for which there was planning permission but no money. So instead of grumbling he did something about it, and Saturday's jumble sale at the Community Centre raised the impressive sum of £277, with a little more to come in later. Other money has also been promised, so in effect the project is almost half-way funded already, and Ralph Olesen at ESCC Highways, who is responsible for carrying it out, is delighted. Ringo organised a vast army of helpers, a well-endowed raffle and tombola which raised over £100 between them, and huge mounds of discards which covered the Community Centre tables and overflowed onto the floor - there were several white-elephant stalls around the room, which certainly splits up the pressure at a big sale. The queue went right down Conduit Hill to Cinque Ports Street. Congratulations both to Ringo and his helpers - it just shows what one determined person can do!
ESCC Information Officer John Thompson has been trying very hard, ever since the County Council budget meeting in February, to find out for us what are the present prospects for our new fire station and the improvements at the school. In effect, he now tells us, it is not really possible to say at this stage; the official statement repeats what we know already. "For the current financial year the County Council has included in its list of new projects a new fire station for Rye at a total estimated cost of nearly E400,000 and a £500,000 package of improvements and extensions for Thomas Peacocke School. Preliminary planning for both projects is now under way and it is hoped to make a start during 1986/7 subject to the necessary finance being available." Given the seven words we have underlined, this isn't entirely reassuring. But we are most grateful to Mr. Thompson for his research; he has promised to let us know the start dates for both projects as soon as they are announced.
3 THE RYE GAZETTE, 30 April 1986
... For Jenny Wilkinson, whose family live in Pottingfield Road, and Andrew Cato ended by her eldest sister Barbara as maid of honour, and by Andrew's niece Jane, aged 7; best man was Lawrence Sanderson. The bridesmaids were in pink; Jenny played doubly safe with "something borrowed" since her dress was lent by Barbara and her veil and headress by her second sister Heather. Rosemary Wilkinson - who has now had four family weddings within a very few years, and is extremely expert - kept quiet about the transport until the moment when it arrived in Pottingfield Road: an open carriage drawn by two sleek horses and manned by a coachman and groom! Playden is "their church" for the Wilkinsons - it has seen family weddings and christenings over the years - and this meant an agreeably long drive back round the foot of the town to the reception at the Community Centre, giving pleasure to a lot of people as the bridal carriage went by.
... For Diane Hatter, also of Pottingfield Road, and Terry Pope of Brookland, who were married at St. Mary's on Saturday. Diane wore a charming white crinoline dress trimmed with lace frilling; she was attended by her small nephew and niece, Lawrence and Linsey Hatter (aged 5 and 3), whose father PC Larry Hatter gave her away. The best man, Jim, and the senior bridesmaid Debbie sere friends of Terry's. Both bridesmaids wore full-skirted flounced dresses of blue silk, and the little page looked smashing in grey velvet waistcoat and trousers. The reception was held at the Camber Castle and went on, Diane's mother tells us, well into the small hours, with even young Lawrence dancing until midnight! All the wedding flowers were taken on Sunday to lie on Diane's father's grave in Rye Cemetery. The couple will be living in Ashford; Diane is a secretary at the Midland Bank at Tenterden, and Terry works for Bournes of Rye.
At the beginning of July, Commander Colin Marsh will be exchanging one Cinque Port for another; he leaves the Harbourmarter's office at Rye to become the Commercial Manager of the Royal Harbour of Ramsgate. This is "a different world" he told us, from the Rye job, seeing Alsfords coasters safely in and out and sorting out the problems of visiting holiday yachtsmen; at Ramsgate he will be responsible to his employers, Thanet Council, for the entire commercial aspect of the harbour, organising its working, overseeing its finances, and also acting as its public relations officer (including press, radio, telly...).
Colin has been at Rye Harbour for 19 years, and Harbourmaster for 15 (succeeding Jack Doust). He and Mrs. Marsh will be moving into one of the houses on the Colebrooke site on Strand Quay as soon as the builders have finished, so he will not be leaving Rye for good - but they are also looking for a flat in Ramsgate, since the job is not always simply 9 to 5. He will be able to continue as a member of the Sailing Club, but will be resigning as RNLI chairman. "Can't do everything" he says, "and Ramsgate's a big job" (but then, Colin is a big man).
A second shop which sells on commission new or nearly-new clothes has just opened in Ferry Road opposite the Fire Station: Dress Sense. Mrs. Betty Barritt of Broad Oak is helped in the business by her daughter Michelle, while the upholstery enterprise which was already based in the Gluepot premises will continue behind the shop. Dress Sense will beopen from Tuesday to Saturday between 10 and 4, and its arrival means that there is now a choice of dress agencies at Bannister's Corner (we welcomed Prospects in GAZETTE no. 172).
Mentally handicapped people and helpers came from Canterbury and Bexhill to the disco and social evening arranged last week by the Rye Branch of Mencap; over 250 people (including 33 from Hill House) joined in the fun. Vickie Piper and the committee are most grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of the evening, and particularly to Tony James of the Camber Sands Leisure Park.
4.
Rother's Planning Committee last Thursday considered the Planning Officer's report on shopping in Rye. This is a six-page document going into considerable detail, and we hope to summarise it next week (when there should be more room in the paper, since a Bank Holiday deadline usually means a shortage of immediate news). The following recommendation, less strong than some people would have liked, was adopted by the committee: "The District Planning Authority will generally seek to maintain the existing numbers, pattern and proportion of retail uses in order to prevent a significant loss of vitality in the town centre as a whole. In particular changes of use from retailing to uses which present a 'dead' frontage will be resisted where a concentration of such uses would arise."
Apart from this, Rye did very well out of the meeting, with all except one of the local applications either approved or delegated to the Planning Officer to approve once the time-limit for objections was up. The exception was Peter Chantry's proposal for redevelopment of the Tollgate Garage site as sheltered housing, which was deferred. Permission was given for the retention of the changing shed at the Rye Harbour football field; for a house and garage in Rye Harbour; for a replacement hanging sign at 19 Lion Street (River Books); for a garage and other alterations at The Rise in Udimore Road; for new lighting at the Pipemakers; for a flat in the roofspace of the Decorator's Warehouse; for an extension to 8? Fishmarket Road; for a conservatory and porch at 69 Military Road; for a new house in the Old Brickyard; for an extra loo in the Swan Cottage tea-garden; for alterations to 48 Fishmarket Road; and for a bungalow replacing the existing prefab at The Paddock in Harbour Road (subject to a number of conditions). Listed building consent was given for the conversion of the Saltcote Place stables into flats (the building has been listed since the original planning permission for the work was given).
The hanging sign outside Bridgland Insurance at 103a High Street, which was put up without planning permission, is to stay. The owner claims that there has been a sign there since 1943; the Planning Officer says it wasn't there in September 1985, and therefr..re planuiug permission to replace it should have been sought. However, he says in his report that the sign is neat, and he would have recommended approval if consent had been asked, and he recommended to the committee that no action should be taken. (Let us hope that this does not create a precedent for other work done in the Conservation Area without planning authority!) Recent Rye applications include a two-storey extension for 25 Udimore Road, and replacement of the weatherboarding on the Masonic Hall in Turkeycock Lane.
New Government regulations have removed the restriction to which we referred last week about the availability of the Planning Committee agenda before the meeting. All Rother agendas, including of course Planning, are now available for public inspection at least three days before the relevant meeting. There is a file with the complete set of current agendas available at the Cinque Ports Street Council Offices for anyone to look through; Planning is always on a Thursday, so there are three working days beforehand.
The same legislation means that committees and sub-committees must now hold their meetings in public. It is a sub-committee of Rother's Staff and General Purposes Committee which decides on flag-day application; so perhaps the RAFA should arrange to go along en masse in February, sit in the front row, and glower?
Topics discussed were the town's usual talking-points: the bypass, the supermarket, the number of non-service shops, the rating system and Sunday trading. The Annual Report and accounts were approved. New Chairman is George Shackleton, and Hilda Nelson-Barrett steps down to take his place as Vice-Chairman; Richard Prebble continues as President, James Menhinick as Secretary, and Conrad Festing, Ringo Chapman and Maurice Ellwood join Geraldine Bromley and Frank Palmer on the committee, redressing the present preponderence of Town Councillors.
£130 was raised at the Town Hall event held by the Women's British Legion on 19 April; they ran out of roses for St. George's Day! Talking of which, did anySone take home a nylon mac which wasn't theirs from the Town Hall after the St. George's Day civic service? Joan Camier emerged from the Mayor's reception, flanked (as it happened) by two policemen, to find that hers had vanished, and there wasn't another which could have been left by mistake instead. "I suppose you want us to investigate this?" said Inspector Northern with a grin; Joan decided not to press the case, but she would still be glad to have her mac back, since it was a special British Legion one made to go over her uniform. If you were at the Town Hall on 20 April, and came home with a mac which on inspection turns out not to be yours, please could you return it to the cycle shop in Wish Ward (if necessary, through the large and anonymous letter-box!).
We hear of plans for setting up a Cancer Help Centre in or near Rye. This would be a self-help group for cancer sufferers and their families, something which we have not had round here before, but Linda Porter of Camber thinks that it would be both possible and useful - if she can find suitable premises. She has in mind one or two full-day sessions a month, perhaps more later on if there is the demand, with trained advisers giving help over different aspects of the disease as well as providing an opportunity for sufferers simply to meet and exchange experiences.
This might well be something that could eventually find a home in the new Day Centre; but in the meantime Mrs. Porter would be very glad to hear from anyone with a spare room or rooms in their home or business premises which they might be willing to lend the Centre to start with. Phone her.
The Annual Report of the Kent & East Sussex Bus Users' Association will go before its AGM at Hawkhurst on 10 May. It is primarily concerned with the results for bus users of the new Transport Act, which comes into operation in October. As we said in GAZETTE no. 172, ESCC will be considering in June the services meriting subsidy among those which will not be commercially run, so we are not attempting to give details of the October timetables now. But the Association's report says that two routes in our area which do not appear on any of the commercial proposals are those between Rye and Tenterden and between Hastings and Pett, and the 799 from Dover to Hastings is also modified. (Kim Clark at Lewes tells us that the route between Rye and Hastings via Icklesham is safe, and there will almost certainly be something between Rye and Tenterden when the final arrangements have been made.)
Oae general point made in the report is that none of the present operators are proposing to run Sunday services (and this presumably includes Bank Holidays when a Sunday service is usual). Michael Dearing, the Association's Secretary, adds "Although Ministers were hoping for an influx of new bus operators bringing increased services and lower fares through competition, not a single new firm has reistered to provide bus services anywhere in our main membership area."
However, there is no point in worrying yet, until the ESCC-subsidised routes are announced. It may be a lot better than it looks - indeed, says Kim, it almost certainly will be. But one aspect of the whole thing which is worrying is that whereas KCC is retaining its Public Tranport Liaison Group, ESCC is winding up our equivalent, the Hastings/Rother Area Public Transport Consultative Committee. "We feel most strongly" says the report, "that more and not less consultation is required with Parish Councils and consumer groups over the coming months."
From this weekend, Swan Cottage in The Mint will be open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 for light meals - a godsend, we would think, for visitors with small hungry children, as well as for adults who like to eat early. Sheila Brown may extend the idea if she finds it is well-supported.
6.
The Chairman of the Development Commission, Lord Vinson, used to play on Camber beach when he was a little boy (his family come from Kent). But until Tuesday he hadn't been back here in fifty years - and nearly didn't make it this time, because his train was delayed for an hour on the far side of Hastings, and he missed the bus. To be fair, Kent County Council (who were arranging his visit) weren't really expecting him to arrive here on a 799; the bus was the County Rider minibus, specially chartered to take the visiting dignitaries around the RDA - because among other things the RDA is concerned with the improvement of rural transport. (The bus had a problem, too; it found itself stuck behind a ditched lorry in the narrow lane from Udimore to Winchelsea, but the Autopoint driver, undeterred, attached a rope to his towbar and pulled his problem out!)
So it was not Lord Vinson but the Chairman of Rother who declared the Udimore School workshops open, and who visited the village hall at the Beach. Here there was, as it happened, a coffee morning in progress, and not only were all the visitors generous in the purchase of raffle tickets but the Vice-Chairman of East Sussex County Council won a pot of marmalade. His Lordship caught up with the party just as the minibus pulled into Hatleys in Harbour Road, where the group had a word with Robin Paine -who by sure coincidence (of course) happened to be around, though none of the tenants had been notified of the impending visit. Robin was able to say how grateful all the tenants were that the units existed, but he also voiced very tactfully the problems with the doors (three of the units, we are told, have now had theirs fixed). He referred to the clay dump along the road frontage - supposed to be landscaped, and which several members had remarked on as they disembarked - and spoke with feeling about the rates bill and water rate. Notes were taken by those concerned, and perhaps they will lead to action; we were told that an invitation had been sent to Hatleys, but no-one was there to represent the firm.
Then there was a pause beside the footbridge; there are still no ramps, but the distinguished party obligingly clambered up onto it and down again, filmed by TVS and watched by reporters, before going on to the Saltings for a well-earned buffet lunch. There they 'were welcomed by both the Chairman of KCC and the Vice-Chairman of ESCC, who also happens to be the chairman of the committee at Lewes which deals with the RDA. Lord Vinson spoke of the aims of the RDA, and how important it was to encourage indigenous enterprise instead of always hanker-ing after multi-nationals - "we have simply got to grow our own industries". He congratulated the RDA team on the programme, and was obviously really interested in the benefits likely to come to rural communities - "the English rural social pattern has much to tell us" he said.
Lunch was greatly appreciated - all that sea air! - and then it was time to clit. into the minibus again and drive away to see how the RDA is doing on the Kent side of the border. (Leslie Bulman told us later that the afternoon programme went off very smoothly, with no interesting technical hitches at all.) It was a pity that there was no time for the party to see the progress on the Sports Centre, which means far more to Rye than the footbridge and which also appears in the RDA programme; perhaps Lord Vinson will come again and open that for us?'
Some time ago we asked Radio Sussex whether they would join the GAZETTE in sponsoring an event in Rye Festival; it would have cost them £50. We were told that they don't do that sort of thing. However, they do for Brighton - a press release announces "unique coverage" of the Brighton Festival. It doesn't follow, of course, that they are laying out as much as £50 cash on it; but Rye is also in their area, and we also have an arts festival, and are we going to get unique coverage too?
In fact there is a feeling in the town that Radio Sussex is losing interest in the Far East. "Lunchdate" has gone, replaced by a mid-afternoon programme which is no use to people at work - and the morning East Sussex Diary spots don't always bother to list its contents anyway. The Town Hall studio has not, we understand, been used for six weeks or so. When the Sussex Express lost interest in Rye, the GAZETTE was born. Wouldn't it be fun to have Radio Rye - or even, more ambitiously, Radio Rother!
• The Community Centre Association wishes to thank everyone - particularly the town's catering establishments and their customers - who supported the Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday. All the sponsorship money is now in, and amounts to £602, some £100 more than last year! Centre funds also benefit by E48 from Saturday's coffee morning.
• Congratulations to George Cumming, who completed the London Marathon course in 4 hours and 27 minutes, depsite the wind and rain at the beginning of the run. He was cheered on by local MSS Branch members who had left Rye at 6 am to watch - their ambulance parked comfortably, by courtesy of the London Fire Brigade, at the 23-miles spot. Sponsor money should be paid to the Branch HQ at 3 Market Road, to Squirrels, or to Ferry Road.
• It is a real pleasure to report that Mrs. Phyllis Davis is now home in Ferry Road, after her stay in hospital following her accident in the High Street the week before Easter. Her broken arm, however, is still very painful, and it will be some time before she is fit to go back to work.
• The WRVS Meals on Wheels service is heading for a crisis unless Mrs. Barton can recruit some more drivers (who need to have a car) and mates (who don't). With some of the "regulars" away on holiday during the summer, they urgently need some more volunteers. The duty comes up only twice a month, on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday from 11.30 until 2-ish - and we need hardly say how much the help is appreciated by the elderly or housebound people to whom the meals are delivered.
• Although the Christian Lunch Club has closed down for the present, the few remaining committee members are arranging a coffee morning (with a bring-and-buy stall and books) at the Red Cross Centre on Thursday, 8 May, from 10.30. They will be particularly pleased to see people who would be interested in either restarting the club or perhaps embarking on some other form of Christian fellowship. There was considerable disappointment when the club closed some weeks ago; it would be pleasant to report its rebirth.
• Rowena Varley of the Sports Centre committee tells us that the coupons on various Walls products can be used by the committee to buy equipment in due course, so please save them. They are fiddly little things, so perhaps they could be delivered by the envelope-full rather than loose, either to the Spar shop or by a child to Thomas Peacocke?
• Neighbourhood Watchers, please keep watching. There have been at least four break-ins recently, at Freda Gardham and Upper School offices, the Clinic and the laundry, usually with only a small quantity of cash missing. But the owner of a house in Military Road lost a collection of family jewellery when thieves walked in through an unlocked door and helped themselves from an upstairs room. And a Toshiba microwave oven on display at Skinners was stolen on 21/22 April.
• A useful map chest is now installed in the reading room at Rye Library, large enough to take all the maps they are ever likely to have. It has been given them by someone in Rye who doesn't want to be named (but who, we are pleased to say, saw the GAZETTE appeal), and the staff are very grateful. Our appeal for box-files for the local history collection also produced results. Thanks!
• Pat Cole, ex-News, writes from Alderney that she and Denis (and the cat) have settled into their new home, built on the site of a Roman camp and with an Iron Age excavation-site under the window. Alderney, with its cobbled streets (and winter gales!) reminds her very much of Rye, which she misses; it is a "tomorrow" island, and the temptation to do nothing is strong, but once she has finished with the paint-pots she hopes to resume writing magazine features.
• The current RNLI gift/souvenir catalogue includes two items which relate to Rye, though not to the Harbour lifeboat: a postcard (15p) and a leather bookmark (60p) both showing the Brede-class lifeboat which is, of course, designed and built here by Lochin Marine in Rock Channel.
Rye Council for Voluntary Service AGM (speakers, Leslie Bulman of the RDA and George Cumming of MSS), Town Hall, 7.30
Friday, 2nd Vidler & Co's monthly auction sale, 10 Rye Movie Society, members' evening
Saturday, 3rd Women's British Legion jumble sale and coffee morning (for Branch funds), FEC, 10
Labour Party jumble sale, produce and refreshments, CC, 10 Bowls Club coffee morning (all welcome, but particularly prospective new members), Pavilion, 10.30
"Mapp and Lucia", first episode in new series, Channel 4, 9
Sunday, 4th Attic Sale, Community Centre, 10 to 1
Monday, 5th Rye Mayoring Day (the ceremony at 11, followed by a short service at St. Mary's and then the throwing of hot pennies), TH
Tuesday, 6th FRAG talk "Conservation of British Butterflies" (John Feltwell), Ockman's Lane gallery, 8
Wednesday, 7th Hearing Circle coffee morning, Red Cross, 10.30
• Congratulations to Mrs. Sheila Barton of the WRVS, who was made a very proucl. great-grandmother on 9 April by the birth of a strapping son to Jock and Henrietta Lloyd-Jones of Woodbridge.
• Can anyone offer a kind and stable home to a young mongrel bitch (spayed) middle-sized and looking rather like an overgrown Jack Russell - with a very pathetic history? She can be seen at Iden Kennels, but ring (after 4) first for the full story.
• We omitted to mention last week the birthday window for the Queen at Maison Fleur - this still only makes three in all, as far as we know?
• The Gas Board tell us t'at they lipe to be gone from Rye, after final work to cut off and clear out the old main (they apologise for the inevitable smell of gas while this is done) by the end of next week (9th).
• Gordon Stanbridge would like to know more about "Wilkins, Rye, Clockmaker"; a friend of his has a grandfather clock so marked, and they are both curious. Ring Gordon or leave a note at the police station.
• The Greyfriars League of Friends made a clear profit of £167 for the home at the Nearly New sale at the FEC on Saturday morning.
• Landgate WI's April meeting much enjoyed Peter Farrow's talk on the jeweller's craft; members' own craft-work was on display, having done well in the recent
• WI Group show. There is to be a coffee morning at Saltcote Orchard, Playden, on 13 May at 10.30 (please note this in your diary now, as Playden events don't appear in the GAZETTE weekly diary).
• The Day Centre coffee morning last Wednesday made a profit of £65.
• Miss Dann tells us that 1986 is the 350th anniversary of the foundation of Rye Grammar School. Is anyone going to do anything about it? 1988 will see the 20th birthday of Thomas Peacocke School. Ditto?
• The Editor (Rye 222303) would be very glad to hear from anyone who has a tin trunk or storage box for sale. It need not be elegant, or even lockable - but it must be mouse-proof!
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office, published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 2 Cyprus Place, Rye, TN31 7DR (0797 222303), and printed by Cinque Ports Stationers of Rye. News items for inclusion are always welcome – deadline Monday afternoon (Tuesday 9 am at latest and only for real emergencies). The GAZETTE costs 30p weekly and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday. A few spare copies are available (but not on Thursdays) from Squirrels, 9-13 Cinque Ports Street, and back numbers from Cyprus Place. (Copyright Mary Owen 1986).