The new Rye Harbour C-class inflatable had its first major callout on Sunday evening, when Keith and Jeff Robus, Tony Edwards and Trevor Bryant launched her at low tide with a supply of fuel for a fishing-boat in trouble two or three miles out in Rye Bay. Irene H had sprung a leak and was taking in water; her auxiliary pump was keeping her afloat, but Martin Oakley and Frank Broomhead (both Camber-based) were running short of petrol for it - the boat's engine, of course, uses diesel. Mick Payne's Jeanne Marie was standing by to tow Irene H in, but there was no chance of getting into the river for some hours because of the state of the tide. The call-out was at 4.30, just as darkness was falling, and should have been a routine trip - but it wasn't...
Three of the four lifeboat crew went aboard the fishing-boat with the petrol, leaving Keith (the radio operator) in charge of the lifeboat. As the fuel was being poured into the tank, there was a flash fire, and four of the men were sprayed with burning petrol. They jumped overboard to quench the flames (the lifeboatmen were in wet-suits, the fishermen were not), and were hauled aboard the lifeboat by Keith. In the meantime Tony, whom the petrol had not reached, had made a dash for the lifeboat's extinguisher and put out the fire on Irene H.
No-one was hurt, but Irene H now had an unserviceable pump and was still taking in water. So Keith radioed the coastguard for a helicopter to bring a spare pump; while it was on its way, the lifeboat beached the fishermen, and one of the launchers picked them up and took them home for a hot bath and dry clothes. The lifeboat returned to Irene H, and just after 6pm the replacement pump was winched down from the helicopter. Within five minutes the lifeboat crew had the fishing-boat pumped out; they then left her under the supervision of Mick Payne while they in turn went home, to hand over to a second crew for the rest of the operation.
Back went Alan and Mark Haffenden, Phil Jones and David Robus to stand by the casualty, and when her own crew were ready they were returned on board to steer her as the tow began. Soon after 10pm everyone was able to get into the river; by 10.45 Irene H was safely berthed alongside the Harbour slipway, and the lifeboat-house lights were all out by midnight. It was, says Mary Lestocq, a 'very satisfactory evening's work - and, our London correspondent tells us, it appeared in the stop press of Monday's Evening Standard!
The new manager of the Rye Sports Centre, appointed last week by Rother, is Timothy Lees, 28. Mr. Lees, who is unmarried, comes from Folkestone, where he has been on the staff of a sports centre since September 1982. We look forward to talking to him early next year about how he sees the Centre developing.
Rusty Ellis reports that the annual collection of Cancer Relief boxes produced £194; she would like to thank all the local businesses who kindly display these boxes on their premises.
Joan Parkes reports that the RNLI coffee morning took just over £300. Those who admired George Gray's RNLI goblets will be glad to know that there are more in the Cinque Ports Pottery showroom on Conduit Hill, to be sold for RNLI funds.
Frank Dowdeswell reports that the Scouts jumble sale on 25 October raised £61. The Scouts mixed packs of Christmas cards (working out at 4ip a card!) are now on sale at the Wool Shop in Cinque Ports Street.
James Bateman reports that a private party at the Town Hall on Wednesday brought in £247 for Church of England Children's Society funds; last year £1,750 went to HQ from the branch, including £500 from recycled greetings cards.
2.
Mrs. Jane Gardner of Brookland, who died on 23 October, was 42. She is survived by her husband and son. The funeral has taken place. Mrs. Gardner was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Addy of Pottingfield Road; Mr. Addy was killed in a road accident in Udimore two years ago, and we are sorry to say that Mrs. Addy is herself very far from well.
Mrs. Celia Swaine, of Mason Road, died in Rye Hospital on 27 October. She was 75, and leaves two daughters and three grandchildren. Her husband Dan died a year ago. Mr. and Mrs. Swaine were long-established Mason Road residents, having moved there from Landgate Square 28 years ago.
Mrs. Daisy Blackman, of Tillingham Avenue, died in a Hastings nursing home on 29 October. She was 83, and had been virtually helpless since March. Mrs. Blackman was a Horsham girl, who married a Rye man; they both worked for John Winter before the war, Mrs. Blackman in the Camber shop. In 1938 the Blackmans took over the Bedford Arms (from Charlie Olive); when war came, Mr. Blackman joined the Navy, leaving his wife to run the pub single-handed, and she continued to do so after her husband's death in 1951. In 1959 she gave up the Bedford and went to work for what was then Brown's, the High Street greengrocers; but in 1968 her only son Maurice and his wife (and their four children) took over the Landgate Stores from the Horners, and Mrs. Blackman came to help them in shop. She continued to do so - and to look after not only her own garden but also an allotment - until the day before her crippling stroke: another of Rye's magnificent old ladies. The funeral takes place today (Wednesday) at Hastings Crematorium at 2.
The cost of using the phone went up on Monday, and we have extracted from British Telecom the new rates (which we haven't noticed publicised elsewhere). The rental charge has risen by 50p a quarter, which probably no-one will grudge them; but nice chatty local calls will have to become a thing of the past.
The cost of a charge unit has gone down from 5p to 4.4p. This sounds good, until you realise that the amount of time you get for your single unit has also been cut (slashed, as far as local calls are concerned). These are the new times, in seconds (old times in brackets):
| Local | 'A' area | 'B' area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | 90 (120) | 34.3 (40) | 24 (22) |
| Peak rate | 60 (90) | 25.7 (30) | 18 (17.1) |
| Cheap rate | 360 (480) | 100 (120) | 45 (48) |
So the only gainers are British Telecom, people making very short calls (who will pay 4.4p instead of 5p) and those making day-time long-distance calls (who gain marginally, and are anyway likely to be businesses). Everyone else loses, and local callers come off worst: their times are cut by 25% on standard and cheap calls, and by an incredible 33% on peak-time calls - a 3-minute peak-rate local call which used to cost 10p now costs 13.2p. (This will probably mean that the GAZETTE price will have to rise in March, since our phone bill is a major expense already.)
Peak rate is from 9 am to 1 pm; standard, from 8 to 9 am and from 1 to 6 pm; everything else (and all day Saturday and Sunday) is cheap rate. Exchanges which are 'A' area from Rye are listed on page 49 of the phone book; local-call exchanges include Hastings and Ashford, and are listed on page 37.
At Thomas Peacocke School just before half-term, Rother House won both the Music Competition and the George Blacker Quiz Trophy. Musically, individual winners were Graham Slack, James Collins, Rebekah Smith, Kirsty Piggott, David Shephard, Julia Smith and Beth Hall, and Jochem van Ash and Sonya Kemp. It was an all-male team (one member from each year) who won the quiz finals: Hugh Dellar, Jamie Newham, Darren Douche, Julian Humphreys and his brother Jason.
3 THE RYE GAZETTE, 5 November 1986
An unexpected honour - probably unique in the town's history - came to Rye last week. His Excellency Joe Frank Harris, Governor of the State of Georgia, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy and Militia thereof, has appointed Rye Town Councillor James Menhinick of North Salts a Lieutenant Colonel and aide-de-camp on the Governor's staff, formed for the defence of the State. To prove it, James has an impressive certificate with a big gold seal, which begins "To the honourable James Menhinick, greetings..."refers to his "patriotism, valour and fidelity", and is signed by Governor Harris.
James's career has been in the oil industry. In the war, he was attached to the 7th Armoured Division, and was briefly made a major for technical reasons during the North African campaign (to be exact, so that if he was taken prisoner by Rommel's advancing troops while lurking to blow up underground oil storage tanks, they couldn't shoot him!). So promotion to Lt.Col. was not something he was expecting, so long afterwards - and particularly not in the Army of the State of Georgia, USA.
The connection, of course, lies in James's knowledge of what he says ought not to be called the American War of Independence (as he once explained in a talk to the Friends of Rye Art Gallery). A few years ago he was invited to Atlanta to give lectures on why they lost that war, and he made many friends there; he also has an American neighbour in North Salts. So although he doesn't know exactly who is responsible for this delightful testimonial, which simply arrived through the post, he is very much amused, and happy to accept his promotion in the spirit in which it is meant. The Town Council, however, may rest assured that he does not expect to find his new duties onerous!
The side window of Freight Express Seacon has a fascinating display this week - well over a hundred knots and bends and lashings and splices and so forth, beautifully displayed on boards and labelled with their names. True and false lovers knots, extended Carrick, Chinese bowline, crabbers eye, blood knot join, lark boat knot, cow hitch, ships gunners lanyard, ships surgeons knot, wedding knot, crossed larks head, Portuguese sennit, seven-loop shamrock (we lost track of all the apostrophes!) - they read like something out of Treasure Island. Longing to know whose work they were, we enquired within; but the maker is a modest man and doesn't want his identity revealed.
Anyway, do go and look at this very remarkable record of maritime tradition.
The next FRAG social event - "An Evening with Samuel Pepys" - at the Studio on Saturday week, 15th, at 7.30 will consist of readings from diary accompanied by "suitable musical renderings on the harpsichord violins and cello - something different from the usual run" says its Barbara Fearon, with perfect truth. Entrance £1 for FRAG funds.
On 15 and 16 November the Council of Churches has a weekend theme of "Living Christian Community". Father Columba Ryan, OP, leads a session on Saturday starting at 2.30 and continuing into the evening (bring food for a shared meal at 6.30), and on Sunday at 6.30 there is a united service at the Baptist Church. Ann Hamilton tells us that the weekend's success will depend on a good response - everyone will be most welcome, from any denomination or none.
A reader setting off for Cambridge on Saturday, the first day of BR's November offer for senior citizens, struck unlucky. Arriving at Rye Station at 7.45, she was told that there were no trains to Ashford and the staff didn't know when there would be! And it wasn't just our line; after driving to Ashford and finally reaching Liverpool Street, she discovered that the trains to Cambridge were running at least 30 minutes late, and coming back 50 minutes late. Her return journey from Cambridge took six hours (driving back from Ashford, of course, because the car was there). How are other over-60 adventurers doing?
4.
The Queen's personal representative in the County of Sussex was at Scots Float last Tuesday: the Lord Lieutenant, the Marquess of Abergavenny, had come to invest Bert Polley of the SWA with the British Empire Medal.
Mr. Polley left school at 14 and started work, in May 1945, for what was then the Rother & Jury's Gut Catchment Board as an apprentice fitter. He studied at night school and technical college, often in his spare time, and National Service with REME gave him further useful experience and training. He came back as a qualified fitter, and - said Lord Abergavenny -.has worked loyally and efficiently ever since, retiring recently as Workshop Superintendent. Well-liked and respected - and with an unparalleled knowledge of heavy plant he has set a fine example to the young people whom he has helped to train over many years. Lord Abergavenny spoke of this record of dedicated and efficient service as "one for which we ought all to be very grateful".
In reply, Mr. Polley thanked the Lord Lieutenant for coming to perform the investiture; he was also grateful to the management for the hard work in preparing the recommendation for the award. He was very pleased, he said, to have so many friends and colleagues to share the moment, and he also wanted to thank all those who had written to him with their congratulations when the award was announced in the Queen's Birthday Honours in June.
Family guests included Bert's wife Ivy, his son Andrew and his daughter-in-law, two of his three sisters (Mrs. Pearce and Mrs. Tolhurst), and his father Mr. Stan Polley of Cooper Road, for whom this was a very proud moment. Mr. Polley senior originally came to Rye because he married a Rye girl (Bert's mother Alice died last year); he was one of the Rye Corporation dustmen until he retired - and he says he's 58, but a wink suggested that we turn the figures round! Two more Polley brothers were unable to be at the ceremony.
Others present - everyone enjoying the SWA's lavish hospitality and Claude Auberson's buffet - were the Chairman of Rother and his wife, the Mayor of Rye and her husband, the Divisional Manager of SWA, and a number of other SWA staff. At local level these included our River Controller South, George Roberts, and Len Fuggle - and also someone whose memories go back further still, Bert James of Rope Walk (and the Cattle Market car park). Mr. James joined the Catchment Board in 1938, retiring in 1973 - and he was the first person to greet a young and nervous Bert Polley arriving for work on his first morning (and immediately instructed him to get his hair cut!).
It would simply be presumptuous of us to attempt to review in any detail the current show at the Easton Rooms. It includes 39 paintings by Frederick Cuming, RA, eight sculptured figures by Bernard Sindall, and a full range of work by silversmith Michael Bolton - jewellery, of course, and also domestic pieces such as coasters, cups and chalices, a one-off Graham Clarke engraving plus the silver engraving plate (both fascinatingly framed), and an exceedingly pretty paint-box complete with real and colourful paint blocks. Admirers of the work of any of the three artists (and they are legion) will find a feast here; those to whom they are as yet unknown have a real treat in store. This is a show that cannot possibly be missed, a triumph for the High Street gallery. You have until 24 November to enjoy it.
Some Tilling Green people are finding the new County Rider bus timetable less than convenient. The morning bus from the Estate into the town, which used to arrive at 8.31, now runs five minutes earlier (five minutes longer to hang about until shops and offices open) and the two morning buses home at 10.45 and 11.45 have been combined into one at 11 - too early for people with part-time morning jobs. Kim Clark of TDD is going to look into the matter of the vanished 6.20 evening bus to Hastings via Icklesham; but H & D told her that there was only one regular user, so perhaps it is not as vital for after-school activities as we had thought.
5.
• Last week we wrote about the problem that the Community Programme has in finding what skills are available among long-term unemployed people in Rye (and Mr. Sell's team would not be offering help in redecorating for elderly householders - the YMCA team do that - though his team could redecorate, for instance, village halls).
This week we hear of a similar situation affecting disabled people. They used to register with the Disablement Rehabilitation Officer, which meant that potential employers could consult the DRO when they were looking for staff. Now the DRO has been abolished - and so, of course, have the DRO contacts.
Phil Archer is the manager of Castleham Industries in St. Leonards. This is a sheltered workshop, opened ten years ago by ESCC for disabled workers only, now employing 43 people full-time on litho printing, engineering, electronic assembly and the manufacture of giftware, in a pleasant encouraging environment.
Due to steady increase in demand for the firm's products, Mr. Archer has some new jobs - and no-one to fill them. The firm retrains its employees, but a background of electronics or engineering is helpful. This could have been gained before the person became disabled, or at a training course for someone disabled fnom childhood. Particularly, they need urgently an inspector (with a background of sound common sense) to keep an eye on things all through the factory. But Mr. Archer feels that there are many people in the area who would be glad of an opportunity to go out to work despite their disablement, but who don't realise that these jobs exist.
What about transport, we asked? He already has several Rye-area workers, and by car it is a straightforward journey; by train or bus it would mean changing in Hastings, but in some circumstances workers would be entitled to a taxi. Anyway, transport isn't insuperable.
If you know of someone in the area who is disabled, unemployed, and has some training or experience which would fit in at Castleham Industries, do urge them to phone Mr. Archer on Hastings 53629 and talk to him about the prospects. If you can find him an inspector, he will be particularly grateful.
• We unintentionally misled readers about the "family supporters" jobs in our Community Programme report last week. Despite the crying need from people who are tied to the house by relatives suffering from senile dementia, these Community Programme jobs are only open to people who are not just registered as unemployed but who are also in receipt of benefit - so, in effect, the
Government funding just transfers cash from one pocket to another! Since there have been no such applicants from our area, the jobs must remain unfilled (and the twenty families unhappy) unless the Jobcentre can be persuaded to waive the regulations, something they are not usually keen to do. This does seem a pity, since Mr. Sell has heard from several local people who would have been interested in helping out but were not actually receiving social security cash.
Rye Police received several calls from annoyed householders on Wednesday night about the current fad and American import, "trick or treat". One lady who refused to be blackmailed went out ten minutes later to walk her dog - and found her door spattered with something red. She phoned the police, who came round very promptly; the real winner was the dog, who happily licked the ketchup off the door! Much the same thing happened to a Church Square house- holder who not only complained to the police but is also writing to the Headmaster of Thomas Peacocke School, since the children who ketchupped his door were undoubtedly of secondary-school age. We hear, too, of people who had eggs wasted on their property.
Everyone who was bothered in this way will be glad to know that on Thursday evening at Rye Police Station "several children were advised as to their conduct, in the presence of their parents", as the police demurely put it.
6.
Walter Stocks in Cinque Ports Street, Rye's long-established furniture store and the largest shop in the town, changed hands at the end of last week. The new owner is Mr. M.P. Condon, who already has a furniture business in Robertson Street (ex-Jepsons) in Hastings, a carpet shop opposite Sainsbury's, and another store in Bexhill. Like the Bexhill shop, Rye will continue to sell both furniture and floor-coverings, and it is hoped that the present staff will continue to work there. Naturally the change will mean alterations, as well as redecoration, and people familiar with the Hastings or Bexhill shops will look forward to finding a wide range of furniture styles on offertwhile the excellent choice of carpets for which Stocks is famous will continue.
Rye should be deeply grateful to Mr. Beale and his daughter Mrs. Janet Bailey for ensuring that the town is not losing its furniture shop. The site could so easily have become another antique shop, or even been sold for redevelopment. It is good news that the shop will continue to be a family business - Mr. Beale and Mr. Condon are old friends - and a good omen for trade here generally that a firm the size of Condons sees a future in Rye.
When Walter Stocks started the business, it consisted only of the shop at the end nearest Bannisters; the rest was a row of cottages, with - at one time - the Albion pub on the corner. The Library's collection has a pair of undate before-and-after photographs, the second one taken proudly at the time of the alterations which extended the shop as far as the corner and gave it the big windows. At that point, it was very long and narrow inside; the basement was reached by a trapdoor, and most of the upper floor was used as a flat, with an office and workroom reached by the staircase at the far end.
Mr. Beale, a Bexhill man, came to work at Stocks in 1938. When Walter Stocks died, he managed the business for Mrs. Stocks, and at her death in the early 1960s she left it to him. After a fire there not very long afterwards (it was the first one Michael Bourn was called out to, and he raced on his bike from Rope Walk with his boots on the wrong feet in his excitement), Mr. Beale remodelled the interior, putting in the handsome staircase from the end showroom. He also extended the building at the back, and added the fire-escape so that the whole of the upper floor could be used for display. Mrs. Bailey tells us that the yard at the back was once a walled garden, with peaches and plums and a washing-line, and access into Crown Field behind; it seems likely that this had belonged with the Albion pub, as doubtless did the side entrance. Legend has it that there is a smuggler's passage from the basement - running where, Mrs. Bailey doesn't know; but she does know that there is a part of the wall where the brickwork is very much sewer than the rest.
This is a very scant history of a long-established and well-respected Rye business; if any readers can help us with more dates and details for a later issue, we would be most grateful. In the meantime, we wish Mr. Beale many years of happiness with his beloved garden, and Mrs. Bailey the good rest she is looking forward to before deciding what to do next.
We are glad to say that rumours about the closure of Corralh in Winchelsea Road are not true. The actual coal-yard is no longer in use and - seen empty - looks enormous; but customers will find no difference in the service. The office is open as usual, deliveries will be made as usual, only the actual coal now comes from Cranbrook. Pre-packed fuels are available from the office as before. The manager assures us that the change has meant no compulsory redundancies among his staff.
And what will happen to the yard? The manager, naturally enough, couldn't tell us; but it is a useful site, beside Strand Quay upstream of the laundry, and would seem to offer scope for something interesting - perhaps under RDA auspices?
7.
The Health Promotion Unit is holding another "Save a Life!" session at the Clinic on Thursday, 11 December, at 7.30. This is all about emergency resuscitation - as the leaflet says, "Would you know how to help an accident victim?"
Unlike the "Look after yourself" classes in progress at the FE Centre on Friday afternoons, this is one-off, and costs money - £2, payable in advance with the booking-form. But it could be money well spent, even so near Christmas. The booking-form is on the leaflet at the Council Offices (and probably elsewhere), and cheques should be made payable to Hastings Health Authority, who are running this particular session (there are lots of others, including one at Peasmarsh School on 23 January)
The session on 9 October, which we only heard about too late to inform readers, drew 13 people. Shall we see if Rye can do rather better on 11 December? We shall be printing a reminder nearer the time, but those interested should note down the date now. Booking forms can be posted to the address given or (to save the stamp) left at the Clinic in an envelope marked "Health Promotion Unit".
Mid-morning on Thursday in Station Approach was like something out of a comedy movie. Three buses were parked along the Post Office side; they couldn't get into the bus garage because there were two visiting coaches inside. A third coach was unloading - very laboriously - in the middle lane, completely blocking any access to or from the station. On the Market side, the pavement was crowded - just where the puddle is - with people waiting for the Peasmarsh bus. Another bus, not the Peasmarsh one, was waiting on that side for passengers who hadn't yet arrived. The contractors had whittled off most of the parking-space on the Market corner, and the buses were trying to turn in the rest of it; their normal turning-space was taken up by another unloading coach and cars waiting to get into the shrunken Goods Yard car park - which was, of course, full anyway. Finally Mr. Catt put out bollards across the car-park entrance and waved the unlucky queuers round and out - which then meant a double stream of cars, since there was nothing at the top of Station Approach to indicate that the car park was full, so those optimists coming in were contending for the spasmodically-available road-space with disappointed drivers coming out. A further complication was a broken-down pickup abandoned on the corner by the pub, with a badly-bashed front (ironically, it belonged to a Hastings respraying firm!) It was all ghastly.
Non-traffic problems were the rain, and the gale blowing dust across from the Goods Yard. Here two concrete-hoppers and a Hymac were at work pouring the foundations of the new bus garage - with another Hymac and truck clearing a scrub sycamore from the area by the Market where the loos will be.
The police said they couldn't put up a "Car Park full" notice at the top of Station Approach because it wasn't their business; British Rail must run their own car park. British Rail had left the long-suffering Mr. Catt in sole charge; the lad who usually helps him on a Thursday hadn't turned up, and the chap in the brass hat wasn't there either. And BR then took Mr. Catt off car-park duty to see a train away - and while his back was turned, nippy drivers had jammed up his car-park!
The workmen have upset a lot of people by cutting down the flowering cherry-tree at the station side gate. It was, the foreman told us casually, in the way of the car park. And what about the oak tree? "We're not touching that, dear", he said, "If that comes down it'll be an Act of God." We were less sure... Next week we hope to report on the overall progress on the site; and in the meantime, people nervous of being marooned in the ex-Ellis-yard car-park, with a huge lake stretching across the entrance, may like to know that we discovered an emergency exit in the corner, up steps emerging at the back of the bus kiosk.
And if you can avoid the station area tomorrow morning, you will be wise to do so; it could all happen again!
Thursday, 6th Red Cross Annual Meeting (raffle, cards, diaries), FEC, 2.30
Blood donor session, Baptist Hall, 2 to 4, 5 to 7.45
Rye Hospital League of Friends AGM, TH, 7.30
Friday, 7th Vidler & Co's monthly auction sale, 10
Saturday, 8th Women's BL Poppy Day coffee morning, TH, 10
Women's EL ploughman's lunch/soup-and-roll, FEC, 11 to 1
Hospice Shop official opening by the Mayor, 11
TPS PTA Grand Jumble Sale, Upper School, 1.30
Sunday, 9th Remembrance Sunday service at St. Mary's, 11; two minutes' silence and laying of wreaths, 12 approx. (parade forms up outside Adams for 10.35 start)
Monday, 10th Rye Playgroup sale of new children's clothes (seconds),
Clinic, 10.30 to 3.30
Camera Club, Improvers competition, "Open", FEC, 7.30
Tuesday, 11th Women's BL Remembrance Service, St. Mary's Clare Chapel, 10.45, War Memorial 11 - everyone is most welcome
Arthritis & Rheumatism Council ploughu's lunch, CC, 12 to 2 TPS fifth-year parents evening, Upper School
Wednesday, 12th Rye Conservation Society informal gathering for members, TH, 6.30 to 8
Rye WI, "Wildlife of Alaska" (Brian Hawkes), FEC, 7
Mencap AGM, George Hotel, 7.30
• Congratulations to Connie and Martin Hutchings, of Rope Walk, on the birth of their son David Martin on 16 October.
• Congratulations, too, to Caroline and Michael Ridley on the birth of their daughter Louise on 28 October - a third grand-daughter for Sproule and Hilary Bolton of Gorse Cottage and the Red Cross.
• Last week Rother received the long-awaited report from the Gas Board about the Gas Works car-park. It is to be discussed at technical level with Segas representatives at a meeting due to take place shortly; a report will then go before the appropriate Rother committee, so Peter Bridges at Battle can't really say anything at present. It is now the best part of four months since the car-park was first closed when suspicious blue staining was noticed in the first week of July. It seems a curiously long time?
• Mary Lestocq is very pleased to say that she is now an Associate of the British Institute of Professional Photography; she submitted 20 pictures (portraits of people, often with their hobbies or their pets) to obtain this qualification. Some will be on show in the Market Road studio window, some are off to Horsham for a three-week show there by eight Sussex photographers.
• Trains on Sunday, 9th, will be diverted between Ashford and London, says BR.
• The first Hospice Shop goods collection run will take place on Sunday (9th), and on the second Sunday in every month thereafter; ring Hastings 434310 in the evening, or leave a message at the Wish Street shop, if you have something for them. Bob will ring you back if you give a phone number.
• The town had some very attractive window displays last week - probably the most ingenious is Rose-Anne's Hallowe'en cobwebs spattered with falling leaves!
• 6 Playden choristers sing to the Archbishop of Canterbury at Peckham tonight.
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office, published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 2 Cyprus Place, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 7DR (0797 222303), and printed by Cinque Ports Stationers of Rye. News items for inclusion are always welcome - deadline Monday afternoon. The GAZETTE costs 30p weekly and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday; a few spares may be available from Cyprus Place. (Copyright Mary Owen 1986)