On Wednesday afternoon, Rye was honoured by the presence of a very special group of visitors from across the Channel - a group who had come by the Portsmouth ferry to be sure of getting here. They were Free Frenchmen who had been under the command of the late Col. Robert Dawson in No. 4 Commando during WW2, and who had come to take part in the thanksgiving service at St. Mary's. They were joined by British colleagues, also in the green ex-Commando blazer with its dagger badge and wearing the green beret. Some of those berets were obviously replacements; others were clearly the originals, scarred now by moth as well as by battle but still worn with upright pride. Reunions began outside the north door before the service (and doubtless continued in less formal circumstances over tea at the George Hotel afterwards): backs were slapped, hands shaken and cheeks kissed. Taking part in the service was Father Rene de Naurois, the French chaplain to No. 4 Commando. And flying from the tower of St. Mary's was something we do not expect to see again - the Tricoleur, at half-mast; the Union Flags on the Town Hall and Museum showed a similar respect for a ell-loved commander.
Rye WRVS's recent window display in Lion Street included among other jobs the word "Emergency". We would guess that until last week none of the present Rye members had ever actually been involved in a serious emergency operation for real; exercises, yes - meals-on-wheels in snow-bound winters, yes - but nothing more dramatic than that. Certainly the WRVS organiser at Ashford hadn't, until Kent Police asked for help to feed the 8-mile queue of lorry-drivers parked waiting for the cross-Channel ferry strike to end. At one hour's notice, three cars went from Rye; taking their own "hot-lock" food containers, the team was made up of Mrs. Gledhill from Iden, and from Rye Mrs. Davie, Mrs. Harland, Miss Jenkins, Mrs Bull-Marshall - and an honorary WRVS member for the occasion, her long-suffering husband Bertie. The menu was simple, but chosen to take account of Moslems among the drivers (no pork): soup, bread rolls, baked beans and shepherd's pie. This was cooked in the kitchen at Ashford Police Station; cold drinks were supplied by P & 0; British Telecom had installed emergency phones; and there were also emergency showers (and presumably loos) for the -500 or so men.
There were many nationalities, many languages. Some of the drivers came from behind the Iron Curtain, and the British men got up a collection for them, amounting to several hundred pounds, "because the Commies don't have any money". Having no money left was extremely serious, and some drivers hadn't eaten for two days in consequence; without money, they couldn't patronise the food stalls which had set up in business beside the M20. Hence the emergency call to the WRVS. The three Rye cars, and three more from Maidstone, did two trips each in convoy, with a police escort, and got home eventually at midnight on Wednesday. The driver Jean Bull-Marshall remembers particularly is the one who was dreadfully worried what his wife would say when she found he had no clean socks left; she suggested that he take them in the shower with him and wash them in situ!
Rye Fire Brigade came top out of 11 teams at Hastings en Sunday in the East Sussex Fire Brigade five-a-side football championship. Rye must have been one of the smallest stations in the entire competition, pitted against full-time firemen from the towns as well as other country stations. The winning team (five plus a reserve) consisted of Alec Tiltman, David Giles, Nick Barham, Andrew Polley, Mark Brown and Roger Barham. Did they now go on to compete at national level, we asked David? Alas, no - it seems it doesn't work like that; so Rye are restricted to just the one Championship. (Won't the trophy look nice in our new fire stations)
2.
Probably they couldn't help it, but McCarthy & Stone haven't chosen the best possible time to have first Wish Ward closed while Seeboard's equipment in the electricity sub-station is replaced and connected up to the site, and then The Deals closed while the sewer is connected! The Wish Ward closure begins on 4 July (plenty of notice, anyway) and is likely to take three weeks, followed by a further two weeks in The Deals; Ralph Olesen promises that both roads won't be closed at the same time (fortunate, since each in turn becomes the diversion for the other).
Wouldn't it be nice if, while they are at it, Seeboard did what they promised some time ago and repainted the green iron cupboard in the little square opposite the Pipemakers - at present peeling faded green, but much more suitably the stone-colour suggested by the Conservation Society? (It would be better still, from the aesthetic point of view, if they would put the whole thing underground as is done elsewhere in the town - but this would apparently cost £1,000 which they are not prepared to squander on aesthetic points of view.)
Thomas Peacocke School's ATC Squadron has always excelled at shooting, but we didn't know that its Rifle Club was open to the general public. Men or women can join, rifles are provided and coaching (in .22 prone rifle shooting) is free. Those interested should turn up on a Thursday at 7 pm, at the indoor range behind the Sports Centre and the Scout Hut. (The general public may be relieved to know that positive vetting of applicants takes place, and rifles are kept securely locked away between sessions.) Instructor Mark Ketterl says that the essence of prone target shooting is relaxation of body and mind as opposed to physical effort "so it should appeal to the lazy ones": He adds that there are thousands of markswomen already enjoying the sport, and their number is growing rapidly.
Most people are able to hit a 50p-sized target at 25 yards after somewhere between five and eight sessions; whether you go on to hit a 1p-sized target at 100 yards, Mark doesn't say - but probably not, because the range isn't that big. Anyway, if you want a sport that is not too physically demanding, this is for you.
Perhaps we were a bit unfair to the "Training for Tourism" project sponsored by the RDA when we wrote about its launch in GAZETTE no. 269. Project manager Arthur Thirsk takes us gently to task. The Mayor (who was in fact represented by the Town Clerk), David Blake of Rother and Rita Swaine of our own Tourist Office had been invited, but were unable to come; Mrs. J. Townsend was actually Maureen, and he was sorry to discover that her invitation had gone astray. He emphasises what we hadn't appreciated, that the project itself is one of research only. Provision of training, if the research throws up a need for it, will be Tareby other agencies. The project's objectives are:
1. To examine training in tourism in the area
2. To consider whether improvements or increase in existing training are necessary and practicable
3. To establish if new training will help and if so to design and provide such training (but through other agencies)
4. To arrange for up-to-date training information to be provided as a permanent service in the area, and
5. At all times to consider what is relevant to the tourism training needs of the area.
The results of the questionnaires and other enquiries should be sent out in a report by the end of October, "when all local organisations, proprietors and firms will be invited to consider and join in implementing recommendations made". By then, of course, the GAZETTE won't be here; but doubtless word will get round. Incidentally, Mr. Thirsk points out that although many people (we had quoted two Rye businesses) "have succeeded without help in their chosen profession, many many more have succeeded only as a result of timely help and guidance whether received from a helpful friend or a professional source. Training could be such a source for such people." Anyway, time will tell; meanwhile, good luck, Mr. Thirsk!
3 - THE RYE GAZETTE, 18 May 1988
Rye's Armada Day on 19 July (GAZETTE no. 266) has now "gone official" with a leaflet sponsored by Serendipity, widely available in the town and promising street drama, the stocks, travelling players, smugglers, ballad singers, dancers and jugglers. Paul Kennard's "Mascotte" is to be part of it, and - wait for it, Benson fans! - Queen Elizabeth I will be delivering her Tilbury speech beside the ship at Strand Quay (though, alas, the days when the milkman could be expected to provide a white palfrey are half-a-century into the past).In consequence of all this, the organisers are going to be busy with their sewing-machines for the next couple of months. Yvonne Hamilton (of Hamiltons in the High Street) is wardrobe mistress; and on her behalf we are asking for fabrics suitable for conversion into Elizabethan costumes. Old brocade or velvet or silk-type curtains, obviously; bits of fur or fur fabric, for trimming (so off-cut strips will be welcome as well as larger pieces); lace, ribbons and braid, material for stiffening and padding, anything which is not aggressively modern in appearance will be gratefully received at the shop or, if you have a lot, it can be collected. If anyone has an Elizabethan costume from earlier theatricals put away in the attic, please think about lending it. (Thomas Peacocke has quite a selection, dating back to the production of "Measure for Measure" some years ago - but these, we understand, will be in use by TPS pupils taking part in an offering of their own.)
Paul Sterry of Wish House is stage manager, and he is also looking for discards - odd lengths of timber, sheets of hardboard or chipboard or plywood - anything which might come in useful for building the set of "The Merry Wives of Rye". If yours is one of those garages (like ours) where the back is stuffed with the remnants of your own DIY career, Mr. Sterry would be delighted to hear from you. As far as we are aware, the organisers of Armada Day in Rye have no financial backing to speak of; they are setting all this up purely for the fun of it, and not as any sort of official "promotion" for the town. Obviously they hope people will come here to applaud their efforts, and so is it not up to Rye to make sure we give them all the help we can? Anyway, those velvet curtains that faded at the edges, and the kitchen shelves that never did stay up, will be gratefully received as above; other ideas to Sylvia Silver.
This Sunday is Whit Sunday. (It is not, this year, the same day as the Bank Holiday Sunday - as one local business, advertising a "special Whitsunday lunch" for 29 May, is obviously unaware!) The day is being suitably celebrated by 'he churches in the town. After the usual morning services, the Baptist Church _s arranging for live street music and drama during the afternoon, starting from Tilling Green at 2.45, with a performance at Strand Quay at 3.30, live music in the town's streets between 3 and 3.30, and ending at St. Mary's at 4 in time for tea at the now traditional Pentecost Party. Those intending to go to the party and who would like to contribute party food for sharing can either bring it with them or leave it at St. Mary's beforehand - unless, of course, they particularly want to carry a bowl of jelly in the procession! We hear that the music is extremely good and not at all highbrow - and the participants in the entertainment are all local people. Anyone is welcome to join in at any stage of the proceedings, including the party.
The afternoon's excitements are to be followed by a special evening celebration at the Baptist Church at 6.30. There is also a special evensong at St. Mary's at 6.30 that evening: the Ensemble Vocal Lucien Brasseur, from Rouen, are staying in Hastings, and are coming to Rye to sing in the church - not the traditional evensong music, but their own repertoire after a shortened service.
Devonport House is losing its warden, Margaret Hubbard, after nearly three years; she goes to be deputy matron at another SHAA establishment, Ardath at Bexhill. No replacement has yet been appointed; Margaret Owen and her husband are filling in for the moment.
4.
Michelle Paine of King's Avenue has been dancing since she was five - all through her days at Freda Gardham and then at Thomas Peacocke, where she was a great asset to Margaret Marshall's dance group. She was offered a place at a professional dance school, but couldn't get a grant; but she kept on dancing at a school in Hastings, and was also with Joanne Haviland in Rye for a couple of years. She is still learning, and is hoping to become an Associate (AISTD) after she has passed one more exam, in July.
Now Michelle - still only 19 - is setting up her own dance school, "Pointes". She feels that Rye has room for a second school; she intends to keep her groups small, and will be teaching Modern, Ballet and Beginners' Tap herself, while Tracy Cooke (now of Ore) will be taking the Advanced Tap class. Both girls are keeping on with their own dancing too, and are still training for further advanced exams. Until Michelle obtains her full Associate qualification, her pupils will be entered for exams with the help of the Silverlea School in Hastings - an arrangement which is quite usual with small dance schools.
Michelle, who has a day-time job in Hastings, will be teaching for the next few months in a room at the FE Centre, but this will be needed in September and then she will have to find a permanent base. She is also likely to be taking an adult group at the Sports Centre, but is looking forward to teaching all ages. If you would like to hear more about "Pointes", ring Michelle if you can help her find a hall, she will be even more delighted.
Red Cross Week in Rye and the villages produced a total of £2,354, of which £1,649 was raised from house-to-house collections in the villages. Treasurer Nick Martin says that the total amount was marginally down on 1987 - but last year the villages included Fairlight, which has now seceded to Hastings, and there was also noticeable sympathy support for the other events which replaced the disallowed street collection in Rye! Anyway, it is an extremely handsome sum and the Centre committee is most grateful to all the collectors and contributors who helped to raise it; and to the Peasmarsh WI Choir and TPS soloists who held a concert at Winchelsea Beach to swell the proceeds.
In two months' time (14 July) there is to be an unusual coffee morning at 11 High Street - not a bring-and-buy, but a bring-only! The Rye Centre will be running the china and glass stall at a County Red Cross event in August, and is anxious to accumulate stock for it - and the coffee morning will, it is hoped, be a source for this. However, if you have a tea-set or some wine-glasses or a bowl or ornament you are willing to part with, and you don't want to have it hanging around for another two months, do take it along to the High Street HQ any morning instead. Mrs. Bolton emphasises that the Rye stall will not be "white elephant" (which nowadays implies obviously second-hand things) but selling basically new china and glass, or anyway in as-new condition.
Where are these famous wheel-clamps, British Rail? On Thursday morning we walked through the railway car-rark, of which one side is supposed to be kept for coaches (with a notice threatening wheel-clamping of motorists who trespass). There were six coaches properly parked in coach spaces. A further three were simply parked down the middle, because there was no other room for them; 27 cars were occupying the remaining coach spaces, with four more in the unmarked area at the Rope Walk end. No-one from BR appeared to be policing the situation (Mr. Catt now works at Hastings and Ashford, and the ticket-machines are supposed to be doing his job). With cars turning in and out of their legiti- mate parking area, and coaches unloading in the middle of the roadway - and one student party sitting on rugs on the tarmac eating their elevenses! - it was a miracle no-one got hurt. (The vile-smelling smoke filling the air came from the old telephone exchange, where the builders were apparently burning the discarded roofing material - and were not, we would imagine, endearing themselves to the neighbours on a nice sunny day…)
5.
Jeffery Waters writes: "Winter's Dairies Ltd. have been serving the people of Rye and district since 1930 with milk and dairy produce. Bernard Waters, with the help of his father Albert, came into Winter's Dairies in 1952 when the Dairy was run from Cinque Ports Street; Albert Waters had sold milk in Brede and district from 1904, as had his father before him. Bill Waters joined the company in 1968 and his brother Chris in 1979; Bill managed the rounds, and Chris (a computer science graduate) took over the books.
"Sadly, with increasing competition from outside the town and cut price sales in shops, the Waters family have agreed to sell their business to Unigate Dairies Ltd. as from Sunday, 29 May. They would like to take this opportunity of thanking all their customers and friends for their support over the years, and hope they will continue to support Unigate, Winter's suppliers for many years."
Mrs. Waters encloses with her announcement two trade cards (which we shall pass on to the Library local history collection): one is for the modern dairy business, and the other for Waters & Son, Dairymen, of Brede.
This sad news will come as no great surprise locally, since some of our local milkmen had already found new jobs and been replaced by Unigate staff. But it is causing much sorrow, particularly in the villages where "our milkman" was a major contributor to the well-being of the community, doing all manner of jobs besides delivering the milk; one remembers being greeted by a lady who had been waiting for him since 4.30 am to help her get her husband back into bed after a fall. But now the complications of carrying on with the job under the new regime are too great; it means driving over to Hastings, Tenterden or New Romney, collecting the milk, driving the float back to do the delivery, returning the float to the depot, and then driving home again by car. One milkman timed the journey from Tenterden in a float - 55 minutes, and that was in normal weather (imagine it in the snow:). Some of our milkman have been in the job for twenty years or more, and hate giving it up; many of them are also firemen, so we do hope they will find work near to home or there could be an effect on the Fire Station staffing?
Throughout its life of nearly six years, the GAZETTE has remained resolutely non-political - even, where possible, balancing the number of lines given to each party's candidate in an election. But really the time has come to abandon this stance. In the past few weeks Rye has had Peter Bottomley (in a letter to Ken Warren) reiterating the same old fable about the Winchelsea route into Rye not influencing Rye's options for the A259; Nicholas Ridley proposing major housing development for the south-east - admittedly, not in the Green Belt itself, but there is a great deal of green field that is not Green Belt, and much of it is round here; and, of course, the Community Charge and Uniform Business Rate. Business people who weren't at the Ratepayers' meeting recently to hear Mr. Willis's excellent exposition of the latter may have already known all about it; if they don't, they had better find out quick, because from what he said a lot of them are not going to like it. As for the arguments against the Community Charge proposals, we need hardly repeat them here; anyone who can read at all must know them by now.
The next Parliamentary election is not likely to be for at least another three years. But the County Council is virtually "hung" at present, and the Conservative group at Lewes will have to put on a very convincing act if they are not to lose their midget majority next May. In the meantime, Ken Warren is promised for the Conservative Association "Meet Your MP" coffee morning at the George on Saturday. We trust nothing will prevent him from coming, since there may be quite a few people anxious to meet him, even if it does mean contributing the price of a cup of coffee to Conservative Party funds. Readers may remember that Mr. Warren voted in favour of the government Community Charge proposals (he gave his reasons in GAZETTE no. 268). He spoke of "reductions ... taking account of people's ability to pay". We hope that some local people will come along to point out to him the relationship between local wages, local house prices, and consequent local disposable incomes.
6.
(not very inspiring this week)
We are sorry to report the loss to the town of two businesses - or rather, one and a threesome - at Bannister's Corner. Bannister's the Ironmongers closed their doors and whitewashed their windows at the end of last week; Mr. Elcombe was not prepared to talk to us, but since a well-patronised sale cleared all the stock over the past few weeks, it seems unlikely to continue as an ironmongery.
Also holding a sale there, in the lower part of the shop at the Ferry Road end, is Sidney Barritt. He and his wife Betty have been in business across the road, in what is still generally known as The Gluepot. Mrs. Barritt's dress agency Dress Sense has occupied the front of the little shop, Mr. Barritt has been selling quality shoes at discount prices in the middle section, and there has been an upholstery business in the back. Now the Barritts have sold the entire building (for professional use, we understand, rather than as a shop). From Saturday, 28 May, Dress Sense will merge with Mrs. Barritt's other shop, Stock Exchange at 20 Sea Road, Bexhill - where she will still be very pleased to welcome her Rye customers. The shoe sale will continue while Mr. Barritt has the use of the premises across the road (and he is most grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Elcombe for allowing this). The upholsterer has decided that he no longer requires business premises. Mrs. Barritt's decision to give up the Rye shop has been influenced by the fact that their daughter Michelle, who helps her in the business, will be starting a beauty-care course in September, and we wish Michelle the very best of luck with her new career.
People with jewellery and watch repairs at Rye Goldsmiths in the High Street are asked to call in and collect them as soon as possible - Sally Todd even has some items left over from the days of Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson! The shop is to change hands at the beginning of next month, and Sally's last trading day will be Saturday, 4 June; so she is anxious to get rid of other people's property as soon as possible, preferably by the end of next week. The town will sadly miss Sally and her feathered dark-green friend Sir Francis Drake (to say nothing of Jake, the more recent half of the Dog-and-Duck partnership); and Sally is sorry to leave here, but since her recent marriage it has been very inconvenient running a shop in Rye while living in Hampshire! She is, however, very glad to say that the shop will continue as a jeweller's; Celia will still be behind the counter; and the handsome shop-fittings will still be put to their proper use (the two girls have been much amused by the various rumours going round the town about what was supposed to be happening to the premises). We hope to announce very shortly the reopening of the business, and to welcome the new owner, a local man.
Business is business, of course, but many people will be sorry (if only because the windows looked so delightful) to see the blinds down at Anne Lingard's second shop, at the corner of Rope Walk. This is the pretty shop which Mrs. Lingard rehabilitated after it had closed as a takeaway; there is now a planning application to turn it into a restaurant, and the stock has gone down to the main Rope Walk Antiques shop just before the car-park entrance.
Finally, another loss; the art materials and bookshop just by the Landgate, Landgate Pictures - which Mr. and Mrs. Lyward have run for a number of years - has also just closed. There is a planning application here too, for change of use to a private dwelling.
Condolences to the Silvers of Udimore Road - victims of a burglary which, this time, Neighbourhood Watch didn't manage to prevent. Last Tuesday, while every- one was out, thieves entered the house some time between 10 am and 2 through a back window - with a security lock but, says Mrs. Silver, evidently not secure enough (they have now changed it). They were clearly professionals, knowing the difference between good and less-good jewellery, and silver vs. plate; they only went for small items, secured the window behind them, and left by the front door. They even took the contents of Jane's money-box. Mrs. Silver fears that the thieves may strike again locally - may even be local, and aware of the hours kept by local households. So please look out, not only for yourself but also for your neighbours, and always ring 999 if you see or hear anything suspicious.
7.
• As well as the French choir singing in St. Mary's on Whit Sunday, there are two more musical events in the church in the near future. On 21 May, the Friends of Rye Art Gallery are sponsoring a concert by the City of Southampton Orchestra. The programme will include Beethoven's First Piano Concerto (soloist, Kathleen Nesbitt) and Rachmaninov's Second Symphony; the conductor is Jonathan Del-Mar, and tickets (£4 and £3) are available from the Easton Rooms (Rye 222433). On Bank Holiday Monday (30th) Musics. Viva are giving a lunchtime concert in the church, starting at 1 pm; this is the group's second visit to the town.
• Josephine Wear at Point Hill is being troubled by a four-legged prowler - a handsome young ginger-and-white undoctored tomcat! He has now been around for about two months, and she suspects her own two cats are inviting him into the house. Mrs. Wear is adamant about not feeding him, because she doesn't want him to take up residence - already the sitting-room is beginning to smell decidedly of tomcat; but he is getting noticeably thinner, and she would be really glad to know who his owners are, so that she can encourage him to go home. If you can identify him, do please ring Mrs. Wear.
• Michael Camier, of Camiers in Wish Ward, went out for a night's rabbiting recently with two friends and their lurcher - and enjoyed the outing so much that he wrote it up and sent the article to the national magazine "Shooting News". As it was the first time he had sat down to write anything more than a letter since he left school, he was immensely surprised when the piece appeared as a centre-page spread complete with pictures at the end of April. They had only made one or two minor alterations and omissions in the whole article. Congratulations, Michael, on such a successful first foray into journalism; it's a pity you and your family live at High Halden, or we might have persuaded you to take over the GAZETTE...
• Daphne Hughes and Pauline Meyer, chairman and vice-chairman of Friary Gardeners, were on Radio Sussex last week talking about this horticultural project for ten mentally-handicapped people which is just starting at Greyfriars - with the antiques valuation day by Christies on Friday in aid of it (GAZETTE no. 270).
• At the beginning of April, the London-based Rev. Donald English was due to give a talk in the BBC "Thought for the Day" series. As Mr. English was in fact in Camber that week, it seemed only sensible for him to speak from the Town Hall studio, which he did - a first (as far as we know) for the ex-police cell, normally used only by Radio Sussex speakers.
• Tony Wills tells us we were quite wrong in saying that the Chamber of Trade were surprised by Budgens' designs on the Goods Yard car-parking; the Chamber knew ill about it, and has been making a fuss for ages, he says. (All we can say is that no-one else seemed to know - and nor did our Chamber informant.)
• Archers listeners will be interested to learn that Ambridge and Rye are both asking the National Federation of WIs to ban harmful sprays damaging the ozone layer; Rye WI is also asking for severer sentences for rape offences; for random breath-testing by the police; and that the government should stop polluting the waterways. The outing on 18 June is to Portsmouth.
• Two items of local interest culled from the spring issue of the RNLI magazine, "The Lifeboat": Rye-built Brede lifeboats were called out a total of 48 times during August, September and October 1987 - those stationed at Oban and Poole were particularly busy, with 17 call-outs each. As well as building the Bredes, Lochin Marine has fitted out a 47' Tyne class boat for the RNLI and is now working on another; the first, "Robert and Violet", went on station at Moelfre in North Wales on 22 January.
• Finally, a welcome for the two handsome new ambulances which have appeared in Rye during the past couple of weeks - a little longer than the old ones, better equipped, and with the new green-and-white flash along each side. What's more, they are not just on temporary loan, but are actually Rye's for keeps! (But we have been challenged about a recent article on the ambulance service generally, and hope to have the position clarified before we go.)
Thrift Shop, Red Cross, 10 to 4 (and Friday and Saturday) Rye Council for Voluntary Service AGM, TH, 7.30 (see below)
Christies' valuation session (for Friary Gardeners), George Hotel, 10 to 4 (GAZETTE no. 270).
Riding for the Disabled, coffee morning, TH courtyard, 10 Bible Society seminar, Baptist Church, 10.30 to 12.15 (coffee from 10)
Conservative Association coffee morning, with stalls, etc.
to "Meet Your MP" Ken Warren, George Hotel, 10.30 (see p. 5) Concert by City of Southampton Orchestra, St. Mary's, 7.30 (see page 7)
Drama, music and Pentecost Party, etc., from 2.45 (see p.3)
Wednesday, 25th Talk on the Birmingham City Mission by Janet Williams of Camber (arranged by Rye Council of Churches), Baptist Church, 7.30
• Congratulations to Ian Duffy, the manager of Presto's in the High Street, and his bride, Ledes (nee Acero). Ian and Ledes were married in her native Philippines on 19 April, and returned to Rye at the end of last month. They are living in Winchelsea Road. We would like to welcome Mrs. Duffy to Englal and to Rye, and to wish her and Ian every happiness in their marriage.
• Congratulations, too, to our Baptist minister and his wife, Stewart and Gill Davison, on the birth on 28 April of their son Daniel William, a brother for Eleanor and Joseph, making up a trio of small redheads in Udimore Road.
• Belated birthday wishes to Mrs. Ada Morgan, of Devonport House, who was 90 a fortnight ago - and then found herself in Rye Hospital with not only cracked ribs after a fall, but shingles tool What a rotten way to have to start one's ninety-first year... Visitors will be welcome.
• All are welcome to attend the AGM of the Rye & District Council for Voluntary Service at the Town Hall tomorrow at 7.30. There will, of course, be the regular AGM business and reports, followed by two speakers: Sandie Lazarus of "Care for the Carers" who will be talking about a new Crossroads "sitting" service for those looking after elderly or disabled people, and Derek Carter of Social Services in Rye.
• The ladies of the Women's British Legion who knit, sew and crochet such attractive goodies for the WBL sales are running out of material; if anyone has surplus wool, or an overflowing button-bag, or odd bits of trimmings, or even zips for cushion-covers, Joan Carrier in Wish Ward will be glad to take them and pass them on to the workers.
• Planning: this week's list has an application for change of use of the ground-floor shop at 26 Landgate (Landgate Pictures) to a residential unit; for change of use of 7 Wish Street from a dwelling to offices for accountants Mannington, Bishop and Bryant, at present based in the High Street; and finally from Jack Mathews for change of use for his Edwardian summer-house at Rovindene in Leasam Lane into a dwelling - when this came up last August it was refused on six separate grounds, and the present plans look much the same as the last lot...
• Yet another packed paper means that we have to leave until next week the reports of the Community Health Council meeting and the TPS local history group's extremely successful and enjoyable tea-party for its contributors.
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 through Cinque Ports Stationers of Rye. Deadline is second post on Monday for Wednesday's delivery. Spare copies, price 45p, are available from Young Ideas (children's wear), 7 Cinque Ports Street. The paper closes at the end of June. (Copyright Mary Owen 1988)