Last Tuesday a Dutch catamaran, "Gemini", came into the river and moored at the Harbour. Her owner filled in the usual form, declaring among other things that he had no animals or birds on board. It is not illegal to bring an animal or bird in by sea from abroad as long as it remains in a locked cabin below deck while the boat is in harbour (and Carl Bagwell is saddened by the number of animals who are brought in and confined in this way, sometimes quite big dogs which should really have been left at home). But it is illegal to allow an animal on deck, from where it could of course stray on shore; the risk, of course, is the spread of rabies to this country - and large notices all along the various river moorings make this quite clear.
On Wednesday afternoon, a white cat was seen on the catamaran's deck - seen both by the Harbour staff and by a member of the Rye Harbour community who promptly and properly reported it to the Harbourmaster. ESCC's Animal Health Inspector arrived at speed; the Dutch skipper appeared to understand the inspector's instruction to lock up the cat below deck immediately, and did so - but after that his command of English conveniently failed. Although he had undoubtedly committed an offence by allowing the cat on deck (to say nothing of the original false declaration), he could not be charged and brought to court - because the Animal Health Inspectorate apparently only has one Dutch interpreter, in Eastbourne, and he was away on holiday!
The upshot was that the Dutchman was instructed to leave Rye immediately and take his cat with him. He told the Harbourmaster that he would head for New- haven - but he must have had second thoughts, since he had not arrived there by Friday. One good thing to come out of the affair is that the Inspectorate is rethinking its list of interpreters, to block such a loophole in future; a successful prosecution would have carried a heavy fine and served as a deterrent.
And suppose the cat had gone ashore, had eventually been caught, and had been found to be rabid - ie. the very worst that could have happened? ESCC tells us that in such a case the Inspectorate, Min. of Ag. and the police work together very rapidly to seal off an area of about twelve square miles round the port. Pet dogs and cats within the area have to be muzzled and kept on a lead - those which run loose are at risk of being shot. What happens to wildlife was not stated, but since you can hardly muzzle a wild fox and keep it on a lead, the implications are clear...
So the Harbourmaster hopes that local people will keep a very careful eye on visiting yachts, and report to the Harbour office (Rye 225225) any sighting of an animal on board - the Harbour staff will find out whether it is there legally or not. Rabies is already spreading along the French coast, he says; he does not want Rye to be remembered as the place where it came into England.
... said Rotary's Tony Wills, talking about the Country Fair on Sunday. This year's event takes place on the Freda Gardham field - entrance just past the New Road houses, free car parking in the field beyond. Gates open at 9.30 (trade stands arrive earlier) and arena events begin at 11 and continue all day, with the Invicta Parachute Club arriving some time in the afternoon assuming the weather permits. Teddies will be parachuting, too, from kites; and children will also enjoy the antics of Rob the Clown, Thick Thelma and Chico (whom you just may know in their more workaday world!) Basically the Fair follows the formula so successful in previous years, with vintage and veteran cars and motorbikes, static engines, various rides, a brass band, and lots of sideshows and competitions. There will be a refreshment tent and a bar, and it will be a thoroughly good day out for all the family, with admission charges of £1.50 for adults and 50p for children, all proceeds going to local and national charities.
2.
Mrs. Marnie Wethey, of Mountsfield, died in hospital on 21 July after a very brief illness. She was the daughter of Dr. Ernest Skinner, who was in practice at Bank House when she was born there; the family moved to Mountsfield soon afterwards, and the flat in which Mrs. Wethey spent the last years of her life had once been her father's consulting-rooms. (Dr. Skinner was twice Mayor of Rye; he married Isobel Freeman of Greyfriars, and Mountsfield was her father's wedding present to the young couple.) After WW1, Marnie Skinner went to the London School of Economics, and spent some time in India with one of her brothers; when war came again, her mother (by then a widow) shut up the house and went to South Cerney, where her daughter was stationed with the WAAF. There Marnie and Captain Howard Wethey, RN, were married while the war was still on; soon after it ended, Captain Wethey left the Navy and he and his wife had twenty very happy years, travelling extensively but based at Mountsfield which they shared with Mrs. Wethey's sister Nancy and her husband Col. Norman. Many people will remember with pleasure the annual Conservative Fetes held regularly in the lovely Mountsfield gardens. After the deaths of Captain Wethey and then Mrs. Norman, the house was sold to Michael Gregory of the Mermaid Hotel chain; it was through his kindness that Mrs. Wethey continued to live there for the rest of her life. She took a wide interest in the affairs of the town; a magistrate for many years, she had been on the management committees of both Hill House and Hellingly Hospitals, supported the Sussex Historic Churches Trust and S A, and was a Friend of Rye Art Gallery and a benefactress of the Museum, where r father's Cinque Ports Volunteers uniform is part of the collection. She took a lively interest in the younger generation, and in February this year went out to New Zealand to see her nephew and his family. The funeral has taken place privately, but a thanksgiving service for Mrs. Wethey's life will be held at Winchelsea Church at 2.30 on Friday (7 August).
Mrs. Barbara Browne, of Farnham in Surrey, died on 29 July. She was the daughter of Mr. end Mrs. William Ellis and was educated at Rye Grammar School. She is survived by her husband and two sons, and her sister Mrs. Elizabeth Ashby of Peasmarsh.
Mr. Re Hollands of Winchelsea Road died in his sleep early on Monday morning, 3 Aug. He was 77. His health had been poor lately, but he and his wife Dora 1 d been able to enjoy hymn-singing with the Salvation Army Band in the Gungarden the previous evening. Reg Hollands was born in Landgate, but had spent most of his life in the Winchelsea Road terrace which faces out across the Brede valley. At one time a St. Mary's bellringer, he was a skillful french-polisher, upholsterer and antiques restorer by profession - working mainly on 3 own account, but helping out local businesses from time to time. In 1925 he had joiner` the St. John Ambulance Brigade, and during WW2 he founded the Rye Nursing Cadet: Division; it was a proud moment when in February 1985 he watched five girls receive Grand Prior Badges. Earlier that winter he had delighted a packed audience at the Community Centre with his commentary on Lawrie Band's slides of vanished Rye - his memory of the town as it was in his youth was unrivalled. His death is a sad loss to the community, and many friends will miss his pleased smile and wave with which he greeted them across the street. The funeral takes place at Hastings Crematorium on Friday (7 August) at 3; donations in Mr. Hollands' memory may be sent to St. Michael's Hospice in St. Leonards (or, if more convenient, left at the Hospice Shop in Wish Street).
Mrs. Doreen Gentry would like to thank friends and relatives for the £298 which has been contributed to the British Heart Foundation in memory of her late husband Alan.
A notice will go up on Monday in the Town Hall and Council Offices giving details of when the Town Council accounts can be inspected, prior to the audit next month. (We shall give the details on 19 August; this is just long notice.) Anyone only interested in the Model's accounts will find them in the GAZETTE in due course, since the Town Clerk has promised to extract them for us.
3 THE RYE GAZETTE, 5 August 1937
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Goddard, of Cadborough Cliff, who celebrate their Golden Wedding on Friday; they were married at Winchelsea on 7 August 1937 - the hottest day of the year, Mrs. Goddard recalls. We have promised her not to make a great big story of this, so will only say that Mr. Goddard comes from an old Rye family (he wrote in GAZETTE no. 29 about the Methodist Church Choir when he was a lad°, while Marjorie Goddard is Kent-born. After a stroke two years ago, Mr. Goddard made an excellent recovery and is able to tend the garden and redecorate the house - but he has not been into the middle of Rye for a couple of years, and we do hope he won't be too horrified by the changes he will find when he does! While we were talking, Mrs. Goddard let slip one of the nicest things that could possibly be said about a marriage - "It doesn't seem like fifty years," she told us.
Last week Bother's Planning-Committee considered eight local applications, most of which were successful. Approval was given to the conversion of the Rye Harbour Martello Tower into a dwelling (in outline only and subject to no objection from the Historic Monuments Commission; details have to be approved by the Secretary of State for the Environment anyway). Also at the Harbour, approval went to a revised layout for part of the Coastguard Square development. In Rye, Woolworths now have official permission for their (unlit) fascia; Tony Campion can use the store at the back of Paygate Cottage as a workshop for his frame-making business; developers can convert the old telephone exchange into eight self-contained flats, as long as they comply with the Highways requirement to improve the surface of Eagle Road; and the owner of the Jolly Sailor can put in a rear dormer window. (Permission has also been given recently to paint part of Southridge in Church Square white; to resurface the Gas Works car park; to put up an outside fire escape at the back of Barclays Bank; and for change of use for 26 Landgate to an osteopath's practice.) Permission for a house at the bottom of the garden of 112 High Street, with an entrance from Fishmarket Road, has been refused on the grounds that the site is not big enough.
The major application before the committee was the McCarthy & Stone plan for Strand Quay (the ex-Alsfords site). The latest weekly list conta:ins an amended plan for this site; we were unable to compare it in detail with the original, but Rother tells us that the amendments are minor ones which will improve the appearance of the development as a whole. However, despite strongly-worded advice from the County Engineer that Wish Ward is unsuitable as the main road access, the new plan still shows all cars emerging into this very narrow street, with no service facilities for the shop units. (We raised this point back in May.) Rother tell us that there is no practical alternative, and that all 12 cars would not be likely to emerge at once - which is true, but there will also be traffic coming and going for the 36 flats which have no parking facilities, and it seems a pity that the County Engineer's expert advice is being disregarded. Anyway, the new plan was approved subject to no objections reaching the Planning Officer within the statutory period (up to 13 August).
The current weekly list also shows two applications for conversions into houses. Mrs. Hooker, owner of the scrapyard in Winchelsea Road, has plans to demolish the huddle of existing sheds at the Rye end of the site and replace them with three houses, to move the access over a bit, and to convert the Martello Tower itself into a dwelling; this is simply an outline application, and no details are given. In Leasam Lane, Jack Mathews is asking to convert an Edwardian summer-house at the back of Rovindene into a dwelling; the original building is 14'9" x 10'6", and the outline plan shows two extensions, each much the same size again, to allow for a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
Disaster struck the large Rhus cotinus (smoke tree) near the south wall of the churchyard last week: it simply collapsed under its own weight one night. Volunteers cut off the split branches, and new growth revealed round the base gives hope that it will recover.
4.
For the past 11 weeks the GAZETTE has been urging very strongly the case against the A259 "improvement" proposed by the DoT. In all that time we have only had one letter supporting it (which went on the front page). However, at least four local people (all Conservatives, as it happens) have been saying lately that "there are a lot of people in favour of the proposals" - though when we asked one lady just who they were, she replied that they were all too frightened to come out:
Nonetheless, it seems proper at this point to ask someone to put the case in favour. Robert Bromley is not known for being frightened, and he made his view quite clear at Lewes, so we asked him if he would explain his opinion for the GAZETTE. We would find his statement difficult to edit, so are printing it in full.
Mr. Bromley points out that for over ten years County Engineers and Planning Officers have said that the only feasible way to improve the A259 trunk road at Rye would be to follow the route of the old South Eastern Railway - "Let me try to explain why I and my colleagues on the County Council support the principle of what is proposed.
"Firstly, it is integral in the Government's road policy to upgrade the entire length of the Folkestone to Honiton trunk route. The County Council, in its Structure Plan and the Transport Policies and Programme (the TPP), details the County's commitment to improving east-west road and rail links, and indeed our case in petitioning the government on the Channel Tunnel Bill rested heavily on the need to complete the DoT's trunk road improvements prior to the opening of the Tunnel. This involves substantial work on the A259/A27 throughout its length right across East Sussex. Usually this means straightening out bends, widening certain sections and bypassing the towns and villages en route.
"Looking at the whole length of the road within the county, there is a very striking difference between the traffic flows at the eastern and western ends. Average figures of around 25,000 a day are recorded between Brighton and Lewes but that volume reduces dramatically as it gets further east to something like 6000 vehicles a day between Rye and the Kent border.
"Not only then is the number of vehicles at Rye extremely low for an A-class road but another characteristic of traffic movements in the environs of the town is that most vehicles are seeking to enter or leave the town and do not wish to bypass it. The DoT quote only 14% of all movements as the figure for through east-west traffic. This statistic is crucial to the DoT's case that an ‘outer’ bypass would not benefit the town and could not offer any of the potential to help with traffic management within the town, that the proposed route provides.
"This figure is frequently challenged but it is substantiated by the county's own automatic monitoring which has been going on, day and night throughout the year, for several years on all the main roads into and out of the town. Even if the figures were as much as 100% wrong it would not materially alter the overwhelming strength of the DoT's case which quite conclusively proves that the (traffic) needs of Rye are essentially different to anywhere else in East Sussex. In determining future needs the DOT must take account of all the known factors that will increase traffic, and then plan 15 years ahead of the likely completion date. I have serious doubts that they have accurately predicted both the volume of east-west traffic that will be attracted south to use an upgraded road from the many current alternatives (as far north as the M25) and the wholly unknown factor of the Channel Tunnel. However, even with these doubts, I must acknowledge that the strength of their case is so clear that I cannot conceive that it could be shaken.
"A route north of the town would have catastrophic visual effects on the countryside and would take valuable tourist traffic away from the town. A route south would involve rethinking the Winchelsea bypass, would do nothing to help London-Camber traffic, and because of the height necessary to achieve bridging the Pother would destroy Rye's setting in relation to the Marsh and the sea. Neither route would in any way help with traffic management within the town.
(continued)
5.
(continued)
"For me then" (writes Robert Bromley) "the principle of the proposal is acceptable, although as currently put forward by the DoT I totally reject the detail of the scheme. Rye is a very special place and whilst I believe that with imagination and acknowledgement of our case for 'special treatment' the new road can bring us positive environmental benefits, a great deal more work must be undertaken before we have an acceptable package.
"This is the view of the County Council. The minority groups are in local government to oppose, it is not surprising that they seize upon fears in issues like this and magnify them for political advantage. That is their privilege - ours is to make responsible decisions for the economic well-being of the whole county."
Rye's County Councillor Mrs. Yates made her position about the A259 route perfectly clear in the Sussex Express last week. It needed advice from five legal sources to reassure her that she was doing the right thing in declaring an interest before the County Council meeting from which she withdrew. Her letter to the County Secretary, as quoted in the Express, said that she had neither a direct nor indirect pecuniary interest, as defined under the Local Government Act 1972, but she felt it was necessary under the Council's code of conduct to draw attention to the fact that she lives on the New Winchelsea Road, and that she would not participate in any discussion nor vote.
Speaking to Karen Brodie, she said "I am not a delegate. I vote on my own judgment and my own judgment was in a certain way. I feel that the opposition to me has been extraordinary and I feel there is some other motive." She added that she had always fought for what she felt was best for Rye. Karen asked what would happen about future discussion of the road issue, and Mrs. Yates replied "I don't know at this stage, but I will be taking further legal advice."
So now we have the answer to the first of the questions asked in the GAZETTE last week: the extent of Mi.s. Yates's "declared interest". The other three questions remain unanswered. When she was re-elected as our County Councillor in May 1985 (decisively beating Derek Goggin, Liberal, and Sheila Ungar, Labour, in the poll) she told us that the next four years would be the hardest she had had to cope with in all her local government experience; how right she was:
As well as Rye, Mrs. Yates's constituency includes eight parishes. We thought it would be interesting to hear their views on the proposed route, so we phoned round the parish clerks. Northiam and Beckley weren't really concerned - their Councils felt the whole problem was a long way away from them. Iden, Peasmarsh and Playden all took the same view; they don't like the route at all, primarily because of the situation at the bottom of Rye Hill once the bridge goes. Rye Foreign has not so far expressed an opinion but will consider the question at a meeting later this month. (Iden's chairman, incidentally, wrote to BR to ask what were the prospects of increased rail traffic when the Tunnel opened, and was told by an official at Regional level that there would be up to 12 trains an hour,.mostly not stopping here - which makes the congestion at the foot of the Hill even more formidable, with the gates down for perhaps two minutes out of every five!) Out on the Marsh, East Guldeford was not happy with the proposals at all, and "we feel very sorry for Rye" said their clerk. Finally, Camber - its Council is objecting strongly, and has written to the Department to say so.
(In Mr. Bromley's Winchelsea constituency, Icklesham parish has not yet reached a decision; Udimore doesn't like the through route, but would prefer it if the only alternative was a northerly route, which its Council deplores.)
So, out of Mrs. Yates's nine parishes, six have opposed the proposals and three have not expressed an opinion. Is she quite sure that, as she promised at the Annual Town Meeting, she has taken the views of her constituents to Lewes? Or is she simply convinced that she knows better than the people who elected her to represent them?
6.
Saturday's Carnival was a real classic - lovely weather, plenty of music, pretty girls, ingenious fancy dress, an outstanding Miss Rye, and no less than 14 full-blown floats plus several other groups which were simply showing the flag.
It was, no doubt about it, Rye Playgroup's day. They came first in the non-commercial class (cup and E50), and then were chosen Best in Show (E250) and of course Best Local Float (C50) - total proceeds £350 towards the possibility of the new hail which the float showed under construction, complete with a large number of pint-sized builders and even a hut for them to brew up tea! The 2nd non-commercial prize went to the Rye Ambulance and Nursing Cadets "Sleeping Beauty" - marking a hundred years of the Brigade's existence, but pulled by a spanking-new E-reg. tractor. Rye Baptist Church won 3rd prize for "Jesus, King of Kings" with a vast golden crown, live music and a walking choir. First in the commercial class went to Computing DeViCes Social Club for "Wonderland" (the Mad Hatter's tea-party); second to V & G Electrovac's "VG Thriller" (the spooky set-up), and third to Arbuthnots for "St. George and the Dragon" - all three are Hastings firms. Other floats included Rye Cubs ("Robin Hood"), Rye YFC (real lamb, real sheepdog, as well as real young farmers), Brede Guides and Brownies ("Hans Christian Andersen"), Braxtons' Big Top circus, Rye Scouts as Vikings, Winchelsea Beach WK (pearly king and queen, 684 buttons on one outfit!), North m Village ("In Aid of Laura", a handicapped three-year-old who was herself on the iloat); and finally "Rye NHS", on which local doctors, dentists, receptionists, nurses, patients and all were represented, often by the people themselves and including genuine Rye Hospital nurses - a hilarious end to the procession in real panto style, even if it didn't get a prize.
Our own Carnival Queen, Caroline Davies, was supported by Queens from Bexhill end Waltham Abbey; she and her attendants, in matching ball-dresses of white and pink respectively, travelled in a 1939 Alvis to lead the procession. Bands included the Hastings Corps of Drums, the Hastings Area Youth Marching Band (only 18 months old and still in its first full season, playing very well), the Wadhurst Drum and Fife Band, and the ever-popular Expedient Jazz Band (welcome back!). One troupe of majorettes had come all the way from Rainham in Essex to take part - the Rainham Newtonettes; the Matfield Kestrels brought their own band, and the Penguin Twirlers, Coastal Twirlers and Lydd Ladybirds also took part in the procession. Walking groups included Rye Firemen pushing their reproduction vintage fire-engine (and also pushing Philip Catt, whose plaster came off on Monday); the A259 Action Group, with a street-wide banner; a charming "rub-a-dub-dub" trio of children; Jenny Bayntun disguised as a horn-pot (with bees) pushing Rotary's Big Ted; and little Ian Derbyshire, his push chair converted miraculously into a big yellow bulldozer. After a long wait, the children's fancy-dress prizes went to Stephanie Williams ("I'm the Tops"), Daniel Britton and David Williams ("Murdoch and Mr. T."), and someone else whose name we failed to discover.
Down on the Salts, a large number of stalls and sideshows were tempting a large number of locals and visitors; there were some 70 entries for the dog show, which went on for most of the afternoon (Best in Show was the Afghan). The arena events were excellent, and there was an extra contribution from Rye Karate Jutsu Club, which Warwick Avery started a year or so ago and which now has 95 junior members aged from 4 to 16, and 45 seniors (both sexes in each case). There are four Black Belt instructors, and other helpers, and they have now got a club at Hastings too. The Rye group meets at Upper School gym on Thursdays - juniors 7 to 8, seniors 8 to 10; the annual martial-arts licence costs €4 (seniors £8) and the session fee is £1 (seniors £2); ordinary clothes are quite adequate for beginners. Warwick has represented England against Wales!
The lucky programme numbers: 1st, 386; 2nd, 2174. Claimants should take their programmes to Baidwins Travel in Cinque Ports Street (Rye 224277). The roll-a-dice mini was, once again, elusive.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ROUND TABLE ON A REALLY FIRST-RATE EVENT!
7.
• Welcome to Allsports of Cinque Ports Street, who opened - after a hectic week behind whitewashed windows - in time to greet the Carnival crowds on Saturday. This is the business which has replaced Squirrels, at the foot of Needles Passage, and in charge,is Mrs. Ruth Pope. The shop already stocks a good range of sports clothing, footwear and equipment; and Mrs. Pope will be very glad to hear from local people whose needs she doesn't yet cater for (she was, for instance, asked about ballet dresses almost at once). A sports shop is a great asset to the town, particularly now that we have the Sports Centre - and TPS parents will also be glad to see it. Mrs. Pope will open from 9 to 5.30 six days a week at first, and think about early-closing later; the phone number is Rye 223742, and she is looking forward to meeting the more energetic members of the community.
• A very full paper this week means that we can only report briefly on the Rye Society of Artists' Summer Exhibition at the Boys Club; but those who go to enjoy the work of regular exhibitors, as well as those in search of new talent, will not be disappointed. Painters, print-makers, potters and sculptors are all represented; undoubtedly the show-stopper is Joanna Hull's full-size cow, which started life as a heap of old railway sleepers, and arrived at the show in pieces to be belted together in situ - an amazing piece of work! Red spots were swiftly appearing in both rooms at the private view on Friday, so if you are thinking of buying you should go to Mermaid Street without delay; if you merely want to pass an enjoyable half-hour looking at a thoroughly professional show, you have until 5 September to do so.
• People frustrated by a closed cashpoint, particularly on a Saturday (GAZETTE no. 235) may not be aware that the Post Office, which opens until 12.30 on Saturday morning, will probably be able to help them. Mrs. Clarke at the Rye office tells us that nowadays the Post Office will cash cheques on ordinary banks, up to a limit of £50 and on production of a cheque guarantee card; they charge 75p for doing this on Monday to Friday, £1.50 on Saturdays
We are sorry to say that as from the start of the next subscription quarter (30 September), the price of the GAZETTE will rise by one-third, to 40p.
Printing (primarily paper) costs have gone up considerably in the last couple of years, and we do appreciate the action of Cinque Ports Stationers in holding their original price until recently; but all good things come to an end, and the print cost per copy went up by a third in July. Both phone and postage charges have also risen since we last increased the GAZETTE price, in January 1986 - and the phone bill in particular plays a very major part in our running costs.
The new price should allow not only for recent increases but also for those likely in the immediate future. Putting up the price is a difficult operation, because it means that the 140 standing-order subscribers need to make out new mandates, and we are reluctant to ask them to do this except when it becomes essential. The new subscription will be exactly double the September 1982 one - but you are getting exactly double the amount of newsprint, and a considerably broader coverage of local affairs than we had dreamt of offering five years ago.
At present we have over 430 paying subscribers, plus a further 25 or so who get regular free copies for one reason or another, plus usually about ten more free copies required on a one-off basis each week; the total print order is 470. We expect this to drop considerably with the new price, and we are giving you long notice so that you can arrange, perhaps, to share with a neighbour - we don't mind losing subscribers, but we should be sorry to lose readers! You can of course read the Library copy - just ask at the desk.
New standing-order forms will go out in every copy on 19 August, since we feel that some people who at present pay half-yearly anyway may find it convenient to let their bank do it in future. Full subscription details for cash/cheque payers will appear in the issue of 9 September.
Friday, 7th Vidler & Co's monthly auction sale, 10
FRAG concert (all welcome): Steve Phillips, blues singer and guitarist (£2.50 admission), Studio, 8
Saturday, 8th Scouts and Cubs family barbecue and social evening (50p admission includes tea/coffee/squash; hamburgers and hot-dogs on sale), Scout Hut from 7
Sunday, 9th Rotary Country Fair, New Road, from 9.30 (see front page) Green for Love (band), Ypres, 8
Monday, 10th Town Council Planning Committee (applications only), TH
Wednesday, 12th Rye WI, "The Ferry leaves at 10" (Mrs. Ward), FEC, 7
Saturday, 15th Rye WI Summer Fair, TH, 10
Sunday, 16th Town Council Civic Service, St. Mary's, 10.30
Rye Firemen, Boot Sale, 65-81 Winchelsea Road (ex-Farnborough), from 10
Rye Racers event, Ypres, fancy-dress judging 11.30, race round
the town's 18 pubs starts at noon.
Wednesday, 19th Thrift Shop (handing-in only), Red Cross, 10 to 12
NO GAZETTE NEXT WEEK: we print fortnightly this month, so the paper will not appear on 12 or 26 August. Issue no. 237 comes out on 19 August, and weekly publication resumes on 2 September.
• Congratulations to Louise (nee Hickman) and Stephen Streater, of Bexhill, on the birth of their daughter Amanda Constance on 29 July - a first grandchild for Pat and Norman Hickman of Cadborough Cliff, and a third great-granddaughter for Mrs. Beckingham of Camber.
• Congratulations, too, to Malcolm and Janet Seabrook of South Undercliff, on the birth of their son Aaron on 1 August - a first grandchild for Shirley and Pete Seabrook and a fourth for Margaret and Arthur Tiltman.
• Singer Sally Eade, ex-TPS, ex-Love Lane, is now an Associate of the Guildhall School of Music in performing arts; two more ex-TPS musicians, Jane Bowler and Jo Shephard, have just returned from a concert tour to Paris with the East Sussex Youth Orchestra. Yet again, congratulations!
• Rye Scouts are most grateful to the kind (but unknown) farmer who produced tractor and trailer at almost no notice when their Carnival-float transport broke down in London on Friday evening.
• The Greenpeace 12-hour event at the Ypres Castle on Saturday raised £1,000; the group not only tidied up at the Ypres afterwards, but since quite a few people had been watching from above they also tidied up the Gun Garden for good measure!
• Other results: the coffee morning at 7 Ashenden Avenue on Tuesday raised -L55 for the Catholic Church restoration fund; the jumble sale for MSS on 25 July raised 0180, and Ringo asks us to thank all those who helped; and the A259 Rye Action Group raised over 0250 - and roused a lot of interest - at their triple stall at the Salts on Saturday.
• Finally, welcome back to Priscilla (nee Blomfield) and John Ryan, who have now made Gungarden Lodge their permanent home. Has Captain Pugwash forsworn his wicked ways, we wonder - or shall we find him illicitly engaged out on the Marsh on moonless nights, now that his creator's studio overlooks it?
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. Deadline is Monday afternoon for Wednesday's delivery to subscribers. (Copyright Mary Owen 1987)