SUBSCRIPTIONS - a final reminder: if this copy bears no tick, we shall not expect to deliver to you next week unless we have received £3 from you in the interval, either to 94 Udimore Road or to 5 Bridge Place - with name and pick-up point or address, please.
The new interior staircase to the Upper Room in the parish church is now in place. Its architect Ralph Wood says that "designing a new staircase in an old church is not so easy; I felt it should be of the 1980s and clearly so but should be compatible with earlier styles. Hence the use of oak and shaped, but not turned, balusters; the use of pegs to hold these in place provides some light relief whilst being a traditional method of fixing." The wood used is American oak, best for this sort of joinery but rather pink and raw; Ralph was tempted to leave it alone, but in fact the colour will be softened by the application of a light stain leaving, as he says, time and nature to continue the darkening process.
The staircase was made by Burnhams' joinery team under Roger Hodsell, and Ralph is delighted with the quality of the craftsmanship. A close study reveals some very subtle shaping of the ends of the balusters as they descend the slope, and the finish is a delight to the touch. We were very glad to see the new stairs in place for Harvest Festival, when for various reasons there were a large number of extra worshippers in St. Mary's in the course of the weekend.
GAZETTE no. 49 dwelt at length on the County Council proposals for new street lighting in the middle of the town. The copper lantern is now in place in The Mint - and in the Editor's personal opinion it looks like something out of Walt Disney. But it is clear that Lewes is keen on this version - indeed, one town councillor told us that it was what we were having, like it or not. We are again asking Mr. Ken Shaw if we can have the detailed lighting plan and photographs put on view in the town - Eric LeFevre tells us that it is a most carefully-done and interesting study - and we will report further when we hear from him.
And the Udimore Road streetlights went on on Monday, turning the road from a string of dark corners at the town end, where the old-type lights remain, to an average November tea-time higher up where the new sodium lamps take over: a good if coincidental start to the Crime Alert scheme for the area. (There is, it appears, to be a public meeting, with films, etc., about Crime Alert for the rest of the town, so we are not reporting on the Cadborough scheme for the present.)
Available free from Adams and Thunders is the second weekly issue of something called Friday-Ad. It seems to be competing with the regular press for both small and larger ads but does not include any news material at all. "Our" edition covers Hastings, St. Leonards, Bexhill, Battle and Rye, while between them the other four stretch from Peacehaven to Sevenoaks. It has nice clear print, a straightforward layout, and plenty of ads - including one from someone seeking a mate for a "forlorn male tortoise"! The new Thomson Local Directory is also just out, much the same as last year's: too much the same, in fact, since we asked them in October to include the GAZETTE under "Media" in the next edition, and it's not there. Did anyone else get left out?
2.
The Methodist Church's beautiful Harvest Festival decorations were doubly appreciated this year - the weekend also saw the wedding of Heidi Bedwell of Tilling Green Estate to Andrew Berry, and the altar decoration reflected this happy occasion. Other display tables were arranged by the choir, with musical instruments among the flowers; and by the children, who paid an unusual and charming tribute to the shopkeepers who are the immediate suppliers of most of the food we eat. There was also a "fruits of the earth" arrangement, and a delightful sea-piece with tiny silver fish. The Methodists have a real genius for this detailed realism; who could forget last year's running stream with real water!
Less produce than usual reached Lower School for its Harvest Festival last Thursday - probably due in part to the smaller number of children in the school. Nevertheless 45 well-filled bags of fruit and vegetables and groceries were taken to elderly people in Rye and some of the villages, and the school is much touched by the appreciative notes coming back - "Just like Christmas" said one of the Badger Gate residents. Generous help in filling the bags came from the Rural Studies Department at Leasam, where produce grown by fourth-year pupils was prepared for display by children from the third year.
The first meeting of the Tilling Society takes place on Saturday, 19 November, so devotees will need to start now re-reading E.F. Benson's Rye-based novels if they are to be able to join fully in the arguments about what was where, as the group goes walkabout in the town. Mrs. Cynthia Reavell, who now runs the Society, tells us that the plan is for really keen types to meet at the station at 10.30 and walk up to the cemetery to see the author's grave - and perhaps lay flowers in tribute? - before returning to meet the less athletic section of the Society's 50 members outside Lamb House at noon. The party will then take luncheon at "The Trader's Arms" (to us, the Hope Anchor); 90 minutes is allowed for this, giving time to discuss and appreciate the suitability of the menu, which may well include the famous raspberry souffle into which the stuffed budgie fell. There will then be the opportunity to climb the steps to the top of the church tower - though not, alas, the chance to catch out a theoretically bedridden Lucia doing her exercises in the secret garden - and to study the Benson windows, and then, in company with Aubrey Woods whose Benson readings have been so much enjoyed, to tread the hallowed pavements. The proceedings will end with tea at the Mariners - Diva's tea-room, as near as makes no difference - though of course those who wish can stay on in the town and enjoy the Bonfire Night celebrations later that evening.
The cost will be a very reasonable £8.50 inclusive of everything, but the jaunt is only open to members of the Society: £2 pa, payable at the Martello Bookshop.
A meeting of the Rye Council of Churches last Thursday discussed and adopted a new constitution for itself. Instead of the present system, with two representatives on the Council from each of the 20 or so churches (of all denominations) in the large area plus a small executive committee to take the decisions, the Council will now have only one representative from each church, but there will be no committee and all decisions will be taken by the full Council at quarterly meetings.
We have had a grieved letter from an old Ryer who is very disappointed that Watchbell Street is not included in the new car parking regulations for the top of the town (GAZETTE no. 50). She points out how bumper-to-bumper parking spoils the look of this lovely street. We feel sure everyone will agree with her about this; but of course, the parking regulations are designed chiefly to avoid traffic congestion rather than for aesthetic effect, and the point about Watchbell Street is that it is wide enough to allow a line of parking plus a clear run. At least by being allowed to park outside their own houses, some Watchbell Street householders can avoid adding to the problems in the rest of the town.
3.
Rye Police Station's open day on Sunday proved immensely popular. They reckoned that around 550 people came to see what happens on the other side of the desk - not only locals, but holidaymakers from as far afield as Manchester and even from Scotland. A considerable amount of forensic talent - human, animal and electronic - was assembled in the station building and in the yard behind; and it generated an equally considerable amount of interest.
The way in was through an enticing display on the work of the Special Constabulary (which, we hear, enticed at least one recruit the very next day). The Lion Intoximeter was performing to an audience so large that there was a "house full" signal given, and we moved on to the section devoted to the real baddies. Here there was a collection of tools ranging from picklocks to an innocent chisel taken off one individual who had accumulated them "for criminal purposes". Down the steps was an even more nightmarish range of weapons taken from various ill-wishers: knives of all types and sizes, a mediaeval-looking spiked ball on a swinging chain, and a less mediaeval piston used for the same purpose; belts made from cycle chains with suspiciously heavy buckles; rows of brass "knuckles", and a collection of swordsticks which are really only legal indoors. Here, too, were the cells, three of them, with a fourth for emergency use; 270 people have occupied them this year so far, mostly for short periods but occasionally for up to a week.
Then, round behind the desk, all the records and gadgets you can't see from the front of the house, ranging from Rye's end of the £3m national police computer to a couple of elderly logbooks labelled "Lost Dogs" and "Found Dogs" (we were dying to know if they tallied). A lady from Iden was relieved to find that the police records showed - in just a few seconds - that her car did indeed belong to her; we also saw how details of a car stolen locally showed up on the computer all over the country. A board set out the services based on Rye police station, and those on which the Rye staff could call if necessary. Then we went upstairs to see some of these at work.
Gawping at ourselves on close-circuit television, we moved further into the scene-of-the-crime room to look at the fingerprint equipment - which nowadays includes such refinements as sole-prints, glove-prints and even bite-prints. Here, too, there was a disastrous giveaway on a forged, or altered, road-tax disc; the real thing never describes a car as a "vehicle"!
Another board reminded us that in this area the population percentage of over-60s is 27%, as opposed to a national 18%; and 33% of casualties come into this age-group (nationally, 19%) - so, the slogan goes, "Protect Elderly Pedestrians". Further on, we saw how to protect our property, indoors and out - more about this in another issue. The Schools Liaison Officer, PC Ellis, was there to chat to his younger friends; also "chatting" to the children earlier in the day, we were told, was the police dog, but by mid-afternoon he was back in his van, barking indignantly and sounding very alarming indeed. And, of course, the horses - sleek, elegant, not even looking bored as innumerable sticky hands stroked their soft noses. They had come, in a very comfortable horse-box, all the way from Brighton - which is basically why there is no longer a horse patrol on Camber beach as in days gone by.
The final display was by the Traffic Division. They have four different methods for detecting a speeding vehicle: a hand-held ray-gun used beside the road, or alternatively a system of wires laid across the tarmac; the police car's own speedometer, calibrated and very carefully and regularly checked; and a complicated little computer called a Vascar that co-ordinates speed with a pre-measured distance. There are a lot of computers in police work nowadays - and a lot of form-filling to go with them, which is why some policemen regret the invasion. But the traffic cops still find plenty of variety in the job, by no means all of it connected with traffic. So do the scene-of-the-accident people, who cover a huge area, based on Bexhill but reaching from Pevensey up to Flimwell. They might go on into Kent if necessary - as Kent police sometimes work in our area - but they are only called in for the more serious accidents, and though they had heard of the flying Ford on Rye Hill, it had not been a case for them.
A most instructive and enjoyable afternoon; we do hope our hosts enjoyed it too.
4.
Many readers will have noticed in the town the smart peacock-blue minibus presented to Thomas Peacocke School by the PTA last year. Mostly it is laden with sports teams, but last Sunday was ferrying British Legion top brass from the saluting base in Cinque Ports Street to the tea base in The Grove - aboard was the Legion's National Chairman and his wife, and at the wheel was the Headmaster! The bus is still not entirely paid for, and the PTA very much hopes for plenty of people at the Michaelmas Fair on Saturday at the Upper School, so that the debt can be cleared. Just the custard-pie event sounds promising, let alone the other attractions (including the pet show) which tempt visitors each year to the school's major fund-raising event.
However, the PTA helps the school in other ways too; over the past months some committee members have been spending a great deal of time, in and out of school, covering this year's new textbooks with transparent film (paid for by the PTA) so as to give them a longer life - parents may have noticed this when homework is brought out. PTA help has also gone to the school library. These and other activities will doubtless be mentioned at the PTA AGM on 31 October, which is also the time when the new committee members are elected. One-third of the committee retires each year, in rotation, so there are always vacancies for those who feel able to give some of their time to the school which educates their children, and the PTA Secretary, Mrs. Hilary McDonald (Brede 882023) would be glad to hear from parents interested in standing for one of the four vacancies, or just being co-opted for a single year.
(The PTA also enjoys itself: on Saturday, 12 November, there is a ballroom dance at the school to the music of Brian Pollard's Band, and - long notice - on 19 May the Catsfield Steamers pay a return visit.)
Seventeen students, of all ages right up to retirement, were keen to book in for "An Introduction to computers", even though this particular Adult Education class doesn't start until January. Both yoga classes are also full. But for those who missed the enrolment-date, Anne Swaine tells us that there are still vacancies in some classes. We were wrong when we said that typing was always over-subscribed - there are vacancies this year; also for Scottish dancing, dressmaking, the French classes and both the sessions of ladies' keep-fit. The car maintenance classes in the well-equipped Thomas Peacocke workshops down The Grove could find room for a few more students, and so could the six-week course in Japanese flower-arranging which begins on 4 November. There are also two courses arranged by the University of Sussex Centre for Continuing Education which are not full: Natural History (ecology of woods and meadows), and The World of Dickens. But the most surprising void is in the enrolment for the international cookery class, where cooks of both sexes have the opportunity to learn new dishes from all over the world, with (we hear) a super tutor; first class is tomorrow (Thursday) at 7 at Upper School (The Grove), so why not just turn up?
The booklet giving details of the courses, with an enrolment form at the back, is still available from the FE Centre or the Library; Mrs. Swaine can be found at the Centre on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons (Rye 222318).
Members of The Queen's English Society receive, on joining, a little card from the Secretary (Mr. A.I. Thompson, 2 South Side, Pulborough, Sussex). He must have enjoyed composing it, and we think that some of the GAZETTE's correspondents will enjoy reading it.
"This is a one-off chance to despatch you this missive from the grass roots of my heart. I look forward to, with anticipation, an on-going situation for you in the coming years and hopefully trust that, to a meaningful extent, you will accept this interpersonal communication which, in actual fact, I extend to you and to the personnel of your scenario. Actually, probably you may not be disinterested to learn, as a final ending, that this card has been published by the Queen's English Society which, as you will now appreciate, exists to promote the purity of the English language."
5.
"Approximately 370 pupils entered for A Levels, O Levels, CSE or RSA examinations this year.
Six pupils left the Fifth Year without taking any public examinations; the other 218 were entered for CSE, GCE and RSA examinations.
Sixty-two Fifth Year pupils were entered solely for CSE examinations. The results were good - 58 x 1, 141 x 2, 238 x 3, 407 x 4, 130 x 5, 31 x U.
156 members of the Fifth Year took at least one GCE O-level, 119 obtained at least one high grade O-level. 80 members of the Sixth Form and 20 members of the Fourth Year took some O-levels in Cambridge, London and AEB examinations.
The members of the Fifth Year achieved well. The number of O-levels or equivalent at Grade A, B or C attained by pupils was as follows: 5 by 44 pupils, 4 by 55 pupils, 3 by 78 pupils, 2 by 93 pupils, and 1 by 119 pupils.
Sixth Form students taking GCE O-level had mostly completed one-year courses. The achievements of these pupils was again very pleasing. Many have left school with more than five good O-levels which will allow them to continue studies in further or higher education. The Fourth-Year group entered O-level in Mathematics and most obtained high grade O-levels.
Advanced Level GCE candidates were entered from the Sixth and Seventh Years. These results were not as good as last year, showing a pass rate of about 50%. It was noticeable that hard working and worthy candidates who might have been expected to obtain low grade passes were not so successful this year. Fifty-four pupils took an average of two subjects. Five A-grade, ten B-grade, five C-grade, 11 D-grade and 19 E-grade passes were obtained.
It is pleasing that in spite of the disappointment, one Sixth Form student has already gained fourth term entrance to Queens College, Cambridge, to read Philosophy and another will be taking seventh term entrance examinations in November in Natural Sciences.
Most members of the Upper Sixth Form leaving school this year have carefully geared aspirations to their achievements. The following numbers have moved to higher and further education or professions straight from school: University 7, Polytechnic 1, College 6, Nursing 1, Further Education 2, Professional 5. In addition, former pupils who have retaken examinations or had a year of work experience have moved to higher and further education: University 4, College 6, Further Education 1, Professional 2.
It must be remembered that the great strength of a comprehensive school is that it offers chances to students with a wide range of ability. Exam disappointments sometimes arise because worthy students have been unable to take their opportunities at a particular time, but many successes are achieved by those who are diligent who would never have the chance if they were not in such a school. In our judgement the achievements of the latter group by far outweigh the disappointments of the former.
It is not wise to make sweeping generalisations about such a large group of students.
Examination achievement is only one way of judging our work. It is clear that no success is achieved without the support of parents for the school and for the students or without great efforts on the part of the students themselves. It has been a very reasonable year. We shall, as always, work to improve but take pride in our achievements."
Footnote: as the Head says, exams are not everything. Newspapers and television have been full of dreadful stories of unemployment among school-leavers, not only in the north. However, although the final details are not quite ready yet, we hope to have in the GAZETTE very soon a good-news story about the job situation for local school-leavers; some weeks ago careers master George Blacker told us that whereas his opposite number in a London comprehensive had only perhaps 40 out of 200-plus school-leavers in jobs, the picture here was just about the reverse of that, and perhaps even better.
6.
We have room this week for various items of local interest which have cropped up in the reports laid before different Rother Council committees recently.
To the Environmental Health Committee on 13 September, Mr. Hudson reported that he had had a number of favourable comments about the way his staff have tackled the cemetery undergrowth, quoting a letter of appreciation received from the Conservation Society. There was a display of photographs at the meeting to illustrate "the special problems that exist on this site". The same Committee was to discuss a new Bexhill byelaw about dogs fouling footpaths. Can anyone give us details of the byelaw on this subject said to apply to Rye?
The Staff and General Purposes Committee next day discussed a report on the Ferry Road offices site, with a view to developing the ground to provide 12 sheltered flats on three floors with a single-storey communal room at the back; mention was made of the fact that the outline planning permission for the site does not include the building used for the Rye Playgroup (with, as we said earlier this month, 55 children and a waiting-list of 50). The proposal is that the site be transferred to the Housing Committee, presumably from the Staff and General Purposes Committee who now own it, at a valuation determined by the District Valuer - an interesting internal rearrangement of resources!
The bottle banks were also reported on, by the Chief Technical and Environmental Services Officer at Battle. Mr. Clarke said that public response has been good, and despite the cut-back in the number of sites (when we nearly lost ours in Tower Street) the quantity of glass collected did not fall. Since the introduction of the national scheme in 1,977, 300,000 tonnes of glass have been recycled with a saving of 10 million gallons of oil; it is reckoned that by using glass cutlet (scrap) added to raw materials, 25% of the total energy required to produce glass is saved. So it really is worth trailing one's bottles and jars to Strand Quay or Tower Street! The contractor hopes to extend the scheme, and the Council means to press for banks at Rye Harbour and Camber. Plans are being laid to deal with the accumulated extra glass at bank holiday weekends, particularly over Christmas (all those bottles). Quite apart from the virtuous feeling of helping to save all that oil, Rother Council has benefited by £850 from the scheme for the year ended 30 June.
As a matter of interest, Bexhill has six banks, collecting a total during the same period of 224 tonnes; Battle's one bank produced 60 tonnes; Rye's two, 43 tonnes; Peasmarsh's one, 22 tonnes, and Burwash's, 18 tonnes.
The Housing Committee, meeting on 5 September, was given a breakdown of the housing waiting list. It has a total of 1,310 names, of which 470 are deferred. Of the remaining 840, 71 are on the Rye list: 6 people want one-bedroom houses, 33 two-bedrooms, 9 three-bedrooms and 5 four-bedrooms; in addition, there are 14 "aged persons (single)" and 4 "aged persons (couple)". There are 4 people on the Playden list, 3 for Iden, 2 for Rye Harbour, 3 for Udimore, 6 for Winchelsea, 8 for Camber - and 393 for Bexhill, with Battle third on the list after Rye at 49.
Several readers have asked to be reminded of the name and address of the Bexhill writer who is to publish a book of photographs of old Rye and Winchelsea. She is Mrs. Aylwin Guilmant, of 18 Richmond Road, Bexhill (Bexhill 2139XX), and she tells us that although she has already had help from Rye people she could still use plenty more material. She can make an appointment to call on you, at your convenience, on her next visit to Rye if you have something you think she might like to see.
Does, she asks, anyone have anything relating to the Lord Mayor of London's visit to Rye to open the railway in 1850? What she would really like is the loan of an Illustrated London News engraving of his arrival at the station, since such engravings usually reproduce well; but a photograph would do very nicely, if one still exists.
7.
Mary Lestocq and the Anglia Building Society office in the High Street have entered into a co-operative marketing arrangement which must be unique for Rye. While Mary has the builders in in Market Road, Anglia is featuring her photographs in their window; and anyone opening an account with the Rye branch for the duration of the display will receive a free 6-shot sitting when Mrs. Lestocq's new photo-graphic studio opens next month.
Mrs. Lestocq tells us that the shop - which was Odell's Cycles for 31 years before it opened as Mary and I in the Sixties - is described in the deeds as 29A High Street, and was part of the Milsoms' complex on the High Street/Market Road corner which extended as far as Martins the greengrocers. Richard Milsom was an iron-monger, and Mrs. Lestocq says that her shop used to be his warehouse. But the 1898 Almanac refers to "R. Milsom, whitesmith" in Market Road; and there is an informal reference of the same period to "D. Milsom's tinker shop" in Market Road which would seem to imply that a useful domestic repair service was provided there before WW1.
Even more intriguing is lettering which the Lestocqs found when the Odell paint was stripped from the pillars beside the shop door. Clearly visible even when the blowtorch had done its work, painted in what Mrs. Lestocq calls Edwardian ribbon writing, was a sign for "F. Crane - screws, nails, paints, brushes, color (sic) merchant". And lying under the floorboards they found a small brass plate with the name "R. Pyle". Does this mean anything to anyone? And could someone with a pre-Milsom directory see if there is a reference in it to F. Crane's business in Market Road - or indeed elsewhere?
New manager at Butler & Hatch Waterman, the High Street estate agents, is Mr. Peter Dennett. Mr. Dennett, who comes from the firm's Folkestone branch, intends to live in Rye, already the home of his mother Mrs. Sheila Dickens; he has spent some years in the finance business in Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia) - a lovely country, he says, but not the best place to live in other respects. The firm's previous manager, Mr. John Dresser, has moved to another firm of estate agents, in Faversham.
The High Street office was opened in the late Seventies as De Vere Williams, and eighteen months ago was incorporated into the long-established business now called Butler & Hatch Waterman. The firm has four other branches, at Ashford, Folkestone, Hythe and Tenterden, with sale-rooms at the two latter offices; one of their auctioneers is Mrs. Pauline Chalk, FSVA, who has now given her services for two Thomas Peacocke PTA 50:50 auctions in The Grove. Estate agents in the fuller sense, the firm offers valuations, surveys, etc., as well as actually selling houses. Catalogues for the Tenterden sale-room are available at the Rye office - the next sale is on 13 October.
Lesley Brownbill, Leo Halle and Anne Whiteman are the performers at an evening of Brahms and Liszt at St. Mary's on Saturday, 8 October, at 7.30. Tickets are £l at the door, and the proceeds go to the Canon Williams Youth Adventure Fund.
Speaker at the October Celebration Evening (on Saturday, 15th, at 7.30 in the Methodist Church) is the Rev. Dr. Clifford Hill. Dr. Hill, who will be speaking on "The Signs of the Times", is already known to churchgoers in the area from a visit he paid 18 months ago - in fact, he is almost on home ground, since we understand that his parents live in Rye.
With the Christmas party season ahead, Inner Wheel have a topical speaker at their meeting on Friday, 4 November, at the Community Centre at 8. Alan Cheeseman is a Director of Sainsburys' off-licence department, and he will be talking about wine in general and offering tastings of some varieties. Tickets are available at Terry's DIY or from any Inner Wheel member, at £1.50 which includes a glass of wine to start off the evening.
The National Trust opens its stall in the Town Hall on Thursday, 8 December, from 9 till noon, for Christmas presents; on sale will be the usual "national" selection of goodies, plus items made locally specially for the occasion.
8.
Thursday, 29th Rye Lions Charity Shop, Red Cross Centre (all day; also Friday and Saturday)
National Trust outing to St. Omer
Friday, 30th Clowns performance for charity, CC, 4.30
Museum Association: Alan Dickinson on "Ancient Houses in the Rye area", FEC, 7.30
Rye Players Variety Night, George Hotel, 8
Rye Young Farmers Harvest Supper, The Grove, 8
Saturday, 1st Thomas Peacocke School Michaelmas Fair, The Grove, 2
Rye Players (as Friday)
Tuesday, 4th FRAG: Michael Tweedie on "Photographing Insects and Flowers", Town Hall, 7.45
• Miss Louie Cotton and Miss Elizabeth Morphy of Mill Cottages in Ferry Road would like to say that despite the major alterations going on to the front of their houses, they are really very snug and comfortable in the back, and there is no need for anyone to worry about them.
• Saltcote Place: the closing date for tenders (no price guideline given) for the purchase of the house and grounds was 16 September, and we understand that over a dozen have been received by East Sussex County Council; they are now being considered by the appropriate department and no decision has yet been made. So, despite rumour, the property is not yet sold.
• The street collection in Rye for the RAFA Wings Appeal raised £155 (£26 up on last year); the house-to-house collection is not yet all in, and we shall have the figure for that later.
• The Conservative Association Autumn Fair on 17 September took £615 (before expenses).
• Freda Gardham School PTA has a new Chairman, Mr. Still; a new Secretary, Mrs. Tree, with Mrs. Swaine as Assistant Secretary; and the same Treasurer, Mrs. Kirkham.
• Stolen from the George Hotel on 18 or 19 September, £300 worth (and 10 lbs. weight) of brass fire-dogs; and from Scots Float on the 19th or 20th, a quantity of BOC welding equipment.
• The road accident on the way to Camber on Saturday meant that five people were taken to hospital, but none of them were detained there. Both cars, however, were potential write-offs.
• Jo Kirkham discovered recently that Conservation Societies have the same problems wherever their Rye may be; Mrs. Charles Tallman, of Rye, New Hampshire, USA, who is the Chairman of her town's own conservation society, said that they too had problems over building work done without planning permission! Mr. and Mrs. Tallman, hosts to Jo and Tracy in the States, were over here on a brief visit.
• There has been much publicity this year about damage and discomfort caused by the burning of straw and stubble. We would therefore like to record - with gratitude - that the large field beyond Gateborough Farm, between the railway and New Winchelsea Road, was combined, baled, the bales carried, and the land ploughed again without so much as a wisp of smoke polluting the neighbourhood.
THE RYE GAZETTE is reistered as a newspaper with the Post Office. It is published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 94 Udimore Road, Rye (Rye 222303), and news items for inclusion are always welcome - deadline is Monday afternoon, 9 am Tuesday for emergencies. The GAZETTE costs 25p weekly and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday; a few spares may be available at Squirrels, 9-13 Cinque Ports Street.
(Copyright Mary Owen 1983)