The Ypres Tower, the home of Rye Museum, was once used as the prison, and the bars on the windows were to stop people breaking out; so the Museum's Curator, Mr. Geoffrey Bagley, was shaken to find when he opened up last Thursday that someone had tried to break in. The thieves had smashed the glass in the window overlooking the passage down to the Ypres Castle pub (glass supposed to be unbreakable!), inserted an arm between the bars, broken the plate-glass of the showcase immediately below the window, and stolen items dating from the 1914/18 War. The missing exhibits include a sword (with leather scabbard) engraved for the 5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment, and a forage cap with a Cinque Ports Battalion badge; another sword; and two 1914/18 service medals. The total value is given as about £200. The break-in must have taken place between 5 pm on Wednesday and 9 am on Thursday (although the Museum is of course closed for the winter, Mr. Bagley is a very dedicated curator); can anyone help with information?
Three full houses, we understand, waited expectantly for the curtain at the Community Centre to rise on the Ryesingers' production of "HMS Pinafore" last week. They were not disappointed. It goes without saying, of course, that the singing was up to the very high standards of Ryesingers; but so was the acting, which is not necessarily the case with choirs: Tony Thomson and Jenny Hadfield looked splendid and fairly wrung the heartstrings as the young lovers; Vernon Bedford presented a most villainous Dick Deadeye, with George Eldridge and Ian Perry defying him on behalf of the crow. Jim Simpson's Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, was not perhaps sufficiently unpleasant to justify Josephine's rejection of his suit; he had a joyfully roving eye, even when finally secured by Anne Whiteman's delightful Hebe. David Cade gave us an endearing Captain Corcoran, obviously destined to be very happy with his Little Buttercup - Carole Ball gave a most attractive performance here.
As usual, June Elgar accompanied the singers, and Lesley Brownbill, of course, conducted. The costumes and scenery were very effective (somehow David Cade had found time to build the quarter-deck scenery as well as playing a lead part).
Perhaps the real talent of Ryesingers showed most in the full choruses, which were superbly sung (by sailors, sisters, cousins and aunts); but it was also pleasant to hear the words so clearly, since much of the political and social satire which was topical in 1878 at the first performance is just as relevant today.
Loud hammering noises half-way down Conduit Hill recently drew us into to the Community Centre to see what was going on. Although the Centre has not yet got nearly enough money to build the toilet for wheelchair users, an essential preliminary is to move the office, and this is what is now being done. The new layout puts the office on the site of the small counter and cupboard behind it, leaving the old area free for access to the new loo in due course. Mrs. Cuthbert's visitors will be very glad to know that the new arrangements allow for two people to sit down in the office (with the electric fire on) - a great improvement for everyone! Mr. Bean, who is doing the work, apologises for the imperfect finish; but it is more economical to do all the replastering at once when the main job is done.
2.
Mr. Humphrey Lestocq, the actor, died very suddenly in London on Sunday (29th); he was 65. Mr. Lestocq - Flying Officer Kite to radio listeners, 'HL' to young television viewers in the Fifties - gave Rye years of invaluable service as the Lifeboat Secretary at Rye Harbour where he and his wife lived; we shall have a full obituary next week. The funeral will take place at Rye Harbour Church on Monday, 6 February, at 2, followed by cremation at Hastings. Mrs. Lestocq asks that, instead of flowers, donations in memory of her husband shall go to the Rye Harbour Lifeboat House Fund, c/o the Treasurer, Mr. Nick Martin, at Messrs. Phipps & Co, Landgate Chambers, Rye.
In order to assemble an accurate train timetable for Fixtures, Clifford Foster has been making some searching enquiries, and has kindly passed the results on to the GAZETTE.
Coming from London on a Saturday, the official connection is the train leaving Charing Cross on the half-hour. If (perhaps owing to staff shortages) this is cancelled, beware of anything leaving on or near the hour - there are two: one is possible, the other is not, and Mrs. Bowler (the heroine of last week's saga) was directed to the wrong one. And, says Mr. Foster, all the platforms are used differently at weekends, so because a train goes from Platform 6 it doesn't follow it is ours.
Going west, the Rye train now arrives in Hastings at 49 minutes past the hour. The Eastbourne train used to leave at 44 minutes past, but for the duration of these engineering works has now been retimed to leave at 50 minutes past and is scheduled as a connection, which means it must be held for up to five minutes. So, unless the Rye train is more than five minutes late, it should just connect - but don't hang about. Returning, says Mr. Foster, there should be no problem with connections; the Rye train now leaves Hastings at two minutes past the hour.
As for Sundays, all Mr. Foster can gather is that the bus arrangements from Rye to Ashford are "for the duration of the engineering works" - but no-one will tell him how long that is likely to be. The Area Manager's office at Ashford told us that the new timetable remained in force until April regardless of whether engineering work was in progress or not on any particular weekend - which is sensible; but we wonder if they are really running buses when they needn't?
Events notified too late for the first-quarter Diary bookings list published before Christmas include the following.
On Wednesday, 29 February, at Upper School at 8, the John Williams Memorial Fund organisers will show a video of the 1982 Tall Ships Race, and Andrea Wickenden will talk about her cruise last year under the auspices of the Fund.
On Shrove Tuesday, 6 March, the Community Centre Pancake Race will be run at 3.30 in the High Street (in the Centre if wet); refreshments will be served in the Centre afterwards, and the committee would be glad of offers of help with this.
Three more jumble sales coming up: Inner Wheel at the Community Centre on 11 February at 2; Winchelsea Floral Group at the FE Centre on 10 March in the morning; and Bonfire Boys on 17 March at the FE Centre from 10 to 12.
And seven AGMs -
Bible Society, 23 February, Methodist (not Baptist) Hall at 7.45
Rye WI Market, 24 February, CC, 2 (the Market reopens on Friday, 16 March)
Friends of Rye Art Gallery, 6 March, Town Hall, 8
NSPCC, 7 March, FEC, afternoon (speaker Lady Moyra Campbell, coming from Ireland)
WRVS, 21 March, FEC, 3
Natural History Society, 23 March, FEC, 7.30
Ratepayers Association, 30 March, Town Hall, evening (speaker Ken Warren MP),
- 3 - THE RYE GAZETTE, 1.2.1984
The GAZETTE has received a letter from Mr. Victor Wear of Rye, father of two former pupils at Thomas Peacocke. We are glad to print it as expressing not only Mr. Wear's own opinion but also that of other parents of senior pupils at the school (including the Editor).
"The recent unhappy controversy over the proposed visit to the Thomas Peacocke School of a Royal Navy helicopter team has provided one gleam of sunshine. It has proved the disappointed sixth formers to be sensible, well-balanced and dignified. This must surely reflect favourably on Headmaster Ray Fooks and his staff. Such an attitude must result from a high calibre of commitment to educating children and not involving them in quasi- political arguments."
(RAF Association members were, we hear, somewhat surprised to find members of two of the five protesting families joining their outing on Saturday to the RAF Museum at Hendon!)
Apparently just one CND reader disagrees with the statement in our last issue that "the overwhelming majority" of people in Rye share Ken Warren's view of the helicopter episode. The rest of the quite considerable feedback has entirely endorsed the Editor's opinion; indeed, she has had one or two reproachful glances from people who thought the paper had not come down strongly enough on the NATO side.
As far as the GAZETTE is concerned, the whole affair now ceases to be news. "This correspondence is now closed!"
There seemed to be a particularly strong "supporters club" representation this year at the 2274 Squadron ATC open evening at Thomas Peacocke School on Thursday (no need, perhaps, to wonder why). The meeting was chaired by Mr. Fooks, who welcomed the guests. F/Lt Chris Bell, reporting on his first full year in charge of the unit, referred to it as a period largely devoted to strengthening the unit within itself, with a new team working in perhaps a slightly different way in the interests of the Squadron (which now has six girls among the cadets).
A major project has been the replacement of the rifle range roof; this is now finished, and the range is back in use. The Squadron is most grateful to all those who helped raise the money for this, and especially to those who gave up their time to the work under the direction of Mr. Roscoe.
An impressive array of cups and certificates were presented by F/Lt Langley, who came over from West Sussex for the purpose. The John Larkin Cup for the best cadet in the Squadron went to F/Sgt Andrew Starling. The RAFA Cup for the best Senior Cadet went to Cdt Frank Roscoe; the Gibb Cup for the best Leading Cadet to Cpl Elizabeth McDonald; and the F/Lt Thompson Cup for the best First Class Cadet to Cdt Geoffrey Groves. Cdt Mark Starling won the Endeavour Shield.
Civilian Instructor certificates were presented to Miss Sara Marshall, Miss Carol Quinton and Mrs. Margaret Bell. Other awards presented included various cups for shooting and cadet certificates.
James Nunn (now away in the Navy) was awarded a Corps certificate for athletics; this means that James, having run for the squadron, the area and the region, did so well in the national ATC athletics contest that he was chosen to represent the ATC against teams from the army and the navy.
An especially welcome guest was the Mayor, Mr. Simpson, and his Mayoress. Mr. Simpson was fulfilling his first official duty since his recent illness, although he was not due back in Rye until the following week. The Mayor spoke to the cadets about the quality of training given by the ATC, and with them looked forward to another interesting and valuable year.
Guests then examined ATC work on display in the hall and enjoyed refreshments.
4.
Just before Christmas we published a list of events booked into the Diary for the first quarter of 1984. Later additions to this will appear in The Week's Events (and see page 2). We now give the rest of the year's events as booked so far, where they concern the general public (i.e. not regular members-only meetings of societies, etc.).
Additions, alterations and enquiries to Mary Owen, Rye 222303, please.
APRIL
Tuesday, 3rd FRAG talk, "English Miniatures" (Lucy Abel Smith), TH, 8
Saturday, 7th Cancer Relief jumble sale, CC, 11
Tuesday, 10th Annual Church Meeting for St. Mary's, TH, 7.30
Wednesday, llth National Trust talk, "Ancient Monuments of Kent and Sussex" (J G Coad), CC, 7.30
Friday, 13th Last day of term
Saturday, 14th Rye Festival Council Spring Fair, TH, morning
Monday, 23rd (Easter Monday) Cancer Relief coffee morning, Red Cross, 10.3,
Saturday, 23th RNLI Ploughman's Lunch, FEC, 12 to 2
Monday, 30th Term begins.
MAY
Tuesday, 1st Conservative Association coffee morning, 113 Udimore Road, 10.30 FRAG talk, "Making a TV programme" (Shaun Sutton), TH, 8
Thursday, 3rd Thomas Peacocke School Open Evening
Saturday, 5th Royal School of Church Music, Festival of Choirs, St. Mary's all-day rehearsal followed by a service at 4.15 -
Sunday, 13th Attic Sale, CC, 10 to 1
Tuesday, 15th Arthritis and Rheumatism Council Ploughman's Lunch, CC, 12 to 2
Saturday, 19th Rye Society of Artists jumble sale, FEC, afternoon
"Mainly Acoustic" concert (Dave Burland), Saltings, 8
Barn Dance with the Catsfield Steamers (TPS PTA), The Grove
Monday, 28th Half-term week
Thursday, 31st Winchelsea Floral Group, demonstration by Graham Audrain, Upper School, evening (admission by ticket)
JUNE
Saturday, 2nd Playden WI May Fair, FEC, morning
Rye WI Promotion Fair, TH, morning
Tuesday, 5th FRAG talk, "The Meaning of Icons" (Sergei Hackel), TH, 8
Friday, 8th Concert of poetry, prose and music, to celebrate the centenary of the
NSPCC, St. Mary's, evening
Saturday, 9th One-day school, FEC and Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Rye and District Guides Summer Fair, FEC, 2.30
Sunday, 10th Attic Sale, CC, 10 to 1
Saturday, 16th Rye and Winchelsea Memorial Hospital Fete, FEC, morning
Friday, 22nd Rye Conservation Society AGM, TH, 7.30
Saturday, 23rd NSPCC Summer Fair, FEC, morning
Bible Society Summer Meeting, Playden Cottage, 2.30
5.
JULY
Sunday, 1st 1st Blackheath Opera, CC, afternoon
Monday, 9th Thomas Peacocke School drama evening
Friday, 20th Term ends
Saturday, 21st Catholic Church coffee morning, FEC
AUGUST
Saturday, 4th RYE CARNIVAL, afternoon
Sunday, 12th ROTARY COUNTRY FAIR, Salts Farm (New Road), all day Wednesday, 15th Conservative Association buffet supper, Rye Foreign Wednesday, 22nd Tuesday Painters exhibition, FEC (till 1 September)
Saturday, 25th Ryesingers jumble sale, CC
SEPTEMBER
Wednesday, 5th Term begins
Saturday, 8th Rye Flower Club annual show, FEC, afternoon
Sunday, 9th Attic Sale, CC, 10 to 1
Saturday, 29th Thomas Peacocke School Michaelmas Fair, The Grove, afternoon
OCTOBER
Tuesday, 2nd FRAG talk, TH, 8
Friday, 5th N. Trust talk, "Collecting Silver" (Mrs. Helen Glover), CC, 7.30
Saturday, 6th Tilling Society annual visit to Rye
WI Group Home Economics Show, FEC, afternoon
Thursday, 11th Bible Society Autumn Meeting, Baptist Hall, 7.45
Friday, 12th Natural History Society talk, FEC, 7.30
Saturday N. Trust talk, "Some aspects of the art and history of some Italian towns" (P. Berrisford), CC, 2.30
Monday, 22nd Half-term week CC, 2.30
Friday, 26th Natural History Society talk, FEC, 7.30
Wednesday, 31st Cancer Relief Christmas Fair, FEC, 10
NOVEMBER
Saturday, 3rd Playden Church Christmas Fair, FEC, morning
Tuesday, 6th FRAG talk, TH, 8
Thursday, 8th Red Cross AGM, FEC, afternoon
Friday, 9th Natural History Society talk, FEC, 7.30
Tuesday, 13th N. Trust, "Temples and Holy Places" (W E Ames Lewis), CC, 7.30
Saturday, 17th Catholic Church Christmas Fair, FEC, 2.30
RYE BONFIRE NIGHT
Friday, 23rd Natural History Society talk, FEC, 7.30
Thursday, 29th N. Trust AGM and talk, "National Trust" (Alma Fabes), CC, 7.30
DECEMBER
Tuesday, 4th FRAG talk, TH, 8
Saturday, 8th National Trust members' party, CC, 7.30
Sunday, 9th Attic Sale, CC, 10 to 1
Friday, 14th Natural History Society talk, FEC, 7.30
Tuesday, 18th Term ends.
6.
Considering the competition from Ryesingers up the road, there was a very satisfactory attendance at the Sports Hall meeting at Thomas Peacocke School on Thursday. The various Councils were well represented: Mrs. Yates, Mrs. De Pree and Mr. Bromley from County; Mrs. Tomich, Mr. Shackleton and Mr. Lutman from Rother (Mr. Cawdron was unwell); and Mr. Breeds, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Le Fevre and Mr. Palmer from Rye Town Council. There were several speakers from the villages and also people looking after the interests of sports and youth organisations in the area, as well as a number of the school staff and parents.
Mrs. Rowena Varley, PTA Chairman, introduced Dr. Colin Smith, the Deputy County Education Officer, and also (purely as a formality, of course) Mr. Fooks.
Dr. Smith said that County had intended to provide a much-needed second gymnasium as part of a six-figure capital expenditure programme for the school in the coming financial year. Economy measures have meant that this programme has been postponed; but it definitely will happen, he said. The meeting was being asked to say whether local people really wanted a sports hall for community use as an extension of the gymnasium plan? If so, Rother would be asked to contribute to the capital cost, and also to help run it; and the Sports Council would be prepared to make a sizeable contribution (to a remotely possible maximum of £100,000) for a joint scheme of this kind. Dr. Smith quoted examples from other parts of the county where such dual-purpose centres had been built in the last ten years.
Asked about management, he said that County normally paid for school-hours costs, when supervision was in the hands of the staff. Out of school hours, the local council would pay the expenses, recouping itself from fees charged to those using the centre. (Mr. Fooks assured a worried Boys Club representative that concessions would be arranged for shoestring-budget youth groups.)
Councillors were then invited to give their views. All three County Councillors were in favour of the plan and had already made this clear at Lewes. For Rother, Mr. Shackleton said that now the Bexhill swimming-pool proposal had been dropped, he understood that Rother officers were preparing a report on sports halls in the District generally, to go before the Council in the near future; he would certainly support one for Rye. Mr. Lutman said he had had "the privilege of voting against the swimming pool"; he was anxious that the school should have a fair deal since in his view it had been very inadequately served in the past (a point he has rightly made in Rye before). Mrs. Tomich had been over to Goudhurst to look at a hall built for Bethany School on rather simpler lines; but Dr. Smith clearly thought that a really substantial building was worth the extra money in terms of maintenance and heating costs.
Mr. Maurice Blackman, as one of the school Governors, was anxious lest the interests of the pupils should be lost sight of in the community aspect of the project; but members of the staff who were involved in the school's sporting activities assured him that a centre of this kind would be invaluable to pupils outside school hours as well as in. At present, to play basketball they had to go to Hailsham; and indoor cricket facilities would be welcomed by players now rationed for time at the Hastings centre. Lack of a sports hall meant that at present, in winter, the local youth club members were restricted to snooker, darts and table tennis. And, said Mr. Mike Thomas, what about indoor bowls, squash, aerobics - or even a climbing wall? Inevitably one speaker suggested a swimming-pool; Dr. Smith politely said that this could at least be allowed for in the plans, but Mr. Bromley was blunter: "Swimming pools" he declared firmly, "are a disaster:"
When Mrs. Varley put the matter to a vote, it was unanimously agreed to take things further. A steering committee was set up, with Mrs. Varley in the chair, plus Mr. Barry Fuller, Mrs. Yates, Mr. Breeds, Mr. Blackman, Mr. Lutman and Mrs. Bull-Marshall. Remarking thoughtfully that people had been writing quite a lot of letters to the papers just recently, the Head suggested that this would be one way to get publicity for the scheme. Please tell your friends, particularly those with children still only at primary school who may not have heard about it - what is needed now is not financial commitment but noisy enthusiasm.
7.
Pauline Tomich tells us that Rother Councillor Clive Butchers, who lives in and represents Bexhill, is in fact an old boy of Rye Grammar School and was one of the Bedford evacuees; he was very interested to hear from her about the Bedford Reunion. Mr. Butchers was born in Camber and brought up in the Nurse's Cottage in Playden, from which his mother Sister Butchers set out to deliver quite a few of the present inhabitants of Rye and the nearby villages! He still, he told Mrs. Tomich, regards Rye with great affection as his alma mater; which is fortunate, since it so happens that as well as chairing Rother's Health and Environment Committee, Councillor Butchers is Rother's representative on the S E Regional Sports Council - the body from which a sizeable grant may well come towards the sports hall here.
On a much smaller scale, County and Rother and the Sports Council are already getting together on a community project not far away. Messrs. Le Fevre, Wood & Royle are the architects for Westfield Community Hall, which will serve the primary school as a hall and be used by the village out of school hours.
(Westfield people have raised £27,000 of the £96,000 total cost.) A former pupil of the village school in 1897 turned the first turf at a ceremony on Monday, and the youngest of today's scholars turned the second.
The bees that hummed among Paddy Aiken's flower photographs in Cinque Ports Street last month have now moved up to the High Street. With neat if coincidental timing, the Easton Rooms now have an exceedingly pretty collection of paintings, engravings, batiks, all featuring flowers and plants. Flowers in gardens, flowers in landscapes, flowers in pots - recorded as colourful impressions or in delicate detail - this mixed show is a real promise of the return of the sun and should not be missed by anyone in need of a little cheerfulness. The space between the flowery walls is filled with craft work by the gallery's regulars, some pieces at extremely modest prices.
Rother Planning Committee last week granted permission for the car park behind the Baptist Church, and for the renovations to the Tower in West Street. Permission for a separate entrance for 6 Cinque Ports Street, and for the summer stationing of an ice-cream van on the Salts, will be granted if no objections are received within the statutory period. The new lifeboat house was approved.
Simpson (Rye Harbour) Ltd., owners of the Nook Beach land, have appealed to the D o E against Rother's refusal to allow recreational development on the site; no date is yet fixed for the hearing.
This week's planning list contains a request for a balcony alteration at the back of Faraday House in The Mint, and a retrospective application to use the Black Boy in the High Street as a tea-room.
Ralph Olesen from East Sussex Highways tells us that the vivid orange splodges on the Conduit Hill cobbles are merely an indication to his staff of where the uprights for the handrail are to be planted. He hopes that the work will be done this week, and then the Telham Forge will be fitting the actual rail.
After that, ESCC's cobbles specialists will move in to reinstate the road surface, including the gas board's black macadam snake (which is, we must admit, much the safest footing down the hill in this wet weather!).
Work on the lookout in Watchbell Street is awaiting completion of the Bellmount reconstruction. The new handrail there will be in the same style as the one on Conduit Hill, says Mr. Olesen.
We do hope all readers received their middle pages in last week's GAZETTE; but there was a slight panic due to trouble with the photocopier, and if yours was omitted please let us know.
8.
Thursday, 2nd Christian Lunch Club, "From Unstable to Stable" (Mrs Sue Marriott), CC, 12 for 12.30
Rye Council for Voluntary Service open meeting, TH, 7.30 (see GAZETTE no. 67)
Deanery Candlemas Service, St. Mary's, 7.30
Friday, 3rd Vidler & Co's monthly auction sale, 10
Thomas Peacock Lower School jumble sale, Ferry Road, 6.30
National Trust talk, "Bridges of Britain" (Marc Ferdman), CC, 7.30
Saturday, 4th NSPCC jumble sale, FEC, 10 to 1
Sunday, 5th Songs of Praise, Tilling Green School, 4.30
Monday, 6th TPS Parents Evening, lst year, Lower School
Tuesday, 7th FRAG talk, "Battle Abbey and Camber Castle"
Wednesday, 8th Over-60s Club, Red Cross, 1.45
• Respectful congratulations to Miss Edith Turner, of Rye Grammar School and New Road, who has just celebrated her 85th birthday.
• Hearty congratulations to PC Peter Ellis of Rye, who on Sunday became Sussex Police County Squash Champion.
• Congratulations again, this time to the organisers of the Camber-based sponsored piano push in aid of Cancer Relief in November (GAZETTE no. 59). Branch Secretary Lew Goddard reports that although there is a little money yet to come in, they will have raised well over £250 by this event.
• And finally, congratulations to all those involved in the Thomas Peacocke School A-level retakes last term; there was a 75% pass rate, and some candidates pulled up from failure to a grade B!
• Rye Players urgently need a producer, more acting members, and back-stage staff; in general, says Joan Parkes, enthusiasm is every bit as valuable as experience. Ring Mrs. Parkes on Rye 222717.
• Rye Police Station needs some more Special Constables - up to ten, says Chief Inspector Dyson - and on Sunday morning (5th) the present Specials are inviting anyone interested in joining to come along for a cup of coffee and a chat, to find out what is involved (from 10.30 at the Police Station, Cinque Ports Street).
• Rye's Special Constables invited the new Chief Constable for Sussex, Mr. Roger Birch, and his wife to their annual dinner last week. 32 people sat down to (we hear) a superb meal at Playden Oasts - reopening officially, after last year's fire, at the beginning of March.
• Mr. and Mrs. Bayntun at The Old Forge Restaurant are looking for a new chef. Enquiries and applications to the restaurant (Wish Street, Rye).
• A special occasion at Ma Beeton's in Cinque Ports Street on Saturday week (11th): a St. Valentine Dance from 7.30 to midnight, with music of the Sixties (the £3 ticket includes a buffet).
• A warm welcome to "Shades", the new coffee and salad bar at 7 High Street. Open from 8.30 right through to 6 pm at present (later in the summer), in the present chilly weather it offers hot snacks as well as salads and sandwiches.
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office, and published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 94 Udimore Road, Rye (Rye 222303). News items for inclusion are always welcome - deadline Monday afternoon, Tuesday 9 am for emergencies. The GAZETTE costs 25p weekly and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday; extra copies and back numbers can be ordered from 94 Udimore Road, while a few spares are available at Squirrels, 9-13 Cinque Ports Street, Rye.
(Copyright Mary Owen 1984)