A very happy assembly of relatives and old friends met in the George ballroom on Saturday to celebrate the centenary of Mrs. Edith Peek of Fishmarket Road. Mrs. Peek's grandson Robert organised the party, and as well as her son Leslie and his family, plus nephews and nieces to the nth degree, guests included the Mayor and Mayoress of Rye. Flowers, presents and cards were piled high, and in addition to the cherished telegram from the Queen (opened ceremonially by the Mayor) there were greetings from Ken Warren MP, and from Rother District and Rye Town Councils. Robert told us this week that his grandmother had not yet managed to open all her presents, but he wanted to thank everyone on her behalf for their generosity, with a special thank you to Richard Marriott of the George Hotel who had done so much to make the occasion a success. Many of the guests met old friends for the first time in years, and there was much reminiscing. the cake, made by a friend and bearing just one candle, looked and tasted delicious; and the birthday girl was brought to the party in Bob Deacon's elegant cream Rolls-Royce.
Mrs. Peek (nee Salmon) was born a hundred years ago in St. Osyth, Essex. Her father, a fireman, later moved his family of five children to London, where he served at several different fire stations and eventually at Her Majesty's Theatre when Beerbohm Tree was the manager. Edith remembers being very much the leader of a gang of kids when she was at school - they used to "visit" places of interest in a quite unofficial capacity, and she remembers being ejected from the Houses of Parliament by one of the attendants. At 14 she left school and went into service. Her last job, before she married ten years later, was in a big house in Blackheath, but she met her husband Leslie, a Wiltshire man from an army family, while she was staying with her aunt who kept the Inkerman Arms at Rye Harbour. It was then, she says, the only pub there, and the transport between the Harbour and Rye itself was "old Mr. Saunders with his donkey and barrow".
Edith and Leslie were married in Winchelsea Church, and lived in various houses in the Rye area, including one of the Church Square cottages, before moving to Ferry Road and eventually to her present snug little home in Fishmarket Road.
Leslie died many years ago. As an ex-army man, he was used to dealing with horses, and at one time worked for Wright and Pankhurst. Their only son, Leslie junior, suffered from spinal trouble, and Mrs. Peek recalls wheeling him around the town in a special carriage.
Mrs. Peek worked for several households in Rye, including Brigadier and Mrs. Gardham when they lived in Mermaid Street; she is still regularly in touch with their son Martin. She and the late "Fergie" (Mrs. Ferguson of Ferryboat Cottage) used to give entertainments in the town, and although she doesn't get out of the house much now she still takes a keen interest in what goes on. With help from her neighbours, she does her own cooking and housework, and likes to have a bit of knitting on the go - dishcloths are her speciality. We would just add that not only is her memory excellent, but her hearing is almost perfect; she does, however, find that a magnifying glass helps for reading. She makes it quite clear how grateful she is to Robert for his care of her in her old age; her friends in Rye remember how she looked after him in his youth. All of us will wish Granny Peek a very happy year ahead, and more of them to come.
Two plastic containers were washed up on Camber beach at the weekend - square, white, one-litre size with dark plastic tops - labelled "Pikrin saur". This is picric acid, highly toxic and very inflammable. Both were still sealed, and were dealt with by ESCC; more have turned up since. If you should find one, don't touch it - tell the police.
2.
Mr. Charles Batcheler, well known to Rye people as the plumber to the old Borough Council, died in Battle Hospital on 3 February. Mr. Batcheler, who was 82, had been in hospital since he suffered a stroke three years ago. He was born in West Street and lived much of his life there, moving later to Bridge Place; he had been a widower for many years. Charlie Batcheler was a life-long supporter of Rye Football Club, hand-lettering the fixtures notices for many years after the war, and taking round the collecting box in the days when the club was entirely amateur. He played the cornet in Rye Town Band from when he was a lad of 14 until the band broke up, and his sons joined him there, one on the cornet and one on the euphonium. He was perhaps the only man in Rye who thoroughly understood Rye's complex underground plumbing arrangements, and legend has it that he was down a manhole by the station when he swore at the Archbishop of Canterbury - certainly he will long be remembered in Rye for his colourful language. Mr. Batcheler leaves two sons, two daughters and seven grandchildren. Cremation takes place at Hastings at 2.30 on Friday (10th).
Mr. Bert Head, who died on 25 January, was born and brought up at Rye Harbour, the eldest son of the cox of the "Mary Stanford". He started work with his father on the old sailing smacks, then went to work for the railway and eventually left the Harbour to live in Tunbridge Wells, where he died. He leaves, says his obituary notice in the Sussex Express, nine daughters and three sons, 35 grand-children and five great-grandchildren.
The GAZETTE now gets travel press releases for our area from British Rail at Waterloo. This week's refers to engineering works in the Haywards Heath/Burgess Hill/Plumpton/Lewes area. John Smith went that way on Saturday, and reports that although buses are involved, the connections do work (and the journey as far as Eastbourne is unaffected). But if the timing really matters, it would be as well to check; the works apparently go on for some weeks.
Mr. Smith also points out that for the past two weeks, the Sunday trains from Rye have been back to the regular two-hourly 11-minutes-past-the-hour winter service, as the engineering works on our line were cancelled. So, it is clearly absolutely essential to check journey times first before travelling on a Sunday.
Congratulations to the Rye Sea Cadet Corps! Commanding Officer Lt. Cdr. John Whiteman received on behalf of the unit two awards at a recent meeting of the Sussex District Sea Cadet Corps Sports Council: the Tyler Trophy, for the unit participating most in the District sports activities, and (for the second year running) the Fred May Cup awarded to the unit gaining the most points during the year for competitions in boat work and canoeing.
Cadet Able Seaman Jeremy Gray, 15, of New Winchelsea Road and a pupil at Thomas Peacocke School, was placed third in the District for individual participation in District and National sport.
The Corps is keen to maintain such splendid results, and welcomes new recruits into the unit. They meet at their Rock Channel HQ on Monday and Friday evenings at 7.30 and would welcome any potential recruits or parents who would like to see over the unit.
As we reported some time ago, the unit needs a new minibus, and the Parents' and Supporters' Committee wonders if there might be sponsors who would help with its purchase and running costs? Any suggestions to the Secretary, Rye 224220.
Unit funds benefited by £335 from the Christmas Fair, and they would like to thank all those who supported them, especially the Rye shopkeepers who donated all the prizes in the Grand Draw and Raffle which made the event such a success.
- 3 - THE RYE GAZETTE, 8.2.1984
The burglars who raided the Museum recently had another go on Tuesday night - and were foiled by the old Town Fire Engine. The thieves spent some time boring holes with a brace-and-bit in order to make an entry in the door at the foot of the tower through they evidently intended to creep into the lower room; but the stout old fire engine, firmly wedged into its corner to defeat mischievous small boys, also defeated the burglars and they were unable to get in. It seems incredible that no-one should have noticed what was going on, but the Museum area is not much frequented at night. Perhaps late dog-walkers might care to combine business, so to speak, with civic duty and keep an eye on the Tower?
Our next Mayor is to be Councillor Roger Breeds, of St. Margaret's Terrace, who will succeed Councillor Simpson in May; Mr. Breeds' Mayoress will of course be his wife Amy, who is well used to the job having been her mother's Mayoress some years ago. Councillor Simpson will be the Deputy Mayor.
The Mayoring will take place on the morning of Monday, 7 May; this is a bank holiday, so the children can still scramble for their hot pennies beneath the Town Hall windows. In the afternoon of the same day, Leasam House is planning an Edwardian garden party, with various interesting attractions; more details later, but it certainly sounds like a busy day all round.
Mr. Ernie Bourn came home to New Winchelsea Road last Wednesday; Mrs. Bourn tells us she cannot sufficiently express her thanks to the staff of St. Helen's for their care and treatment of her husband - the improvement in his health over a fortnight is, she says, quite unbelievable.
Mrs. Rosalind Webb, of The Strand, is still in St. Helen's and making very good progress.
Mrs. Mavis Bannister, of Peasmarsh, is now in Rye Hospital, and we are glad to hear that there seems to be a marginal improvement in her condition.
Mrs. Ethel Bourn, of Rope Walk, is also now in Rye Hospital and coming along nicely.
The Rye and District Movie Society had a very special meeting on 3 February, when they saw an award-winning film made by their Canadian link society in Montreal. Brian Hatter, who sent it over, said how much the Montreal police had co-operated with the making of the film, a comedy called "Whistle"; Rye are to enter it on behalf of the Canadian society for a competition over here. The evening's second film was provided by Bob de Ste Croix, resorting on a holiday in the Outer Hebrides; he rounded off the entertainment by passing round a bottle of the local 100% proof Glayva - which fully justifies (says publicity secretary Fred Masters, still gasping) its Indian name of firewater!
Rye Police have issued details of crimes committed in Rye itself during 1983. There were three robberies (two while the robbers were armed); 6 assaults involving bodily harm; two cases of indecency; 34 burglaries (12 at private houses); 172 thefts, including a great many shoplifting offences (several coach-loads of them, as far as we remember!); 28 thefts from cars, 17 cases of "taking a conveyance", 13 people handling stolen property, 10 cases of criminal deception and two of "going equipped to steal".
The total is 290 (out of some 700 in the Sub-Division as a whole), as against 254 last year. Most categories show an increase, but burglaries are down from 52 last year. Crime Alert started in the late summer; can it be acting as a deterrent already? More important, can the different groups between them get next year's figures down all round?
4.
Reports about proposed County Council education cuts have been simmering away for some time, but last week, in a letter to all Freda Gardham parents, headmaster Normal Le Lacheur spelt out in detail what these cuts could mean to his school.
The present system whereby children are admitted for the term in which they are five could be scrapped; this would mean that a summer-birthday child would have only two years in the Infants. There would then be no reception class in September 1984 (since this normally takes children who are five in the course of the autumn term), pupil numbers would therefore drop and so would teacher numbers for that term. Quite apart from this, although the school roll is expected to stay at the present level next year, it is almost certain that the staffing allocation will be reduced - and one area which would suffer here is the provision for children in need of special or remedial teaching "in which, even now" says the headmaster, "we are unable to cope adequately".
Violin, cello and guitar tuition (and French in some primary schools) would cease with the withdrawal of peripatetic (visiting) teachers. Cuts are also proposed in the Schools' Library Service, and County may cease contributing to the heating and maintenance of swimming pools.
Except for the canteen, office and toilets, there has been no internal redecoration of the school for 13 years. Two junior classrooms are badly in need of more up-to-date furniture, and there has been no new furniture in the staffroom since 1969. Mr. Le Lacheur sees little prospect of any action in this area now, but he remarks on the marvellous job done by the caretaker and cleaning ladies despite cuts in their hours.
The dinner-ladies' position has, as our readers will know, already received coverage in the local papers recently. In effect, they are to be offered less pay for the same hours. The Headmaster says it is unlikely that any of the school's dinner ladies would accept the new contracts, which would obviously lead to major problems.
In the current financial year (to April) the school's allowance of £16 per child is expected to cover all books and materials used in class; all games and PE equipment (including repairs); all office requirements; first-aid materials, laundry and paper towels; and the cost of travel to out-of-school activities.
The County Council meets on 21 February to decide on these proposals. Mr. Le Lacheur emphasised that they are, to some extent, alternatives, and that ESCC is not expected to agree to the lot (at least, everyone hopes not). We asked him what he wanted parents to do.
He said that this was up to the parents; he was simply putting the facts before them and expressing the anxieties of the staff: "There is no doubt" he says in his letter, "that if these proposals are implemented the quality of education available to your children will be seriously affected, and all teachers view the prospect with grave concern". However, the PTA - now worried about how best to spend the cash it raises for school funds - is calling a meeting for all interested parents tomorrow (Thursday) at 7.30 pm at the school, and undoubtedly a letter will to go the Education Authority as a result. (For anyone who wants to write separately, the recipient should be the Chief Education Officer, County Hall, Lewes.)
At Thomas Peacocks, Mr. Fooks told us that all the secondary school Heads in East Sussex have signed a motion presented to the Education Authority expressing great concern about the proposed cuts.
Thomas Peacocke School PTA plans another 50:50 Auction (half to the seller, half to the school) in The Grove on the afternoon of Saturday, 17 March. Auctioneer is once again Mrs. Pauline Chalk of Butler & Hatch Waterman, and she will be assisted by "the old team" who have run this event so successfully for the last two years. More details nearer the time; meanwhile, this would not be a good day to hold a jumble sale, as the regular queue is likely to be otherwise engaged!
5.
Rye Club in Market Road is looking for a treasurer/secretary. This is a part-time paid job, and the hours are flexible but would involve some work in the evening. The treasurer's side of the job is particularly important, since as well as the club's finances generally, such everyday matters as bar takings need seeing to. The committee feels that a suitable candidate could well be someone recently retired from a job in which they had been dealing with accounts. Applications in writing (only) should go to the Secretary at the Club.
Signs of spring include an upsurge of business, which in turn makes Janet Webb at The Olde Tuck Shoppe in Market Street realise that she needs some extra help in the shop for a couple of afternoons a week. She reckons the job (a permanent one) might suit someone whose children can manage by themselves when they get home from school, but who doesn't want to work full-time. Qualifications include a good back (there is a certain amount of lifting) and the ability to add up accurately! There is also a Saturday morning job on offer, preferably for someone a little older than the young ladies who together make such a decorative team at weekends.
The Tuck Shoppe window, damaged by a car last year, was replaced a week ago (luckily a dry day), and the inside should be restored by the time this appears in print.
Charles and Mary Conner announce that The Fish Shop, in The Mint, is changing hands next week. After nearly five years of cooking fish and chips for Rye, Mr. and Mrs. Conner have decided to change to something lighter, and after a holiday will be back in business with a wet fish shop in Little Common, Bexhill. Their last day in Rye will be Saturday; the shop will be closed on Monday (as usual) and Tuesday, and on Wednesday (15th) John and Yvonne Cronshaw and Yvonne's father will open up for the first time. The Cronshaws, from Leicester, have had plenty of experience in the trade, and we hope they will be happy in Rye and that the Conners will have every success in Bexhill.
Both the Swiss Patisserie and the Old Forge have now reopened, after holidays for the Aubersons and the Bayntuns. Claude and Janet Auberson had a lovely time on the beach in Morocco and brought back the tan to prove it. The Bayntuns, however, were less fortunate. Jennie tells us a sad saga of botched agency bookings at their French ski resort, flooding in their room, a stolen wallet full of vital papers, hardly any help from the authorities - and, to top it all, Claire (7) broke her leg and will be in plaster from ankle to thigh for two months. We are so sorry, Claire, and we hope you get lots of sympathy from your friends at Freda Gardham, and plenty of signatures on the bits of leg that show!
The winter issue of the RNLI magazine "The Lifeboat" records that the Rye Harbour lifeboat went out once in June and 19 times (sometimes several times on the same day) in July, the two months the issue covers. Most of the Rye-built Brede class boats were not on station in time to be included in the figures, but the first, "Ann Ritchie" at Oban, was called out twice in June and 8 times in July.
Of the later Bredes, "Inner Wheel" is recorded as starting work at Poole on 16 October, and "Merchant Navy" was named at a ceremony at St. Katherine's Dock in London on 19 October - she joins the RNLI Relief Fleet.
The hunt came along Cadborough Cliff on Tuesday, and several Udimore Road gardens were unexpectedly full of eager hounds, but at least two fine foxes beat them to it up the cliff and made a successful getaway along routes best known to themselves!
6.
As we reported last week, planning permission has now gone through for the new lifeboat house at Rye Harbour (see GAZETTE no. 65). Ralph Wood, of Le Fevre Wood and Royle's Hastings office, has sent us a copy of his plans which show (at about 1000 sq. ft.) a building both larger and more substantial than the existing one. There is a brick "undercroft" with gaps for the water to wash through, topped by a single storey building with a pitched slate grey roof, blue walls and brown hardwood window frames with white trim. The floor plan includes room for the promised Atlantic 21 lifeboat and trailer plus the Landrover; there is also a crew room, lavatory and store, and a small office with a sales display area for RNLI souvenirs, etc. The Southern Water Authority office in one corner has a separate entrance, and both doors open onto a raised maroon-launching platform at the side of the building.
Ralph tells us that, in return for this small office for their own use, the SWA are paying for all the foundation works up to the floor level of the boathouse, which is really a very significant contribution to the overall cost. He does not say what appears in a report to Rother's Policy and Resources Committee from the Clerk, that Le Fevre Wood and Royle are giving their services free; and building material suppliers have agreed to offer substantial discounts on materials supplied. Rother were being asked if, under the circumstances, they would waive the planning and building regulation fees, amounting to some £275. This, as such, could not be done; but instead, the Council are recommending a grant to the RNLI of £275 - which is, of course, an equally generous and welcome gesture.
We shall hope to keep readers in touch with the progress, both financial and physical, of the project.
Back in the autumn, Rye Library had a photographer-in-residence for a long weekend. Sponsored by South East Arts, Fay Godwin ran a four-day course for amateur photographers (or, indeed, professionals), and although there was very little actual "residence" in the usual sense, the group worked hard at different locations in the area, with Fay to encourage and advise. She, of course, knows the region well, since she has photographed much of it for her books "Romney Marsh" and "The Saxon Shore Way" and some of her own pictures were on display at the Library at the time.
When the printing of the films was complete, the photographers met to compare notes and show their work to each other; and each was asked to submit four pictures for a group show at the Library in due course.
In fact, two people who took part in the course were not able to provide work, so the exhibition which opened at Lion Street on Saturday for three weeks has pictures by seven members of the group, plus Fay herself: Stephen Denny and Peter Greenhalf of Rye, Alun Jones (of Hastings not Camber), John Chambers, Kate Long, John Moss and Shirley Murray. To the GAZETTE'S untrained eye, all the work looked thoroughly professional. Some of the group had done their own printing (Fay had talked about this technical side), and the display, on screens in the reading room, showed an interesting spectrum of approaches to the subjects studied.
Peter Greenhalf used colour; the rest stuck to black-and-white. Some photographs stressed detail, or the effect of silhouette, or a particular light. Humour kept creeping in. And it was nearly always windy.
Talking to the participants at the opening, it was clear that the course had given a real stimulus to those taking part - arising not only from the tuition, but from the grouping together to enjoy a common interest. They were already talking about "next time", though Brion Purdey, the Principal Librarian at Hastings who had made all the arrangements, said he doubted if South East Arts could be induced to arrange a repeat performance at Rye; he was most grateful to the FEC and Library staff for their co-operation over the whole project. In fact, Fay has a workshop coming up in May (though for this one there will be a fee) based in Folkestone; first come first served, and bookings through the Metropole at Folkestone - if there is any room left after the Rye group swoops!
7.
Speakers at the Rye Council for Voluntary Service meeting at the Town Hall on Thursday included Mrs. Wild on the Day Centre (see GAZETTE no. 67) and Mr. Fooks on the Sports Hall (see no. 69). Mr. Brian Le Gassick spoke briefly on Community Courses at the Open University; he hopes to have more information available at the Library later on, when we shall be glad to report further. (And those who were at the meeting will be relieved to hear that it was a false alarm about Jean Bull-Marshall's daughter which took her from the Secretary's place; all is well, and the appendix still in situ.)
The fourth speaker of the evening was Mr. Anthony Wade, of the Hastings District Community Health Council. This organisation is there to act as liaison between the Health Service and the consumer (i.e. us) in all sorts of ways, passing on suggestions, offering advice on new projects and generally representing the inter-ests of the public. It sounds a first-class and most necessary body, with members who give their services and a great deal of time to ensuring that the Health Service is used to best advantage.
The Community Health Council holds an election in May. Nine of its 18 members are appointed by local authorities in the District, three by the Regional Health Authority, and six by voluntary organisations; three of the latter places are to be filled, but the system is a complicated one.
In theory, almost any local organisation is entitled to take part in the election. Of the hundreds of assorted groups in the Hastings District, many will have no interest at all in the proceedings. Branches of national organisations are grouped together with a block vote (e.g. one vote for all the District's British Legion branches, one for all the Red Cross units, etc.). But many one-off groups get a vote all to themselves - if they appear on a list sent out by the Regional Health Authority in March; the deadline for getting on this list is the end of February, and if all this is news to you then your group is not on it already (or you would have had literature about the election by now).
The present members of the Council come mainly from Hastings, St. Leonards and Bexhill; three are from Battle and one each from Heathfield and Burwash, with a co-opted member from Fairlight. Robert Bromley has just resigned as the County Council representative, so there is no-one from this end of the District.
The actual election takes place in May. Three weeks beforehand, all the groups on the Regional Health's list will receive details of candidates together with brief curricula vitae. The final voting is, however, not for a particular candidate but for the organisation sponsoring him or her. It takes place in Hastings Town Hall, and must be done in person by a representative of each enfranchised body; before the vote is taken, all the candidates are invited to address the assembled voters, putting forward their reasons for wanting to be on the Council.
We are explaining this elaborate system in some detail since if Rye wants a representative on the Council from this area, some fairly fast action is needed. Jean Bull-Marshall of the WRVS is keen to stand as a candidate; we understand that she will be put forward by the Rye Council for Voluntary Service. But if she is to be one of the three successful candidates, there must be votes cast for RCVS by as many local organisations as possible, and, to this end, as many local organisations as possible must put themselves on the CHC voters' register (and be willing and able to send someone to vote in Hastings in May). Exactly the same applies, of course, in the case of any other candidate from this area - and there may well be others whom we have not yet heard about (but would like to).
To get your organisation on the voting list, write to Mr. Brian Jones, Assistant General Administrator, SE Thames Regional Health Authority, Randolph House, 46/8 Wellesley Road, Croydon, CR9 3QU, as soon as possible and anyway before the end of this month, so that if you wish you will be able to support a local candidate for the Council in May.
8.
Thursday, 9th Freda Gardham School parents' meeting, 7.30 (see page 4)
Friday, 10th CSRF coffee morning and AGM, FEC, 10.30 (see below)
Nat. Hist. Soc., "The Camargue" (John Trowell), FEC, 7.30
Saturday, 11th Inner Wheel jumble sale, CC, 2
Celebration evening (with Ken McGreavy), Methodist Church, 7.30
St. Valentine Dance, Ma Beeton's, 7.30 to 12
Tuesday, 14th St. Mary's Tuesday Club (Mrs. Joan Mussett on her recent visit to Strasbourg), 2 East Street, 7.30
Wednesday, 15th Thrift Shop (receiving only), Red Cross, 10.30 to 12.30 National Trust theatre outing matinee, "Pack of Lies"
• Congratulations to Mrs. Carolyne Simpson of Mermaid Street, now a Licentiate of Trinity College of Music, London.
• Good news - Pam Haddon of the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve tells us that she and Richard have got their car back; stolen from a Rye car park in mid-December, it turned up in Folkestone a week ago, none the worse for its adventure.
• The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship's monthly coffee morning on Friday is also, this time, its AGM. The group would welcome any former civil servants or their widows or widowers to this and all their meetings for a friendly get-together - the second Friday of every month at the FEC at 10.30.
• The WRVS asks us to point out that owing to a misunderstanding, Fixtures gives the first Lunch Club meeting under the new management as being in February. In fact, the Club is not reopening until the end of March - details in the GAZETTE nearer the time.
• Congratulations to the organisers of the NSPCC jumble sale on Saturday, which made a profit of around £230.
• Rye Further Education Centre is nearing the end of its accounting year in financial deficit. The committee is arranging a series of fund-raising events for the Centre, the first being a coffee morning on Saturday, 18 February, from 10 to 12. So many people in the town and around use the FEC one way or another that the committee hope for real support on this and later occasions.
• Daily Express readers will have been amused to see Rye appearing last Saturday... as part of a Holidays '84 feature, basically promoted as somewhere to go when it rains!
• Has anyone got a spare piano - playable to what might be described as pub standards? The Residents Activity Training team at Hill House need one for use in their music sessions - they have a volunteer to play it, but nothing for him to play. If you can help them, please contact Mrs. Hilary McDonald at the Voluntary Help Office at Hill House.
• Papa Joe's pizzas are, we find, now available for home baking from the Landgate Freezer Centre - where we bumped into Papa Joe himself, Jerry Card, delivering supplies. He is about to expand his wholesale business, he tells us, but does not intend to abandon the hand-made process for which customers value his pizzas - and he sends his best wishes to all his friends and patrons in the town.
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)