Rye Bonfire Night, after all the gloom and doom, was really spectacular, and Jimper Sutton and the rest of the Bonfire Boys deserve every congratulation. For a full report, see page 4.
Rother's Planning Committee agenda is never available for public inspection until the day of the meeting - which is tomorrow. We therefore resisted the temptation even to open the envelope containing the GAZETTE's copy until this report had been written.
There are, however, three things which can be said. Ken Warren, our MP, was so grieved to read the GAZETTE account of this threat to our main shopping street that he has written a personal letter to the Chairman of Anglia, deploring the Society's action both as regards the bakery and as regards Anglia's hitherto excellent relationship with Rye, and asking the Chairman to look into the matter personally. (How nice to have an MP who does things without even being asked! - and see also page 3.) George Shackleton also wrote to the Chairman, but his letter was handed down to Peter Salt, the Estates boss. We rather doubt if this will happen to Ken Warren's, and we hope to report further on that particular correspondence.
The Planning Department told us that they have received not only the Longs petition with its 1522 signatures, but also a steady stream of letters which will presumably be reported to the committee tomorrow. It seems probable that Anglia has also received a steady stream of letters. Some will have been from people with money invested with the Society. It is being said increasingly in the town that there are no technical planning grounds on which Rother can refuse Anglia's application.
If this is so, then the only effective approach is to Anglia direct. Anglia, its spokesmen say, is "a caring Society". If what it cares for is itself, then those of its members who disapprove of the Rye plans must make their views clear in whatever way they think most effective. However, if what Anglia cares for is the society in which it exists, there is only one course open to it - to withdraw the planning application and leave Longs alone.
Because Rother Councillor John Cawdron is abroad and therefore cannot be at the planning meeting tomorrow, he has asked that if the decision goes against Longs the matter should be referred to full Council on 17 December, when both he and non-Planning Committee councillors will have a chance to speak. Next week we shall report on the Planning meeting. But make a point of watching "Coast to Coast" on TVS at 6 this evening, since their cameras are coming to Longs this morning and they want the report to go out before the meeting.
The GAZETTE has been contacted by a freelance journalist who works for the national papers, and who had heard from friends about the threat to Longs. We greeted her with enthusiasm and gave her a run-down of the situation and a wad of phone numbers, and she went away murmuring that it sounded just the job for "Private Eye"...
... and they did, and found themselves on the railway line, wedged neatly across the points mechanism between the Rope Walk level crossing and the station! This was at 5.30 last Wednesday evening, and it took the combined efforts of the station staff, the police and Skinners' truck to get the Ford Cortina off. Then the points all had to be checked in case of damage before both the stalled trains could be let loose again, and so British Rail really cannot be blamed for the delay to the 6.43 from Ashford to Hastings on that particular evening (but see page 3). Police are bringing charges against the driver, a man of 24 from St. Leonards.
2.
Mr. John Beckingham, of Woking and formerly of Camber, died in hospital in London on 16 November, aged 45. In 1952, when he was a 14-year-old pupil at Rye Grammar School, he contracted polio, and was left as a wheelchair patient with the power of speech but very little else. (He was one of 19 victims of the disease in the Rye area that year, seven of whom died; the Rye figure was, in proportion to the population, the highest in the whole country.) The helpless boy became a patient at St. Mary's Hospital, Carshalton, where he was visited on behalf of Rye and District Rotary Club by its then President, Lt Cdr Friend Blacklock, who now lives in Playden. Cdr Blacklock, who had served in the Royal Navy during the war, owned the Cinque Ports Street hairdressing salon, but he spent much of his spare time working for young people; he therefore took a considerable personal interest in John's future - and a more optimistic one than the doctors did at the time. With help from Rotary as well as from his family, John - by then living at a Cheshire Home - gained 5 0-levels and 3 A-levels, and found useful work as a computer programmer; he also worked to help several organisations connected with the welfare of the handicapped. His wife Elizabeth was one of the nurses at the Cheshire Home, and together they led an amazingly active life in view of his disability, taking holidays abroad, and paying visits to Rye from time to time. John Beckingham death is of course a great sorrow to his family and friends; but his life has been a shining example of what can be achieved by courage, tenacity and support in the face of apparent disaster. Donations in his memory may be sent to one of the organisations with which he was associated, P R U P A, c/o South Western Hospital, London Road, Stockwell, London S W 9.
Silver Dollar will be holding its first event at the Community Centre on Saturday, 1 December, at 7. This, the Centre committee hopes, is the start of a Country and Western Club for Rye, holding buffet dances with "live" groups at £2 or Z3 a head; but because there are no funds to start with, Saturday's music will be on tape. Western dress will be appreciated. Club membership fee will be £2 for non-members of the Community Centre Association, £1 for members, plus 50p entrance money for the evening. Those who like the idea should make a real effort to come along, since the Club's future depends largely on the success of this opening evening.
Having been reprimanded by a reader for not explaining what sort of music Louis Turpin and his mates would be performing for the Ethiopia Appeal concert, we are playing safe this time: Country and Western is the sort of music played by Don Williams, Charlie Pride and Dolly Parton - and, of course, Eddie Grundy!
Star of the week must be the Catholic Church's Christmas Fair, which despite a very wet and cold Saturday afternoon raised the almost miraculous sum of £664 for church funds.
The Arthritis and Rheumatism Council made a record profit of £255 from their Ploughman's Lunch on 13 November; Francis Barrett was glad to report that scarcely a crumb was left "... but one is readily persuaded that the catering business is no idle pastime" he adds!
The MENCAP Branch's Autumn Fair raised C170 at the FEC on Wednesday; Vickie Piper says the committee is now discussing what the 1985 project is to be, now that they have got the playgroup safely launched.
The British Legion Women's Section raised £206 at their Christmas Fair at the Community Centre on Saturday. They were very pleased with this total, but felt that the dreadful weather had meant that there was less interest than they would have expected in two items: a beautiful hand-knitted baby's shawl being raffled, and a guessing game for a doll - at which hotel in Sussex did "Lady Jane" stay? Tickets already sold for these are being held over until 8 December, when the Women's Section is selling goods made by the Disabled Men's Industries at the Red Cross Centre from 10 to 4, so if you have not already entered for one or other prize, you have a second chance then.
THE RYE GAZETTE, 21.11.1984
As well as writing to Anglia's Chairman about Longs, Ken Warren has also written another letter on Rye's behalf to top-level management - this time to the General Manager of British Rail, enclosing the GAZETTE story about the Tuesday-morning chaos two weeks ago (no. 106). Perhaps he had better send them this one as a PS!
Last week an innocent Awaydayer complained to us about the 6.43 on Tuesday evening (13th) which had left Ashford exceedingly late; she was particularly annoyed because she had taken the precaution of coming down by the 4.55 fast instead of the scheduled 5.25 connection from Charing Cross so as not to have to hurry across at Ashford. We rang Ashford: why was it late? (This was, of course, the day before the car got stuck on the line.) It seems that this particular train collects passengers from at least three sources including the down slow from Charing Cross at 5.25. Because it is a scheduled connection, it is held for up to five minutes when the main-line train is late; and once it has been held, it then loses its place in the queue for track-space and can be delayed another five minutes or so until the line is clear. OK, we said, ten minutes - but it was almost half-an-hour late? Leaves on the line, they said, it's the time of year.
Occasional travellers should therefore be warned about this train. Commuters know all about it. It never gets to Rye before 7.20, they say, and frequently not until 7.30 passing at Appledore the down train it would normally meet at Rye. Avoid it if you can.
If only British Rail would restore our 6.20 from Ashford to Hastings in the evening, then it would be worth while for passengers from London to get the 4.55 down in order to be back in Rye by 6.45. As it is, there is no point in hurrying and they clutter up the already crowded stopping trains later. One railway buff points out that such a train need not make the unprofitable outward journey from Hastings specially, but could run "double-headed" as part of the previous train and remain at Ashford until it was needed.
ujoOnce more Woolworths is holding its late-shopping evening for elderly and handicapped people in the area - on Thursday, 6 December from 6 to around 8. The arrangements are as before. Rye Lions are kindly providing door-to-door transport for those who would like it - just get a message to the shop. There will be not only a warm welcome but also a cup of tea and a bun, by courtesy of the staff, and the idea is that customers can take their time over their shopping and enjoy a bit of an evening out and perhaps meet friends whom they haven't seen for some time, since the local old people's homes usually bring their residents into Rye for the occasion.
This is National Tree Week. Does anyone want to plant an oak tree? If so, ring
Mrs. Jeffery Waters, who has three unwanted saplings in her garden, ranging between one and three feet in height. They can't stay where they are, and she would be glad of good homes for them.
Perhaps Pother Council might be interested? They are celebrating National Tree Week with a Civic Tree Planting in Bexhill, and say there will be planting in Rye later. If anyone would like to give Rother a tree, they are thinking in terms of oak, hornbeam, whitebeam and maple; these cost £10 each, and donors will be told where their tree is planted. Details from the Parks Department at 250 Turkey Road, Bexhill.
Rye Lions are still willing and anxious to come and take away your surplus furni¬ture as well as normal jumble-sale things for their one-day Charity Shop on Saturday next week (1 December) at the Community Centre; they have storage space available for items you want to get rid of even earlier. Just ring Tony Bryant or call at the Ice Box in Cinque Ports Street. They will also, of course, want customers when the day comes, and their amazing collection of sale goods is always well worth browsing through.
4.
Visually, Bonfire Night was a really splendid show. Financially, Jimper Sutton tells us sadly, it was not: the worst result since 1973, with the buckets and boxes containing a lot of rubbish and a total of £450 of which less than 25% was in silver and £9 was in 4p pieces. With an estimated 4 to 5 thousand people there, this works out at about 1p a head - Jimper calls it a Penny Show, and says it would have been better value to have no Bonfire Night and give the 0500 raised in advance to finance it direct to charity.
Penny Show or not, it was certainly a good one. Visiting Bonfire Societies came in force, many making long journeys on a not-very-promising afternoon; they included Borough and Nevill from Lewes, Crowborough (with unusual Japanese outfits and huge banners), Mayfield, Burgess Hill, Whatlington, East Hoathly and Halland (the Injun group with the half-scale covered wagon and matching mini-pioneers), beefeaters from Edenbridge escorting a gigantic Guy Fawkes, Littlehampton, Newick, Newhaven, Fletching in Victorian costumes and Rotherfield and Mark Cross in Spanish ones, the South Street Juvenile (Lewes) cavaliers and the Uckfield crusaders, and Staplehurst who brought their own marching band. The Rye Bonfire Society appeared as pirates. There were two paid bands, and the Silver Shadows majorettes from Tenterden as well as our own Rye Majorettes with their snazzy costumes and green luminous batons.
Everyone admired the 4th Rye Brownies' float, the Japanese tea-house full of exquisite little geisha girls, which won the Clark Shield for the best non-commercial float. The Stutely Shield for the best commercial float went to Skinners of Rye for their Snow White cottage. Rye Model Laundry, appearing in the procession for the first time for many years, won the prize for the best-dressed group with their black-and-white pierrots and pierrettes. Most of the other fancy-dress prizes went (as they did last year) to Littlehampton and Burgess Hill visitors, but the best-dressed junior wore a Christmas tree out of which peeped two eyes and a small nose belonging to Anne Booth (17 months), daughter of Bonfire Boys stalwart Bob. The Youth Award went to the Thomas Peacocke School band on their cheerfully-got-up trailer. Other floats included British Telecom's haunted house (which vanished in the direction of Hastings as the procession turned out of Ferry Road!), Lions' well-crewed pirate ship, an anonymous and uproarious lorry-load of smugglers, and the local Youth Farmers who later sold off their fruit and vegetables in aid of famine relief. There were also lots of walking groups, whom we were unable to identify in the scrum; and lots and lots of torches.
The long delay in Ferry Road, explains Jimper, was pure bad luck; a derailment somewhere near Hastings had required the services of a crane from Ashford, whiches whizzed along the empty line midway between the two normal journeys and meant the crossing gates being unexpectedly closed. But once clear of the railway, the procession made good time. Jo Kirkham as Rye Fawkes lit the bonfire, which blazed away quite astonishingly in view of the appalling weather over the previous 24 hours, and a steady stream (A300-worth) of rockets filled the sky. A brief declaration of independence in the road was made by a Rile of discarded torches which burnt cheerfully until someone came along with a fire extinguisher and turned them into a column of evil-smelling fumes; but otherwise the Fire Brigade had a quiet evening.
The police, however, were rather busier. The press book just says they arrested a Battle supporter for throwing fireworks and two Lewes youths on public order charges after a disturbance at the Crown Inn. But other Battle supporters were said to have been extracted from the procession at an early stage; the Bedford Arms closed down at 9.30 when someone exploded the Gents; there were a lot of rook- (and people-) ocarers going off late at night; and some 30 skinheads were escorted by the police to the last train home. It got as far as the crossing when someone threw a rook-scarer; the driver stopped and backed into the station, where the police were far from pleased to see their charges returning. The train did leave ... eventually.
Anyway, a big thank-you to the Bonfire Boys generally, and an extra one to the clearing-up party at the end of the procession who did the dirty work. If this is the last Bonfire Night, it will at least have gone out with a bang!
Arriving home from Chichester on Saturday night into the midst of the Bonfire Night procession was a very pleased contingent of St. John Nursing Cadets. Mar lyn Mitchell had taken them to compete in the Cadet Individual First Aid Competition for the whole of Sussex, and Claire Piper had brought home a cup as the winner for the Eastern area - she came third in the six-strong Final. There was also a competition for younger adult Brigade members, aged 17 to 25, and in this 17-year-old Paula Sams came second by only one point when she dealt with a complicated "shooting incident".
In an internal Home Nursing contest for the Joseph Smith Cup held by the Rye detachment recently, Ann Newman scored 100%, and Claire Piper - whose year this undoubtedly is! - was runner-up with 90%.
We are so sorry that last week's GAZETTE had a mistake. The Red Cross is not, of course, the only voluntary organisation in Rye to own its premises; the St. John Ambulance HQ on Conduit Hill belongs to the Brigade, who had it >purpose-build when they sold their old premises next door. This also costs money to maintain, they point out a little reproachfully; so this is perhaps the place to remind readers of the Christmas coffee morning which the Nursing Cadets are holding there on Saturday week, 1 December, from 10.30. In previous years they have had a particularly good selection of Christmas decorations and cards as well as a cake stall, etc., and no doubt this year's stalls will be equally attractive.
The Rye Group of WIs held their Autumn Meeting at Iden, when there was only half a point between the winners of the craftwork competition, Playden, and the runners-up Rye. Reports all indicated a successful year for the Group, and plans for the future were discussed. The police want the villages to take more part in the Neighbourhood Watch scheme, and WI members are being asked to help. The Grcup's carol concert will be held at Playden Church on 14 December, with proceeds going to the St. Michael's Hospice appeal.
Rye WI has been holding a sponsored knit-in in aid of the Lifeboat House Appeal, and over £130 was presented to the RNLI for this purpose at last Wednesday's busy meeting, when the County Craft Collection was displayed and commented on, and members enjoyed Mrs. Smith's slides of her visit to Italy as well as hearing a report about living conditions in the Maldive Islands.
Museum Association members were fascinated on Friday by Ralph Wood's illustrated talk on Sussex churches. Instead of talking about local ecclesiastical architecture in general, he concentrated on the places where it went wrong, and there were horror pictures of sliding slabs of lead, faulty guttering, stone that had been "too long out of the quarry", rusted nails endangering an entire roof, buttresses that no longer buttressed and wall-paintings with several layers of decoration sandwiched between coats of limewash. Speaking as an architect with long experi¬ence of working on Kent and Sussex churches, Mr. Wood went into detail about some which had special problems. East Guldeford, for instance - restored internally a few years ago, the outer walls were in desperate straits and the new work was made more difficult because the original fifteenth-century bricks were seconds imported as ballast from across the Channel, and the Guestling brickworks had a real challenge to match the assorted colours. We could have done with a lot more of this; what about a similar talk on the problems of older houses?
Coming before Monday's Housing Committee was a report which includes a reference to the replacement window programme for King's Avenue - 50 dwellings. Somewhat unexpectedly, the contractors are the North Hertfordshire District Council! The work should have started already and is due to finish by 14 December, and will cost just over £25,000; these are the windows which are currently stored in the old Council Offices in Ferry Road.
6.
Rye Town Council took an unusual, not to say historic, step on Monday (12th), when councillors disrobed so that the meeting ceased to be a formal one and members of the public could speak. Councillors normally disrobe - this refers, of course, only to their official fur-trimmed gowns! - before discussing any confidential (Part II) matters on an agenda, but we don't think it has been done before in order to convert to an open meeting? Perhaps it will create a precedent - which might mean that more residents would sit in on Council meetings.
Most of the 18 non-councillors were present on behalf of the Chamber of Trade, which is taking a strong interest in. the Council's latest parking proposals. At the special meeting the previous week, a sub-committee consisting of Councillors Osma Jones, Hilda Nelson-Barrett, Ed Wiseman, Frank Palmer and James Menhinick had been set up to examine "the possibility of the reduction of street parking to improve the environment and to make the town more pleasant for the ratepayers".
But after Monday's discussion, this brief was broadened to include off-street parking together with arrangements for tourist and commercial traffic. The Council feels, says the Town Clerk, that this is a good time to look at parking as a whole in view of current planning applications (GAZETTE no. 106).
Alan Webb points out that there must be a certain amount of give-and-take and even bending of rules if parking in Rye is to work at all. He notices that when FSCC representatives come to Town Hall events they all park in the >Market Street, East Street and Lion Street area. He adds, with a twinkle, that the anti-car lobby could achieve their wicked way quite easily with the High Street: "Building societies need no heavy lorries, their products can easily be carried in pockets. Their customers do not need to bring their cars into the town to carry goods away. Is this" (he adds) "what we really want?"
The Tomb family were all quite mad. So, at the end of last week, were the Staff Players of Thomas Peacocke School, when a cast of eleven presented Norman Robbins' "A Tomb with a View", full of ingenious twists of plot and well-taken opportunities for going over the top. Perhaps the prime example of this was Brian Creese, Head of English and appropriately cast as Marcus, the brother who lived up to his name going about in a toga declaiming appropriate gobbets from "Julius Caesar" and responding to a forum-full that only he could see. Michael White and Chris Rose were convenient look-alikes and excellent performers as the other two (visible) brothers, while a mournful Barry Fuller howled in the cellarage as the fourth. -, Faye Wright twittered delightfully as a little old poisoner; Wendy Jasper, the other sister, was a revelation as a nymphomaniac. One could quite see why the locals never went near Monument House.
If Ray Fooks had not gone into teaching, he would have made a superb butler; as it was, he made a superbly deranged one, carrying an outsize bloodstained hatchet to announce that dinner was served. Equally eccentric - and quite unrecognisible as John Stewart - was the bent (in every sense) old family solicitor; his ally Sue Briggs - inserted into the household as Marcus's nurse - fooled us all and nearly got away with it. There was a will, a secret passage, lost millions, a poisoned apple (which allowed Chris Rose a memorable death-agony) - all the trimmings; and into this madhouse were lured two outsiders, Fran Paintin as a literary agent, disguised as a romantic novelist to shield the identity of the real romantic novelist Martin Estall, in turn disguised as her secretary. At the end, with nine (possibly ten) bodies littered around the house (not counting those buried in the rose garden) the romantic novelist was being led upstairs by the nymphomaniac sister...
All great fun, and much enjoyed by the audience. Gil Wright directed; backstage were Martin Blincow, Paul Martin, Rosemary Crouch, Bryan Atkins, Mike Surman, the Art Department, Pat Bean and the school's stage crew. A great many people will be looking forward to next year's production.
After some unforeseen problems, work really is about to start on the final stage of the "disabled toilet" - well, what do you call it? - at the Community Centre. If all goes well, says chairman Brian Chapman, it might even be a Christmas box for the Centre - and then the door for so long marked "This door not fixed" finally will be!
New Lifeboat Secretary John Barnard and the Mayor of Rye read the lessons at the Lifeboat Memorial Service at Rye Harbour Church on Sunday; preacher was Canon David Maundrell. As usual the congregation included representatives of the British Legion, the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance Brigade, and coastguard and lifeboat stations in the area. Of course our own lifeboatmen were present, as were relatives of those drowned; Bill Head read out the Roll of Honour. Also there were some of the Rye Harbour lady supporters of the lifeboat, who have quietly raised some £500 over the summer with coffee evenings and sales.
Rye Town Council has now filled the Town Model job about which we wrote some weeks ago. Successful applicant is Laurie Suker of Fottingfield Road, with back-up on the technical side from J. Crawshaw of Winchelsea Beach.
Friends of Mrs. Violet Stoodley of Udimore Road were delighted to see her on TVS A Monday evening. Mrs. Stoodley had been nominated for one of Air Mail's bouquets by more than 90 "breakers"; she is known to the local CB network as "Mother's Pride" - and has not been too well lately; her son Ringo tells us that the presentation was a complete surprise and gave her and the family much pleasure.
Tam Dalyell's political meeting on Wednesday was, we are told, very well attended, with the Town Hall full and the audience overflowing into the foyer, and lively questions and discussion. It so happened that Mr. Dalyell was appearing on the (recorded) BB":, programme Brass Tacks at exactly the same time as he was speaking in Rye, but fortunately his hosts for the night had a video so he and they watched the programme together after the meeting.
Mrs. Mary Lulham of "Contacts in Britain" tells us that a Belgian girl who has been working in Hythe is arranging to stay in Rye over the Christmas holidays. Her hostess will herself be working part of the time, and would be glad to find an occupation for her young guest. Sonia is a teacher of French, and we thought she might find a welcome doing a spot of coaching? Anyway, ring Mrs. Lulham for details.
The Town Hall gates are back as promised, and (by the time you read this) painted. But while they were away, the Town Sergeant was not pleased to find on two occasions dogs messes in the corner of the courtyard. Presumably these were offerings from dogs allowed to run loose in the town; if dog licences go up, shall we have a Dog Warden?
People who were kind enough to present their elderly bikes to Thomas Peacocke School for the City & Guilds class which started in September will like to know that work is indeed in progress. The group is only timetabled for three half-hour sessions a week, and so far they have been working together on stripping down one bike and rebuilding it. Now they will divide into pairs, each pair working on a bike, and they hope by the end of this term to have something to show - and perhaps to sell. If, in the New Year, you will be needing a second-hand bike, leave a message at the school office for Mr. Turner saying what you want, and he will let you know whether they have one coming up which might suit you. And they could still do with a few more "corpses" or even just odd spares for cannibalising. Bike repairing is a subject about which Mr. Turner finds many of the group already know a great deal - sometimes learnt the hard way!
An accident on Rye Hill on Tuesday evening (13th) involved Mr. Jack Mathews of Leasam Lane, and a Wittersham motorcyclist who was taken to RESH with leg injuries.
Yet another outboard motor has been stolen, this time a Yamaha worth £200 from moorings at Alsfords Wharf between 21 October and 11 November. Otherwise, the press book shows still more burglaries in the villages.
Thursday, 22nd Thrift Shop, Red Cross, 10.30 to 4 (and Friday and Saturday) National Trust sales table for Trust goods, George, 9.30 to 12.30 Local history group meeting, Library, 7.30
Friday, 23rd TES PTA Fashion Extravaganza, Upper School, 7.30 (GAZETTE no.107) - some tickets still available from the shops taking part Natural History Society, "Flowers of the Mediterranean Limestone" (David Lang), FEC, 7.30
Saturday, 24th Scouts Christmas Fair, Scout Hut, 10.30 to 12
Craft Market, FEC, 11 to 5
Old Scholars Association annual dinner, Hope Anchor
"Godspell" (St. John's Players), Upper School, 7.30 (GTTE.no.107)
Monday, 26th WRVS Luncheon Club, CC, 12.30
Community Centre Association AGM, CC, 7.30
Wednesday, 28th Over-60s Club, Red Cross, 1.45
• Congratulations to Jane and Geoffrey Finn-Kelcey of Udimore on the birth of their son, Jack, a brother for Thomas and Laura, a seventh grandchild for Joan Parkes of Bridge Place, and an eighth for Mr. and Mrs. Tom Finn-Kelcey of Cadborough Cliff.
• Birthday greetings to Mrs. Florence Jones, of 93 High Street, who will be 90 next Monday (26th)...
• ... and. to Simon Bowler, of Fair Meadow, who was 18 on 4 November (his sister Jane was 15 the same day).
• The Library will be closed from Tuesday, 27th to Friday, 30th inclusive, for reclassification of the books.
• Mrs. Pat Baker has a Gestetner duplicator (hand version) which she would be happy to present to a good cause which needs one; contact her on Rye 223160.
• Work at Rother on preparing the 1985/6 Register of Electors is nearing completion, and the draft registers will be published on 28 November. They will then be available at post offices, libraries and council offices until 16 December for people to check their entries. If you are not on the Register you have no vote, either in Parliamentary or local elections, so do check.
• The Post Office is once again making a Christmas offer with Christmas-card postage in mind: books of 20 second-class Christmas stamps for £1.30 instead of the full price of £1.60 (only two books per purchase). They should now t available at both Rye and Cadborough post offices.
• Rye Dance Centre presents its annual "Showbiz" at Thomas Peacocke Upper School >on Friday and Saturday, 30 November and 1 December, at 7.30. Tickets will be available from this weekend at the North Kent Building Society in the High Street (g1.50 for adults, £1 for children and OAPs if booked in advance, plus an extra 25p in each case for those taking their chance at the door).
• Several complaints have reached. the GAZETTE about the very stiff doors on two of the new Station Approach phone boxes. One chivalrous reader reported that he had twice "rescued" elderly ladies who couldn't get out under their own power! We passed this on to British Telecom (it's no good complaining to the Post Office, it's not their problem now) who have promised to do something about it.
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office, and published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 2 Cyprus Place, 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; some spare copies of the current issue are available at Squirrels, 9-13 Cinque Ports Street, and back numbers can be obtained from Cyprus Place.
(Copyright Mary Owen 1984)