The St. Michael's Hospice fund-raisers, who had been hoping to open their charity shop in Rye early next month, have had a bitter disappointment. Negotiations to rent the Dawn Rose babywear shop (closing at the end of this week) in Patrick Osborne's Cinque Ports Street terrace have fallen through at the very last moment.
Valerie Osborne tells us that she and her husband, as landlords, were not aware of the identity of the prospective tenant until the sale of the lease was almost completed (the seller, of course, was the outgoing tenant). They just do not feel, she said, that a shop of that type would be right for the terrace; in her view, the High Street would be a more suitable location for it. One of their present tenants has also objected. The Osbornes have therefore felt unable to approve the sale of the lease.
Joy Mockett, the local Hospice Appeal organiser, had recruited 38 helpers for the new shop, and everyone was looking forward to its opening. The idea was ;hat all items for sale handed in here would go back to the central depot in Hastings for assessment and pricing, and could appear on the rails there while Hastings goods might come over to Rye; as other shops opened, the exchange network could be widened so that each would have a good and changing selection. The window-dressing in the Hastings shop, Joy tells us, is superb. The Hospice team is now looking urgently for a new Rye base, and Bob Hodgson would be very glad to hear from anyone who can help - ring in the evening.
Ken Warren's letter to the General Manager of British Rail (South) about the supermarket delay has borne some very satisfactory fruit. A meeting just before Easter between the various legal advisers has resulted in all but the most minor loose ends being tied up, and Mr. Walker of Ward Construction tells us that the whole atmosphere is suddenly one of optimism. He confidently expects that the legal formalities will now be completed in mid-May, and if so work will start on the new railway car park during the second half of June. Once work does begin, there will be no hanging about, since they will be working to a firm date for the completion and handing-over of the whole development.
On 7 April ESCC opened a campaign to get people to dump unwanted medicines at their nearest chemist's, so that they can be safely disposed of. The press release from Lewes arrived too late for last week's GAZETTE, so we are urging readers to look now in their medicine cabinets and take anything they no longer need to Boots or Horrell's - since the "Dump" campaign ends on Saturday.
The poster also mentions "poisons"; in the absence of Borgia representation round here, this presumably refers to garden pesticides and the like. So it would be worth taking them along too - much better than pouring them down the loo and corrupting the sewage works!
Rye Dance Centre made an excellent showing in its very first appearance at the Hastings Musical Festival last month. Joanne Haviland (Mrs. Fletcher) and Michelle Paine were awarded the Renee Bailey Cup for their first-place performanc in the non-classical duet class, and a 13-strong group (including one boy) gained Honours in the over-12 non-classical class. Tracy Cronshaw earned second place in the Song •n Dance (6-9) class, and also gained two Merit certificates. Merit certificates also went to JaneCuthbert, Debbie Peatfield, Julia Smith and Michelle Paine. Miss.Haviland feels sure that the experience gained this year will lead to even better results next year, when she hopes to be able to enter more pupils; she is grateful to the pupils who were brave enough to face the challenge of a first solo performance on the White Rock stage - and also for the co-operation of their parents.
2.
Mr. Jack Wickersham, of New Winchelsea Road, died on 11 April after a long illness; he was 81. He and his wife Bessie (nee Watson) both came from local families, and were married in St. Mary's in November 1933. Before their wedding they were able to watch their house being built by Mr. Ashenden, and they were the first couple to move into New Winchelsea Road. Mr. Wickersham worked for the railway for more than half a century, and for a further 14 years he was employed by Weslakes in Harbour Road. He is survived by his widow, and by his sister Olive, of Mason Road. His only son Michael died six years ago, but there are four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Mr. Wickersham will be much missed by his friends, for his cheery outlook and helping hand, and perhaps particularly by the small children of whom he was so fond - they will remember him as the man who used to push his shopping home on his ancient bike. The funeral will take place at St. Mary's tomorrow (Thursday) at 2.30, followed by burial in Rye Cemetery. Donations in memory may be sent to Rye Hospital.
Mr. Alec Bourne of Cyprus Place would like to thank all those who sent flowers, and messages of sympathy on the death of his wife Margaret.
Roger, Amy and Joanne Breeds are now back in Rye after an extremely concentrated transatlantic vacation. A whirlwind Greyhound coach tour of "the north-east highlights" was preceded by three nights in New York; back in the Big Apple after seeing Niagara, Washington and a great deal more, the family were collected by friends from Rye NY (present at Roger's Mayoring last year) and taken off to be feted. Our sister City did them proud. Roger was given the key of the City, 2 April was declared "Roger Breeds Day", he attended a meeting of their Town Council and addressed the Sunday morning congregation from the pulpit. Other diversions included official dinners, a visit to the Fire Station and a fire-engine ride to his next date at the Police Station; a tour of the local school for Joanne; ice-creams at an old-style pharmacy, a visit to the amazing General Foods building, and a day out at West Point (arranged by a friend of Ken Warren's). The church service was different in form to ours, and the preacher asked people who had birthdays that week to stand up, then people who had wedding anniversaries (Roger and Amy rose to their feet), and then people who had been to Rye, England - and to the Breeds' immense surprise, half the congregation stood. Local paper cuttings make it clear that the visit was a great success - they also reveal that Rye NY has a parking problem too: The final treat was by courtesy of a Rye NY resident who happens to be the General Manager of the New York Hilton - two nights' free accommodation in the utmost luxury, followed by a ride to the airport in the hotel's Cadillac (30' long, Roger told us!). They got home on Wednesday morning - and kindly allowed Joanne to have Wednesday afternoon off scho£ol...
Vidler & Co's April sale looked from the catalogue to be a fairly average example of the monthly mix of antique and modern furniture and household goods which so many people look forward to. But some surprisingly high prices were reached, and not only for the obvious lots. "A large quantity of animal, church, sculp- ture and art books, novels and paperbacks" sold for £250, with another mixed selection of books going for the same price later on. A 4'6" divan fetched £110 and a 6'3" settee E140 - and all these four lots were in the less prestigious upstairs saleroom. Downstairs, two modern settees went for £115 and L140, and a small mahogany filing cabinet for £130. Antique and reproduction furniture also sold well, top price of £550 going to a C19 oak bureau; a set of only five early C19 dining chairs went for 0440, while four Victorian carved oak chairs cost someone £190. Just the case for a long-case clock sold for 2140, a brass-bound mahogany writing-box fetched £110, and there was great interest in a 3' Regency card-table which sold for £420. Nine or ten other lots sold in the 2100-€200 price range - which all goes to show that the Cinque Ports Street saleroom is always worth a visit on the first Friday in the month (viewing also on the Thursday afternoon).
- 3 - THE RYE GAZETTE, 16 April 19,36
The current planning list has some interesting applications for the centre of the town. At 79 High Street (the little bric-a-brac shop next door to Rayners), Mrs. Hayes is applying to put in a shop window and door to replace the present house-type ones. The plans show a shallow bow window with 12 small panes, and a door to match; the fascia reads "Bow Antiques", and the paintwork would be white and black with gold lettering.
In Market Road, Mr. and Mrs. Beattie at Novens want to infill the space between them and the Boots back entrance with a two-storey flat-roofed building in brick to match the present shop and a matching first-floor window; downstairs would form an extension to the shop, with a shop window and an additional door leading to a staircase serving a new flat over the whole premises.
Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins at the Saltings Hotel are applying to build a pair of three-storey houses in the corner of the hotel car park nearest the Monastery. Each would have a garage, utility room and one bedroom on the ground floor; a kitchen/ dining room and living room on the first floor; and two bedrooms and a bathroomon top. The plan shows a paved surround, with space for a further car to be parked outside each garage; there are also 16 car spaces shown in the remaining part of the car park.
kt last there looks like being some action over Quarter Bell in Lion Street, which has been looking so decayed for so long (Burnhams have been doing a great deal of work to the flat over the shop, but it is of course the shop itself, with piles of junk lying about, which people notice, and we are glad to say that the owner's London shopfitters are likely to be moving in within a short time now). The owner is a Mr. Gard, from Kenley in Surrey, and his planning application is for repainting the front elevation.- all the woodwork at ground level to be in the same very dark green as the Ironmongers Extraordinary, with the walls and upstairs windows (and new window-boxes) white. The fascia lettering will read "Present Company", which can only confirm the depressing rumours about yet another gift shop, and there would be a detachable advertising board on the wall between the two windows as well as the existing (but repainted) hanging sign.
People who want to inspect the plans will find them in the Council offices, plus those of another application for an extension to 101 Winchelsea Road.
Phil Martin, Rye's champion sea-angler, appeared on TVS last week when they ran a half-hour programme about the finals of the TVS Fishing Competition held innIceland in September. We saw him - the senior competitor - holding his 321b cod, the biggest fish of the match; and also, apparently unworried, riding one of the chunky little Iceland ponies lent to the finalists when they were taken a tour inland in the course of the visit. (See GAZETTE no. 146 for details.)
This week's local TV star is Richard Waters, eldest son of Bernard and Jeffery of the dairy. He and his coaster, the Carrick, are featured in "A Passage to Wisbech", BBC2's Forty Minutes programme tomorrow evening (Thursday) at 9.30.
The footbridge over the River Brede at the end of Harbour Road was finally slung into place by its special crane on Thursday morning - but not until after 8 am, when a police car finally turned up to close the road. The delay (the original time for the closure had been 7.15) was due to a police search for a missing person - naturally more important, though we doubt whether the five semi-frozen ESCC workmen hanging about in Harbour Road all that time would have agreed: The framework was concreted into place later on Thursday, and the work was due to be completed on Monday.
Ralph Olesen tells us that the construction of the footpath from the bridge to the main road may be delayed because of the recent planning application for the garage site (GAZETTE no. 169); it might now be possible to make a more elaborate alteration to the junction if land could be acquired. They would therefore be reluctant to construct a permanent footpath at present, though it should be possible to lay a temporary one.
4.
It was 40 years ago in March that Stanley and Winifred Shepherd, now of Rope Walk, were married in her home town of Bexhill; she had been a land-girl during the war, and he had served with the Royal Berkshire Regiment. When Mr. Shepherd came out of the army, he joined the police force, and was posted to Battle, Brede and finally Rye, where he joined the station as a sergeant. He retired after 25 years in the force, worked for a time in the front office at the police station, then became caretaker at Tilling Green School and finally had a job at Rye Tennis Club (some people just never retire!). The family had agreed to celebrate the Ruby Wedding a few weeks late - just as well in view of the March weather - and on Saturday the Rope Walk house was packed with guests for a party arranged by the Shepherds' daughter Susan and second son Ian. Included were Susan's 18-month-old baby Samantha and her teenage stepson - they now live at Hoo-in Kent, and Susan's KCC office is desperate to lure her back to work, even offering to make minding arrangements for the baby!
Andrew's family now consists of Sarah, 5, and Nicholas, 2; when he left TPS as head boy (he is now 32) he went straight into Barclays Bank, trained at Croydon (and now himself gives training lectures to staff), spent some years at the Lombard Street offices, and just before Christmas was appointed manager at Sloane Square - a big and important branch with five senior staff!
Ian and Neil are still home-based, but Ian (after being off work for a long time as a result of an accident on board a tanker) is now back at sea and working for Horizon Exploration, a maritime survey company; he is liable to be sent off anywhere in the world, wherever the work happens to be. Neil joined Alsfords when he left TPS, and has been posted to several of the big timber firm's branches; he is now at the Silverhill one, and his prospects with the firm are clearly very encouraging.
Conrad Festing, of 11 High Street, has sent the GAZETTE a letter about the bypass which takes a wider view of the problem than we are capable of. It is too long to print, but we have sent copies where they will do most good: to the Town Council Planning Committee and the Conservation Society, both of which are preparing reports on the situation and have found Mr. Festing's observations extremely helpful. Among the points which he makes is that what looks like "an innocent two-lane single-carriageway road at the present" is nonetheless part of the Folkestone-Honiton trunk road; in other places this has four or even six lanes now. "As traffic grows, there will be increasing pressure to widen our road. "By the mid-nineties, we may have four or six lanes of 70-mile an-hour traffic passing where the station is now."
"Let us not relax our vigilance" he concludes. "We have to have our roads, we also are responsible to future generations for leaving the environment in the best possible condition for them to use and enjoy. Let us not make bad decisions now on the grounds of expediency. I suspect the present route is a bad one and that any Winchelsea bypass should leave space to pass around Rye at a range of one or two miles to either the north or the south."
Sir Brian Batsford has been looking at the map. The railway route selected for Winchelsea, he points out, runs a good mile into Rye parish, so surely Rye must be consulted on this invasion into our territory? How can they call it a Winchelsea bypass when a large part of it is in Rye?
Ruth and Ernest Thompson, whose Old Vicarage guest-house in Church Square is usefully written up in the Property for Sale pages of the Sussex Express, have no intention of leaving Rye; they are merely giving up - anyway for the time being - running a guest-house. They may, instead, find themselves running a four-poster-bed factory; and in view of the awards which the guest-house earned during its brief existence, it seems perfectly possible that the factory could bring a queen's Award to Industry here in no time at all!
• Sixty-eight Monday Club members and nine guests celebrated the Club's twentieth birthday on 7 April with a very 'enjoyable party. Mrs. Catherine Williams had iced the birthday cake, and there-was a special extra cake for one of the members whose birthday it also was. A delicious tea was provided by the committee and laid out in the morning; Inner Wheel members came in the afternoon to serve it and wash up, so that the committee members could relax and enjoy the party. They are also grateful to Mr. Ball from Rye Harbour, who played the piano and led the sing-song, and to Mr. Howard, Mr. Newman and Ellis Bros for transporting the Methodist Hall tables to the clinic.
• Last year the Rye Majorettes gave £350 to Rye Mencap, to enable the group to take a party to Butlins at Easter. Vickie Piper tells us that the minibus carried 9 children aged between 8 and 16, plus five adult helpers, down to Bognor, where there was a special music-based four-day holiday. They had a lovely time. The children really enjoyed the different types of music - rock-and-roll, country-and-western, The Lot - and a disco every night. There were a few other mentally handicapped children there with their families, but Rye was the only party, and everyone was so nice to them, says Vickie. Will they be able to go again next year? With alacrity, we gather - if someone will find another £350-plus (or if..Rother had allowed them their flag-day!)
• Mrs. P. Wells, of Peasmarsh, was the holder of the lucky ticket which won top prize of £100 in the Mencap Spring Draw made at the dance at Thomas Peacocke School on Friday. The Mayor and Mayoress made the draw for the 36 prizes, and Lady Luck's winners were spread widely round the area. Second prize, a portable TV, went to Mrs. England of Rye Post Office. Mrs. Piper and her committee are truly grateful to the local traders and others who were so very generous in 'providing the raffle prizes.
• Rye WI opened the April meeting on Wednesday to guests and the general public, and were rewarded by an excellent attendance to hear, see and smell a demonstration of potato cookery. By the time the girl from the Potato Marketing Board had completed (on a portable two-ring cooker) her sixth dish, we were all inhaling like Bisto kids; and there was much grinding of envious teeth as the raffle winners queued to take home the results of her labours. Most of the 52 members must have been present, but for the benefit of those who weren't we mention the coach outing to London on 7 June (3.50) and the WI Summer Fair on 19 July.
The Apothecary's Shop is now fragrant with pot-pourri, its windows and planning-protected shop-fittings crammed with small pretty toiletries. Everything is small-scale, to suit the shop (not an easy one to fit out); it is an offshoot of Penny Royal, and Steve Denny has stretched his "toiletries" to include such things as elaborate candles, a shelf of glass scent-bottles and other goods which may or may not have been sold there when the corner shop was actually the local apothecary's establishment. Anyway, the whole effect is charming, and a great improvement on the departed house-agent.
Next door, the James Kimber hairdressing salon has changed hands. The new owner is Simon Harris, who already has salons in Bexley and St. Leonards; he is still making plans for his new acquisition, but he assures us that there will be no staff changes.
A gift shop, Just Us, has replaced the lamented Rye Fashions.
Nothing is happening still at Rye Havana, which looks just as unloved now as it did a year ago. Ex-Dewhursts is still empty, though the agents tell us that there may well be news in a few weeks' time. At the ex-Cyma shop at the top of the Mint, Ellis Bros are putting in a new shopfront, and having a major sort-out behind it. The last tenant's lease had expired, so in theory it is anyone's guess what will happen there - but we don't doubt that all the guesses will be identical, even if (with luck) they eventually turn out to be wrong!
6.
Rye Museum Association members turned out in force for the AGM at the Town Hall on Friday, to hear a very satisfactory financial statement presented by the Hon. Treasurer, Ed Gibson. Almost 33,000 people visited the Museum in 1985, some 7,000 more than in 1984, and there was an operating surplus of £5,000 on the year with a further £4,000 coming in from investment income. Some of this is being put aside in a special contingency fund, out of which it would be possible to pay a part-time curator when Mr. Bagley retires (it seems clear that the curator which Rother is providing for the Bexhill Museum will have no time for Rye on any regular basis).
New chairman of the Association is Eric Le Fevre; Jo Kirkham moves over to the vice-chairman's seat. Jim Simpson joins the committee, and Carol Farrow has been appointed as part-time secretary. It was decided that the present £2 subscription should continue, with members paying 50p for each talk attended; there would be three talks next winter, plus summer outings and a wine-and-cheese party on 4 December (details in the GAZETTE in due course).
In his Curator's Report, Mr. Bagley spoke of the difficulties of having repair work done on the roof of the Women's Tower when the inside is so congested with stored material (the Museum can only display about one-third of its possessions at any one time). There was still a considerable problem with water inside the main building, but Ed Gibson and Frank Palmer had devised a very low-tech drainage arrangement which combined with the high-tech humidifier to keep the exhibits dry. Without their help, and that of Rosemary Bagley, Alma Fabes and Daphne Wood who make up the cleaning team, and Arthur Roper and Graham Watson who look after the garden, the Museum would never achieve the sparkle so often remarked on by visitors.
The business of the meeting was followed by a showing of some of the slides which Mr. Bagley will be using in his forthcoming book about Romney Marsh.
Rye Town Council will be starting its administrative year with a different committee system. Prompted by the discovery that the purchase of two dusters for the Town Model had to be approved by full Council - or so he tells us! - James Menhinick felt that committees should be able to budget for their requirements over the year and then be responsible for sticking to their budgets. It was also clear that the administration of the very successful Model was taking up an unreasonable proportion of the Leisure & Tourism Committee's time.
The new structure will have six committees. The duties of the Bequests and the Planning Committees will remain unchanged. The Leisure & Tourism Committee will be responsible for keeping an eye on what Rather and ESCC ought to be doing wish regard to open spaces and traffic management, and on tourist matters in general. The new Outside Activities Committee will be responsible for the Town Model and any other commercial activities (perhaps on the Freda Gardham field). The General Purposes Committee will deal with buildings, equipment and furnishings; all election business and other appointments, and everything else not covered by the other committees - including (Heaven help them!) noise, litter and parking.
The senior committee, Policy & Resources, will consist of the chairmen of the other five committees plus two other councillors. It will be "responsible for guiding the Council in the formation of plans, objectives and priorities, advise as to financial and economic policies, be responsible for concentrating manpower sources of the Council, monitor standards of service provided, identify need for new services and keep under review necessity for existing ones."
Each committee will have between 6 and 9 members, who will be appointed every year so that councillors can change if they wish. Councillors have now been asked to list the committees on which they do and do not wish to serve; when the 16 lists are in, poor Mrs. Scammell will have the fearful task of trying to please everyone!
7.
The minutes of a recent meeting of the Town Council's planning committee list the various parking restrictions for which the Council has asked ESCC Highways Department. Since the list has already gone to Lewes, anyone wanting to object should write direct to the County Engineer (Phoenix Causeway, Lewes). The Council appears to have dropped its controversial proposals to ban all parking and middle-day unloading inside the Town Wall (GAZETTE nos. 116 and 118); and it certainly does not follow that because the listed restrictions have been asked for, they will necessarily be put into force - not in our lifetime, anyhow:
The Council would like to see: double yellow lines on both sides of Ferry Road from Banister's Corner to the level crossing; double yellow lines on the north side of the High Street from Hilder's Cliff to Market Road; double yellow lines the whole length of Wish Street, both sides; double yellow lines at the entrance to the Tilling Green Estate extended as far as Cooper Road; single yellow lines extended for 25 yards uphill of the Udimore Road S-bend.
Also: a boxed junction where Military Road meets the bottom of Rye Hill, with no parking on either side of the junction, as far as the Globe steps; pedestrian crossings at the foot of the Hilder's Cliff ramp and opposite Freda Gardham School; improvements to the directions signs in Fishmarket Road and Ferry Road; no parking on the A259 beside the Strand Quay warehouses between March and September; and a reduction of the number of parking spaces on the town side of The Strand between no. 5 (the modern terrace) and the Mermaid Street junction, and other alterations to the lines at the junction where the anchor stands.
Last week we recorded the very successful visit to the Museum by a blind couple. Ed Gibson, who later took them round St. Mary's (and up the tower, at their suggestion) has now had a charming letter from Woking thanking him and the Museum staff, and saying how very much they enjoyed their weekend. They stayed at the queen Adelaide, Mr. Wrate tells us, and he and his wife were immensely impressed by their independence and enterprise. They were going on to Winchelsea, walking along the beach road from the Harbour.
Could this perhaps herald something unusual by way of tourism - one weekend each spring or autumn when the town offers a special welcome to blind visitors, with volunteer help in hotels and guest houses if required, in the shops and perhaps at the station - a special Town Model showing with extra commentary - possibly the Town Plate on "view" with permission to touch (under Gus Gale's supervision) ..ge and the willing co-operation of Museum, Church and other helpers?
Late citizens
It's a long story, but we have been sent a birth certificate for Thomas Aaron Edwards, born to Stephen and Hannah (nee Richardson) Edwards on 3 May 1852 in Northiam, where Stephen was a shoemaker. If any family historian would like this, the owner (also called Edwards, but not from the same branch of the family) would be glad for us to find it a good home.
James Menhinick sends us an obituary notice from the Times recording the career of Mr. F.W. Beney, CBE, QC. He was a distinguished lawyer and - at 102 – the oldest living QC. "In 1942" says the notice "he was appointed Recorder of Rye." In 1944 he became Recorder of Norwich, so presumably he gave up the Rye Recordership (whatever that was) after two years. Would anyone like to throw any light on this?
What used to be the East Sussex News, published on Thursdays, has now become the Rye, Battle & District News and appears in the town on Wednesdays, though the official publication date is still Thursday and many households do not get it delivered until then. This gives possible grounds for confusion. If you pick up a copy in the town on Wednesday, you must allow for the fact that a reference to "yesterday" or "today" really means "today" or "tomorrow"; if, on the other hand, you are reading the paper on Thursday, then "yesterday" or "today" means what it says!
Red Cross, 10.30 to 4 (and Friday, Saturday)
Rye Putting League AGM, queen's Head, 8
Rye Playgroup coffee morning, Ferry Road, 10
Women's British Legion sell roses for St. George's Day (and coffee, bric-a-brac, DMI goods), Town Hall foyer, IC
Craft Market, FEC, 11 to 5
Scouts jumble sale, Scout Hut, 1.30'
Model Exhibition, Upper School, 2 (GAZETTE no. 172)
St. George's Day parade and service, St. Mary's, 10.30. Easter Offering Dedication Service, Methodist Church, 11 Theatre Organ Club concert on the Upper School Wurlitzer, 3 (with Bobby Pagan, Michael Wooldridge, and Frank on drums) - admission E2, refreshments.
• The start of the new Mapp & Lucia series has been altered yet again: not 19 April but 3 May, Channel 4, 9pm.
• Confusion on the railways at both ends of our own line on Sunday; check first:
• A reminder that the A259 will be closed in East Guldeford for up to five day - from 8 am on Monday (21st) - details were given in GAZETTEno. 171. The following week is when the Gas Board will be digging up Market Road (no. 172).
• Freight Express-S-eacon have a couple of charts in their Lion Street windows which are worth looking at; they show the Channel (plus of.course its coastlines) and the navigation lanes that are the means of preventing Torrey Canyon pile-ups off Dungeness.
• At the Round Table AGM at the Saltings last week, Frank May of Bennett's was elected chairman, with Alan Deeprose of Russell's Garage as vice-chairman and also Carnival chairman. Jim Wood of Tower Forge House is the secretary.
• At the house auction held by Geering and Colyer on Wednesday, Gardenside in Watchbell Street failed to reach its reserve and is now back on the market. 10 High Street was sold privately prior to auction.
• It is nice to see the Town Hall noticeboard back in place, looking very smart, having been repaired by a carpenter in.Fairlight (a contact of John Baker's) after a lorry damaged it a year ago. In future, notices of Council meetings will be displayed there so that they can be studied when the foyer is locked.
• Condolences to Mrs. Spiers, of Trader's Passage, who on Saturday night had two miniature rose bushes stolen from the pots beside her front door; over Christmas her little fig tree, complete with its pot, was hurled over the cliff to smash on the garage forecourt below. The residents do try to keep Trader's Passage attractive, and this sort of thing (and the lane's use as a dogs' lavatory) really doesn't help.
• GAZETTE readers who also take the Daily Telegraph might like to browse through the column of "Loyal Greetings" on Monday, the Queen's sixtieth birthday...
• Finally, we feel very guilty about rather mean coverage in the paper for some recent events. There is just too much local material for our eight pages, particularly as regards planning. Extra pages would mean technical difficulties and another price rise. Nearly everything gets in eventually, but it is a worry, and one for which we can see no real solution. Sorry!
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office, published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 2 Cyprus Place, Rye, TN31 7DR (0797 P303), and printed by Cinque Ports Stationers of Rye. News items for inclusion are always welcome deadline Monday afternoon (Tuesday 9 am at latest, and only for real emergencies). The GAZETTE costs 30p weekly, and is delivered to subscribers and pick-up points on Wednesday. A few spare copies are available from Squirrels, 9-13 Cinque Ports Street, and back numbers from Cyprus Place. (Copyright Mary Owen 1986)