No-one who knows the flat land bordering the Tillingham will be in the. least surprised to learn that Rother's plan to start work on the Magdala House site in September has had a set-back. Recently, passers-by watched fascinated as a small rig in the old garden bored down into the subsoil to test for the foundations - and brought up only a steady flow of liquid black mud. Since it sank unimpeded for its full reach of 15m, the engineers then had to bring in a larger model, with a 30m (almost 100ft) reach. This of course delayed matters, and in a report to the Housing Committee on Monday the Chief Technical & Environmental Services Officer said he was hoping to hear from the engineers in the course of this week - which would mean, in effect, that work could begin in October "subject to the receipt of a satisfactory recommendation for the foundation design". And if the recommendation is not satisfactory? Mr. Clarke's report doesn't say.
Magdala House was attached to Magdala Terrace and stood on the extreme edge of the site away from the river. It was built by James Coleman Vidler in about 1870 - three storeys high, but surprisingly narrow, with the rest of the land given over to the usual outbuildings of a gentleman's establishment, and gardens which ran down to the Tillingham. (When the house was demolished early in 1985 a small cellar was visible under the front room - too low for domestic use, and probably built simply to keep the main house clear of the damp ground. It begins to look as if Vidler, building right up in one corner of a very large site, knew something which Rother didn't!) Since the war there has been a certain amount of new building on the site (the rates office, the clinic and the Civil Defence hut) - but all of it single-storey.
As soon as the plans came out and it was clear what a big building Rother had in mind, at least one local resident wrote to warn them that the ground was unlikely to support the weight. The plans, readers will remember, went through quickly - because, as the Planning Officer told the GAZETTE, all the preliminary work had already been done. But not quite all, evidently...
If the engineers' report turns out not to be satisfactory, one solution might be to make the building a two-storey one (to lessen the weight). Either the number of flatlets would have to be reduced from the proposed 14 (plus two for wardens) - or the plans could be redrawn leaving out the controversial day-centre area entirely and putting the displaced flats there instead. Our Day Centre could then stay in its quite convenient present quarters until a more suitable site (or building) came on the market - and room might be found at Ferry Road for a small garden for the residents, at present not provided.
Could it be that Rye's native soil is trying to tell Rather something?
On Monday morning the Chamber of Trade grapevine went live: two men stole £700-worth of jewellery from Woolgars, and made an unsuccessful attempt to do the same at Rye Goldsmiths. The men asked Linda Gilfin at Woolgars to put a battery in a watch, and when she left the showroom to do so they took the goods and departed; by the time she realised what had happened, and had locked up and gone after them, they had vanished. Miss Gilfin ran to warn Sally Todd at Rye Goldsmiths - they had already tried the same trick there, but Sally, with a feeling that something was wrong, had told them she didn't have that type of battery. Linda toured the town in a police car, but the thieves were lying low: two men, both white and aged about 35 - one 5'10", slim built, with dark hair, thick lips and an ear-ring in his right ear; the other 5'8", with sharp features and scruffy blond hair, wearing a check shirt. (Condolences to Linda, who is not going to fall for the same trick again; congratulations to Sally on a very useful sixth sense!)
2.
Mr. John Button of New Road died suddenly in hospital on 24 June after a very short illness. He leaves a widow, son and daughter and grandchildren. Mr. Button, who was 65, had been a prisoner-of-war and his health had been damaged as a result of a forced march through Yugoslavia; nevertheless, he retired only a year ago from fishing out of Rye in his boat "Coral Anne". A member of the Rye Harbour Boat-Owners Association committee, Mr. Button was a prominent and popular member of Rye's fishing community; fishermen from Rye, Hastings and Dungeness were among the mourners at the funeral in St. Antony's on Friday, which was followed by burial in Rye Cemetery.
Rye's new Harbourmaster, Carl Bagwell, took over the job this week. He and his family already live in one of the Harbour houses across the river from the village, so they don't have to move - just as well, perhaps, because he and his wife Barbara (who works at Rope Walk Antiques) have twin daughters aged ten and a five-year-old son.
Mr. Bagwell's old job as Deputy Harbourmaster is being shared over the next three months by two local lads - Dominic Varley of Winchelsea Beach, son of Judd (who designs for Lochin Marine) and Rowena, and Richard Tuck of Peasmarsh, whose father Brian is the manager of Lloyds Bank. "We couldn't decide between them", the new Harbourmaster told us - so it was agreed that they should share the job. In October, when both halves of the temporary Deputy Harbourmaster expect to be back at college, another appointment will presumably have to be made; but till then, welcome to all three of the two new Harbour officials!
Rye Harbour's new lifeboat house now contains the new C-class twin-engine boat for which it was built. The boat came on station on Saturday, 21 June - and was out rescuing a surfboarder within an hour! - "It's lovely" says Mary Lestocq who tells us that there will be a dedication ceremony later in the year, when we shall have a fuller account.
Congratulations to Bertie Bull of Leasam House Farm, whose entry of ten matching lamb carcases came 15th out of thethole country at the Royal Show this week! Jean tells us that they have been breeding Texel crosses for twelve years or more, but this is Bertie's first attempt at the Royal. As local shows only require three matching carcases, producing ten (the lambs go up live to Warwickshire and are slaughtered and sold up there) was something of a challenge...
Camber was so popular on Sunday that Radio Sussex was asked to broadcast an announcement that the village was full up; this happens from time to time at summer weekends, and the request goes from Rye police to Lewes and thence to local radio studios. However, Inspector Northern tells us that Rye police were certainly not responsible for what followed on Radio Sussex: Camber is full, said the announcer, and motorists should "avoid Rye at all costs"! Alma Fabes heard about this from friends who had decided to risk it and found the road in from Northiam perfectly normal; she was on duty in an under-populated Museum, and was extremely indignant at this unwarranted turning-away of trade. In fact, the town was not full at all on Sunday, with most people at the beach or just staying in the garden. Local tradespeople who could have done without the Radio Sussex remark might like to complain to George Pixley at 1 Marlborough Place, Brighton.
...and so it must have been a pure coincidence that Mrs. Goddard's missing Tabby walked in through the Cadborough Cliff door the day after her loss was mentioned in the GAZETTE! Cats can't talk, either, so Mr. and Mrs. Goddard don't know where she was for the blank ten days: she was very thin and tired, but unhurt, and they think she may have got herself shut into a shed or garage while the owners were away. Anyway, welcome home, Tabby!
3 - THE RYE GAZETTE, 2 July 1986
Joan Gamier was honoured (and astonished) to receive the following letter from Clarence House last week:
"Dear Mrs. Gamier,
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother has learned with much pleasure that the Women's Section of the Royal British Legion in the Borough of Rye this year celebrates its Golden Jubilee. The Queen Mother sends her greetings and congratulations to all your members and her warmest good wishes for the years ahead.
Yours sincerely, MARTIN GILLIAT Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother."
It was not Mrs. Gamier who told the Queen Mum about the Golden Jubilee; she would not have presumed. Who did tell our Lord Warden, then?
The Women's Section also treasures an earlier letter, this time from Buckingham Palace, acknowledging their congratulations to Prince Andrew and his fiancee. Members are thanked "for your very kind message of congratulation on their engagement. Your good wishes were much appreciated and gave them both much pleasure."
On Saturday afternoon Tessa Collins and John Ward were married in Rye Methodist Church. Tessa - a former Miss Rye - wore an ivory silk dress with a ruched bodice and lace trimming; her bridesmaids were her sister Trudi (Bull) and John's sister Jane (Arkley), in peach trimmed with matching lace. Tessa's crown of full-blown roses - they were in fact silk - her bouquet and the bridesmaids' flowers were all arranged by Tessa's mother (and even the guests' carnations were chosen to match the dresses). Tessa was also attended by two small pages in brown velvet waistcoats and knee-breeches - Trudi's sons Ben and Nikki. John, son of Mrs. Marie Muckle of New Road, is a carpenter; Tessa is a dental nurse, and her employer lent the three classic cars for the bridal party and drove the Silver Wraith himself - with a bottle of champagne on ice in the back for the happy couple. The reception for 120 guests was at the Windmill Guest House, whose proprietors Eric and Mavis Collins are also the parents of the bride - and the catering was in the hands of Tessa's aunt, Mrs. Maureen Golding of "Country Cuisine" in Wish Street. John's best man was Tessa's brother Andrew, who came over from America with his wife for the wedding; both couples flew back to the States on Monday, and John and Tessa will be spending their honeymoon in Atlanta, Georgia, before settling into their new home in Icklesham.
Also on Saturday, there was a wedding at St. Antony's - Amanda Snow of Fairlight and Peter Sharman chose Rye for the occasion because it is such a lovely church. (Father Maurice tells us that he quite often celebrates weddings for non-local families for just this reason.) If passers-by soon after noon on Saturday wondered at the quality of the singing, they had reason - the singers were a group from London, one of whom (from the cast of "Starlight Express") was a former neighbour of Amanda's, and the three voices made music of a standard not very often heard live in Watchbell Street. The reception was at the George.
Congratulations, too, to Glenn Thomson of Her Majesty's Royal Navy, stationed at Plymouth, who was married on Friday in the magnificent registry office there to an Exeter girl, Joanne Brewer. Glenn's brother Andrew was his best man, and the family drove down to Plymouth for the weekend (with a stop off at Longlee on the way home for Glenn's father Ian to do a bit of shopping at an event for radio enthusiasts!) Two of Glenn's friends from Rye were among the guests, zee lots of his shipmates, including one now serving on the Royal Yacht Britannic- who came wearing the special Royal Yacht uniform. The reception was at the Royal Fleet Club; the couple move into married quarters in Plymouth this week.
4.
Mrs. Olga Persad of Camber, who was taken to RESH on Monday afternoon last week with serious injuries after a road accident between Rye and Winchelsea, is "progressing", Rye police have been told. The other vehicle involved was a van from Ashford. The accident meant considerable traffic disruption on the A259, with cars diverted round by Dumbwoman's Lane.
There have been other less serious accidents on that stretch of road, too; resurfacing work at the beginning of last week and on the previous Friday led to a positive epidemic of broken windscreens and side windows as reckless drivers charged through the road works despite warning notices, sending the loose chip-pings spurting up to damage other cars being driven at the recommended speed. One victim had been driving her child to hospital for emergency treatment; the Strand Garage staff promptly sent for the ambulance to continue the journey (and the child, they later heard, made a good recovery).
Hastings Mobile Windscreens tell us that they have been extremely busy with cars from the Rye area (Rye Hill was also resurfaced recently) - and pointed out that owners of cars with third-party-only insurance (often young people with a cherished banger) are particularly hard-hit by something which is often not their fault. Rye and Winchelsea garages confirmed this; replacing a windscreen can cost £70 or more.
The contractors on a particular job always have public liability insurance against damage caused by the work, which is worth knowing for anyone whose own insurance won't cover the windscreen. Either the aggrieved driver can write direct to the contractor or, if he doesn't know who it is, to ESCC Highways at Sidley Depot, Bexhill, who will forward the complaint. As with any insurance claim, the claimant must be able to produce evidence that the damage was due to the roadworks.
Incidentally, we were assured by Mr. Goss of the Bexhill Highways office that a new surface is never left unswept over a weekend; work done on a Friday has to be cleared up before the contractors go home.
First, a warning: Conservation Area householders thinking of installing metal windows to replace elderly wooden ones ought to know that the D o E has just turned down two appeals by residents who had done this and had been told by Rother to remove the metal frames; they now have four months to comply. Details next week...
At last Thursday's Planning meeting at Bexhill, a decision on the Tollgate Garage proposals for sheltered housing was deferred for further negotiations (Peter Chantry tells us that part of the problem relates to the amount of parking-space thought necessary for such a development). The Glue Pot plans were referred to full Council with a recommendation that the single-storey extension should be allowed if an amended plan retained the old bakery chimney; the amended plan for Novens was approved; an amended plan showing a smaller shopfront and plaque has been requested for 79 High Street; an extension at 113 Military Road was approved; a two-storey extension to 25 Udimore Road was thought to be over-development, and discussions are taking place about something rather smaller; the Masonic Hall has permission to renew its weatherboarding in Turkeycock Lane; 15 Market Street has change-of-use for the ground floor as an antiquarian bookshop; permission for alterations to Swans Studio in Watchbell Street was deferred because of a problem about garage access; the block of flats on the site of the old bus garage on the bend below the Gun Garden was turned down - and, interestingly, the D o T objected because the site was on a possible bypass route (this would be the one through the South Undercliff allotments). avid Sharp has permission for a refreshment bar on the ground floor of his premises in The Mint (with access also into Wish Ward) - Mrs. Sharp tells us that the family will be running this as self-service but with sitting accommodation. Finally, an application to convert 105 Winchelsea Road into two self-contained units was refused; Rother feels strongly that these largish houses should remain as family-sized dwellings, particularly as there is no parking nearby.
5.
Because the Rye hall is further ahead than the one at Battle, it has now got to the stage where it needs a Management Committee. Rother's representatives will be John Cawdron and Pauline Tomich, and Frank Palmer will represent Rye Town Council. The Steering Committee, which has spent so much time and effort on getting the project to the present stage, has now become the fund-raising back-up group and has changed its name to "Friends of Rye Sports Centre". Equipment will be installed as and when funds become available; at present the Friends have a bank balance of around F.2,000 - much of it raised by the efforts of Thomas Peacocke pupils. The target needed to provide all the equipment needed is C20,000, so any offers of fund-raising events will be extremely welcome, and should be addressed to Rowena Varley or Ray Fooks c/o the school. There are plans to see if local firms can be persuaded to help with particular items.
The Centre plans (which have been on view at the school, in the Anglia window and of course in the Council offices) show a large main hall, a multi-gym and a squash court; a bar and social area on the first floor are above cloakrooms and storage space below. From the bar, a large viewing window overlooks the main hall (indeed, the Steering Committee has asked for it to be even larger than the one on the original plan). There was also to be a glass wall to the squash court, but this had to be scrapped owing to the cost. The Battle hall was then still at such an early stage that a viewing gallery for the squash court could replace the glass wall fairly cheaply; Rye, further advanced, never even got the letter they should have had from County Hall containing the detailed quotation which the Steering Committee was waiting for, and by the time the matter came to light it would have been very expensive indeed to alter the plans. So, for the moment, there will be no viewing facilities for the squash court; but Ray Fooks tells us that he is quite sure this is only a temporary lack, and there will be a gallery eventually. The hall will be open to the public, at modest charges, except during the day in term-time when of course the school has priority.
The Steering Committee feels that Rother has done very well by Rye over the Centre; the District Council is paying for the entire building, with ESCC as Education Authority providing the site. Items only fair, therefore, that when the Grand Opening comes, one of the people pulling the string on the curtain will be the Chairman of Rother; the other, as the Council meeting on 23 June heard, is likely to be a sports personality, to be chosen later.
An excited party of 26 top-class pupils from Tilling Green School were entertained recently by the Mayor at the Town Hall (Mrs. Oliver is one of the school governors). They saw the Mayoral robes, the Town plate, and of course the sinister relic in the attic; they were refreshed with squash and biscuits ("We've been out having a drink with the Mayor..."); and when they got back to school, Mrs. King's class put all their experiences into a book. They also decided to give Mrs. Oliver a thank-you-for-having-us present - a portrait of her in her robes, embellished with fur trimmings and gold chain - which is for her to keep, and with which she is absolutely delighted.
As exciting outings go, how many people have managed to venture up onto the scaffolding round the St. Mary's weathercock? Frank Palmer has, and his photographs from the very top of the town will be worth seeing.
The invitation from Mrs. Jackie Tarrant (see "The Week's Events") is a fundraising event for Thomas Peacocke School PTA funds - the first, it is hoped, of a series at the homes of PTA committee members and other friends of the school. Wish House (the entrance is off the Pipemakers Arms car park, beside the garages) will be offering tea and cakes from 2.30. Mrs. Tarrant does hope that among her guests will be those who can remember paying for their tea there some years ago - one of the gates still bears faded lettering saying "Tea Garden", and she really would like to know more about this. Can anyone help her - either on Sunday, or by letter c/o the Kettle o' Fish?
6.
In response to our enquiry about the history of Rye's banks, Dennis Hughes of Natwest and Brian Tuck of Lloyds have both been kind enough to consult their archivists.
Lloyds is undoubtedly the older business. The present bank springs from a private firm founded by Rye clockmaker Daniel Gill in 1790. The Town Clerk, Jeremiah Curteis, became a partner, and so did Curteis's successor Weeden Dawes. The first mention of a Pomfret is in 1826, when the firm was known as Curteis, Pomfret & Company. In 1850, when the Rye Benefit Building Society was formed, its bankers were Mr. R.C. Pomfret, Mr. Pix, Mr. Bellingham and Mr. T.S. Pix - all names well known in local business circles of the time. Thirty years later Henry Burra - by then perhaps himself a partner - invited C.H. Stenning to join the firm, and when Curteis, Pomfret & Company was absorbed by Lloyds Bank in 1893 Mr. Stenning was appointed their first manager at Rye. The blunderbuss in the manager's room had been presented to the old firm by Mr. Pix.
There is an early link between the bank now Lloyds and the firm of solicitors next door, now Dawes Prentice & Herington. Daniel Gill's shop was further up the High Street, but the Curteis Pomfret bank was in the DP&H building - indeed, the present manager's office still is, though nowadays it opens only into the bank. Period photographs show an imposing Victorian building fronting the High Street, with tumbledown cottages on the West Street corner; Lloyds' records show that the branch was extended in 1896 into premises occupying the corner site (presumably when the cottages finally fell down), though whether this is the present building, which looks rather newer, is not quite clear. A wooden doorway (sans door) from one of the old buildings was presented by the bank to the Monastery when it was restored soon after the turn of the century, and can be seen in the corner of the upstairs pottery showroom. Brian Tuck says that it will be the bank's bicentenary in 1990, and adds "no doubt we will celebrate, perhaps in the period of that time"!
Natwest's predecessor in Rye was the London & County Bank. It is thought, says the Natwest archivist, to have opened in Rye in 1846 (having changed its name in 1839 from the original Surrey, Kent & Sussex Bank founded three years earlier). The first manager was Mr. W.J. Norfolk, and the other member of staff was a Mr. Smith. The archivist doesn't say when London & County became the Westminster (or was it the National Provincial?). But although, in Rye terms, Natwest is younger than Lloyds by more than fifty years, its building is very much older. Rape of Hastings survey in 1983 revealed that it mostly dates back to the 1700s or early 1800s (when Daniel Gill and Jeremiah Curtis were building up their business further along the street). But "incorporated into the buildings are the remains of a timber-framed mediaeval property, but of this building only two trusses now survive and, judging from the traces of soot, these may have formed part of an open hall. In addition evidence shows that alterations were carried out in the 16th century, and all that is visible of this is a blocked first floor fireplace."
We understand that the Midland only arrived in Rye after the war, to take up residence at one end of 11 High Street. But it would be interesting to have some information about Barclays - and, indeed, about the TSB?
Julia Thomas acknowledges most gratefully a handsome donation from Rye & Rother Valley Round. Table towards the play-scheme running costs - £120, which will mean all the children will get a coach-trip over to the popular "Treasure Island" play-park at Eastbourne. Support for the recent, coffee morning was less good, but Julia would like to thank particularly John Pearman, manager at the George, for the use of the ballroom, and Alan Sinden of the Hope Anchor for a handsome raffle prize - the Editor would like to thank Alan too, since she won it and last weekend enjoyed a delicious Sunday lunch (substantial even by the standards of a hungry teenage son!) in the Hope Anchor's delightful dining-room with its amazing view out over the marsh.
7.
Some weeks ago we reported that Ward Construction, who will be building the supermarket, were hoping to start work on the new railway car-park in mid June. No bulldozers yet, people are pointing out; is there another hang-up? It seems not. Stan Butcher of Wards tells us that final signings are expected this week (a complicated operation involving some half-dozen different hands all signing on the same day), and by the end of this month things should be well under way. Indeed, the (still un-named) occupant wants to open in time for Christmas 1987, which means that the timetable is already very tight.
Even if the second stage (the new bus garage at the Ferry Road end of the Goods Yard) starts before the end of the holiday season, as Wards would like it to, there should be no problem with parking. Hardcore from the old coal-yard is to be spread on "the ground behind the present bus garage" - we take this to be Ellis's old yard - which could then be used for temporary parking to compensate for the part to be fenced off. Once September is over, of course, there is no real problem anyway until May, and the railway car park should be able to cope for the next six months.
BR's David Woodhouse, talking about the burger van and the litter problem (GAZETTE no. 183) says that once the area is tidied up there will be no more burger vans or the like on their smart new car park anyway. It seems probable that the supermarket tenants will take the same view about theirs.
Following up an enquiry from Vernon Petty of Udimore about the future opening of Camber Castle, Sir Brian Batsford has now had from the Chairman of English Heritage (Lord Montagu of Beaulieu) a reply saying very much what the GAZETTE was told at a much lower level some weeks ago: nothing doing!
"When the Castle was taken into guardianship in 1967" says Lord Montagu, "it was clear that a substantial programme of repair and consolidation would be necessary before it could be opened to the public. When the monument was transferred to us, when we were set up in April 1984, it was hoped that at least some parts of the castle would be opened in April 1985. Unfortunately, serious frost damage during the last two winters has meant that the opening date has had to be put back to 1987 at the earliest.
In addition to consolidation work to the monument itself, the access to Camber Castle from the A259 is poor and will probably need improvement before significant numbers of visitors can be catered for.
'I am sorry it is not a happier story but I am afraid that we haven't enough money to put our monuments in order as quickly as we would like."
Just after the excavations were completed, Paddy Aiken took a series of photographs of the interior of the Castle. These now belong to Hastings Library, and will be on view at the Rye library during August - the next best thing to a personal inspection of the ancient (and crumbling) walls.
On Monday, Catherine Straker went over to Hastings in a train that seemed to be making rather heavy weather of the journey; but it did get her there. In due course she returned to the station to catch the 11.45 back to Rye. It duly arrived, gasping, at Platform 1, and then died; it died so thoroughly that when its would-be passengers finally departed on the 12.45, they had to leave from Platform 3 instead! One of Miss Straker's partners in misfortune was a young woman who seemed remarkably unperturbed; this had, she said, happened to her five times in the past eight days!
We put this to David Woodhouse at Ashford, who was surprised and suspected a slight exaggeration on the girl's part. But we have also heard recently from someone whose daughter has several times been late for college because the 8.03 from Rye to Hastings failed to turn up. Is BR using our line to run old rolling-stock into the ground?
Vidler & Co's monthly auction sale (536 lots), 10
Strawberry tea (for Action Research for the Crippled Child), Red Cross, 2.30 to 5
TPS PTA teas, Wish House, from 2.30 (see page 5)
Arthritis & Rheumatism Council coffee morning (by kind invitation of Mr and Mrs Quick), 20 Mill Road, 10.30 to 12 Rye WI, "Victoriana" (Grace Wakefield), with members' own pieces on display, FEC, 7
• The RAFA party referred to last week is on Friday (not Saturday), 12 September.
• The Rye Dance Centre sale at the Community Centre on 21 June made a clear profit (including the raffle) of 2284. The Centre's Christmas show, its third, is booked at Upper School for 28 and 29 November.
• The FRHNR coffee morning at the George Hotel on Thursday raised 2200 for Nature Reserve funds, and the committee is most grateful to Trust House Forte for the use of the ballroom.
• The Mencap/Hill House School coffee morning at the Town Hall on Saturday raised £250 - thanks to all supporters, says Vickie Piper, specially the Mayor.
• Bowls: Rye won their away match at Westfield on Wednesday; there were no weekend games.
• Landgate WI's June meeting heard a report from Mrs. Best of Northiam on the Albert Hall AGM, followed by Rachel Sarrieddine talking about her "Family Album". Members were highly entertained by stories of Mrs. Sarrieddine's extended and fascinating family, says our correspondent, and would gladly have listened on into the afternoon! The July meeting is a garden one, at Culpeppers, Love Lane (16th).
• Congratulations to Rachel Benn of Tilling Green School, runner-up in the under-7 class in a recent competition organised by the Stables Theatre at Hastings for paintings with a Clown theme; a Highly Commended award went to Laura Giles, also of Tilling Green School.
• Planning: the current list has an application from Mr. and Mrs. Tarrant at the "Kettle o' Fish" (25 Wish Street) for alterations to form a porch and ice-cream kiosk; and from Michael Saunders for a radio transmitter mast and aerials in the back garden at 63 Ferry Road (GAZETTE no. 182).
• Welcome to the new permanent and full-time Sussex Express reporter for Rye and the villages, Claire Rippon. Claire and her husband only arrived in the area last week, and she is keen to make local contacts, so we shall certainly be seeing her around - but in the meantime, if you have a story you think the Express might want to cover, ring the Senews number (Hastings 51351) and ask for Claire (extension 256) - if she isn't in, leave a message for her to contact you.
• If you eventually collected your GAZETTE from Crafty this week, having been directed to Ferry Road from Squirrels, you are welcome to continue with Mrs. Rust as a pick-up point if it suits you. If not, please phone the Editor or call at 2 Cyprus Place to discuss alternatives. Squirrels is no longer a pick-up point at all, as Mr. and Mrs. Briggs prefer not to be tied to a particular opening day which may hamper their buying-trip plans.
THE RYE GAZETTE is registered as a newspaper with the Post Office, published by Mrs. Mary Owen, 2 Cyprus Place, Rye, TN31 7DR (0797 222303), 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. Spare copies and back numbers (if we have any left) are available from 2 Cyprus Place on Wednesday afternoon and early Thursday morning. (Copyright Mary Owen 1986)