Bonfire Night is not too far off now (even though it seems the height of summer) and the application to close Rye’s roads on November 12 went in recently, so this Saturday August 13, Rye Bonfire Society has an “Open Garden” fundraiser at 11 High Street from 10am to 4pm with a plant stall, tombola, bric-a-brac, raffle and home made cakes, along with tea or coffee.
A Tai Chi demonstration at 10:30am will be followed by the Rye Ukulele Experiment from 11:30am to 12 noon though, on Bonfire Night, the ukuleles may face too much competition from the drummers, and the High Street crowds may leave little room for practising Tai Chi.
However, having lost two of their stalwart fundraisers this year in Jimper Sutton and John Izod, the Bonfire Society needs to spring into action – and still needs your support.
For the benefit of newcomers and visitors, Bonfire Night is taken seriously in this part of the world, with local bonfire societies across Sussex supporting each other with a variety of costumes, music and dancing before the bonfire is actually lit and the fireworks go off – a safe distance away on the Marsh.
Hotels, holiday lets and bed and breakfasts can be booked up well in advance and, though the police presence is mainly to control the traffic and the odd over-excited person, Bonfire Night is not quite the scene of riotous behaviour that it once was in centuries past – and it has a history that may well be traced back much further than Guy Fawkes.
Rye was sacked and burnt by the French in 1377 but the town’s history of “burning its boats” may date back even further when the Danes were on the rampage, so “Bonfire Night” is just one part of a long and complex historic heritage – for visitors and newcomers to enjoy.
Photo : Rye News Library