Rye Community Transport’s newest bus was blessed and dedicated by Rev Paul White outside St Mary’s church on Sunday, March 30. Rye mayor, Andy Stuart, also joined donors and families of some of the people the buses are named after at the service.
An intermittent electrical system fault had sadly brought to an end 10 years of service of the original Priscilla Ryan bus, rather before we had anticipated its replacement. Fortunately, the impetus created by Jane Conlin’s campaign for the replacement of the Harry Conlin bus has carried on and thanks to wonderful local donors we were able to take delivery of DG16 JWC at the end of January.
We were amazed and delighted at the amounts given, small and large, by the donors who included many of our passengers and friends, along with local companies Merchant & Mills, the George, the Rye Retreat, Rye Bonfire Society, Rye Masons Wellington Lodge, customers of Jempson’s stores and café, and our beloved driver Lyn Nealon.
This bus is dedicated to the memory of three local people: Priscilla Ryan, Bob Booth and Linda Harland and the commemoration for each reflects their attributes. So for Priscilla Ryan it reads Freeman of the Antient Town of Rye – that appointment a tribute to all that she did in and for this town. Bob Booth is described as Stalwart Bonfire Boye – there never seemed to be a time when he was not a key member of the Rye Bonfire Society, and the meaning (of stalwart) – loyal, brave, valiant, resolute, hard working – sums up Bob’s contribution to it. And for Linda Harland, the description Champion of Women’s Issues underlines all that she did to educate and to shine a light on a crucial part of our lives that is too frequently overlooked and played down.
We hope that their families and friends will feel proud when they see the bus around Rye (and when they themselves travel on it) knowing that their achievements live on through the work of this community bus.
Image Credits: Pat Hughes .