A campaign has been launched to raise money to replace one of Rye’s Community buses. Jane Conlin takes up the story with the very personal reasons why she is fundraising for a much loved and vital part of Rye.
My late husband Harry Conlin and I came to live in Rye just over twenty years ago. My husband had always had a love of driving anything that was not a car. He had tried driving a tank, a train, and a double decker bus. When Pat Hughes, who runs Rye and District Community bus company, needed a new driver he jumped at the chance to drive one of the buses.
This he did for ten years until he “went to heaven”.
He also became a member of the bus company board. St Mary’s Church was almost opposite our house and already being a campanologist, bell ringing in St Mary’s was high on his list. For many years he manned the box office for the Rye Art Festival in Philips and Stubbs.
He worked occasionally in our shop and became known as “The Man”. Harry had a wicked sense of humour.
All of the five community buses are named after an individual:
PriscillaBus after Priscilla Ryan
JimperBus after Jimper Sutton
JohnBus after John Izod
LynBus after Lyn Nealon.
After my husband went to heaven in 2013, the bus company told me that they were buying a new / second hand bus and it was to be named after my husband “HarryBus“. I was deeply touched and felt honoured that his name was now on the back of the fifth bus.
This dear bus has nearly reached the end of his time in Rye. HarryBus is twenty years old and has covered 124,000 miles in Rye and surrounding areas, attended weddings, school runs, swimming runs, funerals, to list but a few of his activities.
HarryBus will go to bus heaven and be reunited with his namesake, Harry Conlin.
I am fund raising for a replacement bus who will once again be called HarryBus and continue the legacy of driving all who need it to their destination.
Can you help me reach this goal?
The Just Giving link below will show you how to donate.
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/replacingharrybus
My thanks, Jane Conlin
Image Credits: Pat Hughes .
Congratulations Jane on your campaign to replace the old HarryBus with a new one. As a supporter of Dan Lake’s campaign for making transport for people in wheelchairs easier in Rye, I hope the new bus can be designed meet their needs .
The community bus is a source of amazement (and a touch of envy?) for my numerous friends and relatives visiting from abroad every summer. It is an amazing local asset and one that I will be happy to support with a donation. I will use the service more often after a forthcoming operation that will limit my mobility.