Firstly, as I am part of the harbour services team, I wanted to report on recent activities that have affected access for boats into the river Rother. The last big storm we had this month moved a substantial amount of shingle across the entrance into the harbour mouth, which means it is harder to get ships in and out. The fishing boats and yachts are still able to use the harbour but there is a warning out to mariners to proceed with extreme care into the harbour.
Working closely with our excellent harbour master, we want to get the message out to mariners. Due to tidal restrictions it has not been quick to rectify. So far 118 dumper truck loads of shingle have been removed to allow access for a bigger machine. There is a long reach excavator arriving onsite soon to clear the remaining shingle in the channel. I will of course report back to you as soon as the situation has been remedied.
On Monday we had a very well informed steering group meeting at the town hall on the Rye Neighbourhood Plan. We are all extremely grateful for the huge number of hours that Anthony Kimber puts into this really important work. By the very nature of it, the plan is a living document and needs updating from time to time, so we are looking at the needs and opportunities in the town, within the confines of our beautiful heritage and landscapes.
As mayor, I was delighted to be asked along to the road safety event at the Cattle Market, alongside Councillor Chris Hoggart, who is our lead councillor on the matter. I learnt a lot about speeding and road safety from the police officers there and am grateful for all the work they do to help educate us on better driving and awareness of others on the roads.
Also, a big thank you to creative centre manager Martin, who kindly showed me and Rebekah (and of course Sophie, who mainly had an eye on the mince pie stall!) around their Christmas fayre on Saturday, November 25. It was wonderful to see that Rye has so many creative designers and makers. We spoke with all the stall holders about their products, and I hope they had a really successful weekend.
We sang to a busy New Inn, Winchelsea on Sunday, and we are there again on Christmas Eve with a selection of carols and Christmas music from 6pm – 8pm.
A busy week lies ahead, and we are looking forward to the Christmas in Rye festival family day on Saturday, December 2, that fellow councillor Sophie Judge has put so much work into. I am sure it will be a great day for everyone. Thank you to all the retailers taking part. And on Sunday we are off to Arundel Cathedral for their pre-Christmas service.
Image Credits: Chris Hoggart , Isabel Ryan , Martin, creative centre .