It has been a busy fortnight for Rye Town Council. Firstly, we look forward to welcoming new tenants to the town council’s discounted rental accommodation. They will be the second household to live there and we are proud to be able to rent a home at below market rates to those who would otherwise struggle. Thank you to our town hall staff and two councillors who saw this process through. We would dearly love to do more in this respect and continue in dialogue with East Sussex County Council to acquire land to build social housing. This is still a way off yet, but we are hopeful that the project will get off the ground next year.
Secondly, there is a working group of councillors who are considering the best way to take on the running of the two statutory allotments in Rye. There are various models that could be adopted, and we are engaging with the community to find out what works best for all involved. I can’t sit on this group as I am an allotment holder myself, and get a great deal of pleasure from it, but the group should be in a position to report back to full council next month, when leases transfer from Rother to Rye.
Also, we have a working group looking at ‘devolved services’; this means all the services that Rother are no longer able to or are obliged to contract, such as grass cutting, public loos and so forth. It will be a very big ask of our small town council to take these on, and they have to be funded, but we are working hard to find sensible and sustainable solutions to ensure as many services as possible continue for the benefit of Rye folk.
I am very pleased to hear many people reporting that they are back swimming in Rye pool. This was a service rescued from the brink, and to ensure its long term operation we must continue to use it, or lose it. Negotiations continue to find a community solution to operating the leisure centre and I am grateful to the officers at Rother and Rye who endeavour to make this happen.
I will be starting to put up the Christmas lights this week. I know how much they mean to the town, and I hope to have them up ready for the late night shopping evening in November. The longer they are up and out in the elements, the shorter life span they have, and we may have to start fundraising for some replacements next year, but bringing a bit of light to all in the town is valuable not only for business but wellbeing as well. I will also, hopefully, be putting up the Christmas tree on the Strand, and am always grateful to the harbour master for his permission to do so.
On that note, I hope to host another family Christmas gathering at the town hall this December, where children can enjoy a present from Santa and families can join in with some carol singing and mince pies. Dates to be agreed and notified soon.
So as to ensure the bells ring out this Christmas, there is a little bit of work that needs doing in the church bell tower, which I will pop up and attend to between the showers.
I enjoyed greatly the silent movie night with the mighty Wurlitzer organ last week – these films are around 100 years old, very silly and slapstick, but highly amusing still. And the incredible musicality of Michael Wooldridge on the keyboard, and the effervescent Richard Moore hosting us, made for a super evening, thank you to all who made it happen.
And thank you to the mayor of Lydd, whose fundraising event I attended last week, where we found a group of mayors go-karting at the town’s track. We had great fun and a humorous competitive spirit was very much in evidence.
I’m looking forward to Remembrance Sunday in Rye on November 12, the most important day in the civic year. I know Anthony Kimber, Neale East and many others will have started preparations for this. It is always a first rate and fitting tribute.
Image Credits: Rye Christmas Festival .