Joining the team
Tuesday, April 1 saw the licensing of Revd Jacques Desrosiers as team vicar in the Rye Team Ministry (with special responsibility for Camber with East Guldeford) at St Thomas’s Camber. The Suffragan Bishop of Lewes Will Hazelwood led the ceremony.
You can read an interview with Revd Desrosiers here.
Another cliff rescue
The Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat was called out in the early hours of Thursday, April 3 after a report from the coastguard about two people lost between Fairlight and Pett.
The crew launched 20 minutes after the call at 1:50 am. With the what3words position the volunteers were able to quickly identify their location – west of Cliff End. The casualties were using their mobile phone lights to indicate their position to crews from HM Coastguard Rye Bay and HM Coastguard – Hastings were on the cliff.
Jo O’Hara from PLIRB said it was a safe ending for two young people: “With a rising tide and in complete darkness, the casualties were naturally concerned for their safety and moved up the cliff. Our crew went ashore to assist the casualties on to the boat and returned them to the PLIRB Boathouse to much needed hot drinks and snacks.”
Candidates confirmed
There are no elections for East Sussex County Council this year because of local government reorganisation, however in Kent voters go to the polls on Thursday, May 1. 81 seats are being contested including these two local seats: Romney Marsh and Tenterden (covering Wittersham and Appledore). These are the confirmed candidates on the ballot.
Romney Marsh
COOPER, Tony – Labour and Co-operative Party
FULLER, Gary Liberal Democrats
HILLS, Tony – The Conservative Party Candidate
WATKINSON, Malcolm – The Green Party
WIMBLE, David – Reform UK
Tenterden
BELL, Neil – Conservative Party
COXALL, Alexander John – Liberal Democrats
WARD, David John – Labour Party
PULLEN, Guy Alexander – Green Party
CHAPMAN, Wayne – Reform UK
CHAMBERS, Martin Gordon – Heritage Party
Two wheels
At the Sussex Greenways meeting on Wednesday, April 2 various options were looked at for improving cycle routes through Rye and to surrounding areas, including the urgent need for East Sussex County Council to carry out repairs to National Cycle Network Route 2, to the west of the town between Gibbet’s Marsh car park and Dumb Woman’s Lane.
It was also decided to hold a fund-raising event in June. The next meeting will be at the Queen’s Head on Thursday, April 24 at 7pm, all welcome.
You can read more about cycling in Rye and the possibility of a new bridge here.
Congratulations
Well done to the team at Rye Creative Centre who have made it through to the finals of the Muddy Awards 2025. They’ve been nominated in the Best Arts, Culture & Theatre category.
Voting continues until April 15 by clicking here.
Image Credits: Jim Cameron/Geograph https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/232336 cc https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/, Kt bruce , Jo O'Hara , Nick Hanna , Kevin McCarthy .