The two portakabins (shown here), hired following the fire at Rye College to serve as temporary classrooms, were due to be removed this week. Permission for a two day road closure had been obtained and in a notice to local residents, Portakabin Ltd advised that the cabins would be removed from the grounds of Rye Academy on Tuesday September 22.
Parking restrictions would apply in Love Lane outside houses 1 – 4 and down the complete length of the Grove and Rope Walk as far as Cinque Ports Street and removal trucks would be active in the area to remove any obstructing vehicles. According to a company spokesman, actual operations would commence mid-morning and would be likely to continue until mid-afternoon.
Sensing possible chaos (as it takes very little to bring Rye’s traffic to a thundering halt) photographer Ray Prewer was despatched and reported back: “I was there mid morning and couldn’t see anything happening and I went back around 2pm and I couldn’t see anything then either”. And, as he went to a Festival concert that night (Stile Antico out at Winchelsea) , took photos there, and is writing up a story, there is no reason to suspect he simply missed all the activity.
As the photograph shows, portakabins are substantial buildings, much like a mobile or park home in size, and it seemed likely that their movement would cause substantial chaos (as can happen in Rye Harbour from time to time as caravans get moved around) and become a source of local gossip. To date though not a word has been heard and Rye News staff were too “festivalled out” (with sixty events in just over two weeks) to investigate further. However further intensive inquiries in the distant realms of The Grove and Love Lane Thursday morning revealed that the portakabins had indeed gone.
If you witnessed their departure, smoothly carried out or otherwise, please contact info@ryenews.org.uk. We are unable to help though if you, your car or your property were involved in an accident or damaged in any way, but you will doubtless get an unsolicited phone call offering help while you are in the bath.