A working party from the Rye Bonfire Society was finally able to to clear the remnants of the bonfire on the Salts. Although normally the bonfire site can be cleared within a week when weather permits, Rye residents will be aware of the continuous wet weather conditions this winter; this weekend was the first time a machine could be got onto the Salts to clear. Reseeding will take place as soon as possible.
Image Credits: Steve Hutchings/Rye Bonfire Society , Rye Bonfire Society .
Although it’s good that the Society attempts to repair the bonfire site and reseed it each year, it’s pointless as, come November, the site is returned to a charred, blackened mess. The grass never really has a chance to recover. It would be more sensible to consider whether alternatives exist such as paving the site with a solid fireproof material to give a permanent base for the bonfire. Some may object to this, such as the fairground operators, but for me it’s the obvious solution. The other problem that needs addressing is the current size of the bonfire, which burns so fiercely that intense heat can be felt 50 metres away, killing grass in a wider area than needed, as can be seen from the photo accompanying this article. The intense heat from last year’s blaze meant spectators had to stand far away. In previous years you could get much closer. Bigger is not better, RBS. Also, I hope last year’s mistake of setting off fireworks that couldn’t be seen due to fog will not be repeated in future.
What about turfing the area, bit more costly but it would look nice and tidy!! Just a thought.