Rye Harbour Herrings (RHH) entertained the WI in Playden on Monday 12 February with a variety of shanties and sea songs. RHH is a group of local singers dedicated to preserving and strengthening the tradition of shanty singing. It was started in 2019 by Martin Bruce, who lives in the village, and who accompanies the songs on a vintage concertina. The ‘Herrings’ have their hearts in Rye Harbour and celebrate local shanties as a speciality. They like to support local community events and offer their services free so that any funds raised go straight to charity.
There is a long-standing tradition in Rye Harbour of shanty singing. Johnny Doughty, local fisherman and raconteur, was often to be found during the sixties and seventies on a Saturday night at the William the Conqueror pub in the village, singing (as long as the beer flowed) both well-known and his own songs to an enthusiastic audience. Old Johnny was an extraordinary character. He always enjoyed singing in the pub and as soon as he entered people would yell,
“Come on, Johnny, give us a song … What you gonna sing?” Many people in the Harbour still recall these Saturday nights with fondness.
After the concert the audience spent time chatting to the singers and everyone was served tea and of course, wonderful cakes, as is the tradition of every Women’s Institute.
The group next appears at The Queen’s Head on February 23 at 7.30 as part of Rye Bay Scallop Week.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .