When one thinks of Bert, the first person to come to mind is the jovial chimney sweep in Mary Poppins. The Bert that swept the south-east over the weekend was certainly not jovial at all, wreaking havoc in its wake.
But the shopkeepers of Rye were determined not to let a storm with sixty-five mile-an-hour winds defeat them. The Late Night Shopping in Rye event did not go as planned on Saturday November 23, of course, for safety reasons; and the Marsh Choir and the switching on of the lights were cancelled, much to everyone’s sadness. However, there were lots of people shopping and there was a buzz about the town.
Lydia and Alex from London had a lovely time in all the shops and over a glass of prosecco in Simply Rye said that this was their third visit to the town at this time of year and they loved the friendliness of the shopkeepers. They were able to tick off a great deal from their Christmas shopping list and loved the fact that the shops are quirky, individual and full of quality gift ideas.
Mayor Andy Stuart and Lady Mayoress Niki popped into all the shops and showed their support. Although not needed to come and turn on the lights, Peter Duncan, our guest celebrity, came and chatted to staff and customers in the shops. Many people were disappointed not to have met him because their Blue Peter badges were a star treasure from their childhood.
The pictures tell their own story and you can sense the fun we all had despite Bert.
There are lots of photos as everyone wanted to see themselves in the paper and there were some wonderful ideas for gifts available in Rye.
Peter Duncan will be interviewed by Rye News in the next few weeks but if you want to know what he is up to at the moment do click on this link. pantoonline.co.uk
Image Credits: Martin Bruce , Kt bruce .