60,000 copies of the Rye town map have just been printed and can be collected from Adams of Rye and Rye Heritage Centre. Olly Campion has squeezed more businesses on to the map than ever before. Rye News asked him to tell the story of the map, which has become a vital guide to our town for every visitor, along with how the 2024 copy has a very personal addition. Can you find Olly and Rachel?
Fast forward 23 years and 1.3 million maps later and the piece of folded beige card is still grasped by almost every tourist exploring the town and has become an institution in itself – almost!
The town map still promotes the website which now sees 68,000+ visitors per month!
The map was originally drawn by local artist and ex-mayor John Breeds but all changes and new buildings are now drawn by me in the same style as the original.
“Where’s Olly” started with Michael “Benny” Benn buying me a pint in the Standard in 2011 to bribe me to have him added to the window of his flat above Phillips & Stubbs. I took the opportunity to add myself cycling home down New Winchelsea Road. Benny still says to this day that it was the “best few quid he ever spent” winning countless bets in pubs that he was on the map.
Ever since, friends who know have played “Where’s Olly?” and even called to say they’ve found me! Last year I put myself next to Diamond Koz … what a fantastic restaurant that is! The year before I was near Layfields and Fletchers House and each year I find it more difficult to choose where to be! We are so spoilt for choice with the diverse range of top quality establishments this town has to offer year on year!
However, this year it was very easy to choose a location; I absolutely had to take the opportunity to celebrate Rachel and my wedding in August. What an amazing day that was!
The map has unintentionally become a sort of historical reference to the businesses that have come and gone over the years. One of the trends that can be easily seen is the demise of the small hotel and B&Bs and not because of AirBnB as far as I can tell. Once covering an entire side of the reverse of the map, the accommodation section has slowly diminished with the loss of establishments like the Benson Hotel, Durrant House, At Wisteria Corner, Forge House, Leswinton, Little Saltcote, Tower House and Vine Cottage (to name just a few!) and although the current trend is to blame AirBnB, none of these businesses’ dwellings are listed on that site and all are now private houses as far as I’m aware!
I’ve often thought that it would be fun and interesting to hold an exhibition of the maps so that visitors can see how Rye’s business landscape has changed over the last quarter century.
Image Credits: Olly Campion , Emma Johnstone .
Love the map!