There’s lots so keep scrolling down!     The newest Local History posts are available under   Said About Rye, Notable People and Rye Buildings.     Under Rye Castle Museum –> Rye Museum’s Story you will find two articles:  An Abbreviated History  and Geoffrey Spink Bagley  (who  also appears under Notable People).     There are also three sets of new photos  taken at recent events under Ryc Castle Museum –> Events and Photos  

 News Flashes

• The Talks Programme for the coming year is now available.   The first — do’t miss it —  is on Tuesday 12th October when Peter Ewart,  local historian, popular speaker and author of A Poor Man’s Rye will present Researching the History of a House and its Occupants.   For the full Talks list  click here and get out your diary!  
•  Click on Events and Photos  at right for photos of the Let’s Build a Roof and Captain Pugwash Birthday Party events on 3rd July and an unusual Wedding in the Medieval Garden of the Ypres Tower.
• There will be no Coffee Morning in September.   The main reason for the break is that there will be so many Rye Festival and other events in September. We will reesume our popular monthly Coffee Mornings in October.  That’s Saturday, 9th October 10:30 – 12:00.
• Exploring Rye with Brian Hargreaves  The book  is out and selling fast.   It is available at both sites as well as in town.  It includes nearly 100 of Brian’s splendid drawings of Rye buildings and details.  Price:  £5.50.

Reminders:  The Ypres Tower is now open all day.   The extended opening hours have been so successful we plan to keep the Tower open every day (including lunch hour) during the winter months too, with a slightly shorter day:  10:30 – 3:30.

The East Street Museum is open all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays only.   Please note however that it can be opened by special request during the week.  Please contact the Museum: 01797 226728, or info@ryemuseum.co.uk   

We run entirely on the good will of volunteers    If you aren’t already a volunteer steward do think about joining us!     See the note below under On Being a Volunteer.   Also below:  About our Museum Sites and additions to the Rye Museum website.    

Recent Events      in addition to our July and August Coffee Mornings:

 July 3 

 The two events on this day Let’s Build a Roof and the Captain Pugwash 60th Birthday Party were captured on camera.   Go to Events at right for summaries and photos.   A third set of photos — of a wedding in the Medieval Garden will appear shortly.   

DO COME AND SEE THE NEW CAPTAIN PUGWASH DISPLAY.   There are information sheets to tell you more about John Ryan and Captain Pugwash;  thanks to Anthony Kimber of the Rye Art Gallery for sharing these with us.    You will also want to visit the Rye Art Gallery where you will find Pugwash cartoons and other artwork of John Ryan.    The celebration is a joint Rye Museum and Rye Art Gallery effort.   And the Museum is now selling Captain Pugwash books!  Click here for titles and prices.   

July 13th Visit to Bexhill Museum   

Visiting other museums always generates ideas for our own and that was certainly the case with our group visit to the newly refurbished Bexhill Museum.   Julian Porter, Rother District Curator,  was our guide,  explaining the history of the museum’s development as well as showing the various new exhibition areas: the Costume and Social History Gallery and the new Motoring Gallery.  The eclectic natural history and other cultures exhibitions were  of special interest to some of us as was the accessible archive sections with its many files and interactive computer displays.    While we  were admittedly jealous s of the space,  funds and full time staff possesed by that Museum,  we did enjoy the visit and collect some ideas for use here in Rye.   We ended the afternoon at the De La Warr Pavilion for an excellent tea and a look at their exhibitions, in particular the 60 sculptures of the artist Anthony Gormley in 12 poses making up the Critical Mass roof-top exhibiton.  

Watch out for the announcement of next year’s museum visit!   

Earlier posts give details of earlier events.

About our Museum sites 

 Ypres Tower site

The latest addition at our 13th century  Tower is the Rye Tower Embroidery, an informative (and amusing) history of the castle commissioned as part of the Ypres Tower bid for Lottery money  and created by 20 members of the Rye Stitchers over the last four years   It’s a splendid piece of work worth a special visit/revisit to the Tower.       

A reminder of what else is in the Tower     

In the dungeon there is a display of Arms and Armour, with helmets to try on, and swords to try and wield.  On the ground floor are cells once used for prisoners: one still reminds visitors of  the stark conditions endured by prisoners but another now displays  Rye pottery and a third has become a Still Room  with herbs and spices from the Middle Ages (complementing  the Medieval herb garden in the old exercise yard).  The splendid new addition of the Rye Tower Embroidery now holds pride of place above the ground floor fireplace.     

On the first floor there are beautifully sewn scenes of Rye: the Millennium Embroidery as well as  a relief map of the surrounding  countryside over the centuries and a map showing the scores of shipwrecks off our coast.    From here you can go onto the lookout, designed for looking out for the enemy!  You can look down onto the Medieval Herb  Garden which you can visit later, and across to the Women’s Tower which we are currently raising funds to repair so it can house more of our exhibits.   Built to keep the women and children prisoners when they were separated from the men in 1837, it is thought this may be the only such prison left in the country.     

What is in the East Street Museum?     

There are  displays on many aspects of Rye’s long and prestigious history:   as a  leading Cinque Port,  its shipbuilding, trading and fishing industries;  politics (there are seals from five reigns),  education,  celebrations,  the town’s celebrated pottery and mosaic ware,   domestic life and pastimes . . .   A popular feature is the town fire engine complete with wooden wheels, leather buckets and hoses used between 1745 and 1865.   There are paintings and photos as well as artefacts.    An enlarged and relocated Captain Pugwash display has just been launched (see above).  Judging from the length of time some of our visitors spend here and the comments in our visitors’ book, our Museum is well worth visiting.     

For more on this site, click on Museum Sites at right.     

 On being a Volunteer

Far from being onerous,  stewarding  offers a chance to meet  interesting visitors and become better acquainted yourself with our exhibits and Rye’s history,  so if you would be willing to help out, please contact the office  info@ryemuseum.co.uk or ring 01797-226728.  You may also want to ask about other ways to help, for example by joining the Rye Muses who organise events which help raise funds, or the Education Committee, or the Gardening group or . . . . .  The full list of possibilities is quite long!    

Praise  for our Volunteers:     The Rother Community Times Spring 2010 issue includes a complimentary piece on Volunteering at the Rye Museum.  It praises the number of things the Museum does–with an almost entirely volunteer staff, calls us ‘very flexible and welcoming’ and urges readers to become part of our team.  The full article is available from tina.hall@rothervoluntaryaction.org.uk. 

Women’s Tower Project:  Have you any fundraising ideas?

The Women’s Tower  buiding  is an important part  of Rye’s skyline and we think it  is the only 19th century Women’s Prison in the country.  There are plenty of exhibits in storage waiting to be displayed there!   Most grants require a matching contribution from the local community which is why your ideas and help are so important.

Here are two good examples of local efforts to help us raise the funds to repair the tower:

• Ryesingers gave a concert Sigh No More Ladies on 27th March at the Methodist Church.  Despite dreadful weather it was well-attended and added nearly £500 to our funds for rereoofing the tower where women prisoners once were held.  
• Students of Rye College,  mostly in Years 8 and 9, wrote dramatic sketches and stories,  made cakes,  learned medieval songs, occupied cells and staged performances  at Ypres Tower on July 3 in order to raise more funds for the Women’s Tower project.   About 25 students gave up their Saturday afternoon for the purpose  — a wonderful heartwarmoing effort showing their commitment to the town — and the entire proceeds from the event have gone into the Womenm’s Tower fund.    

A big thanks to Ryesingers and Rye College and a question:  DO YOU HAVE ANY BRIGHT IDEAS FOR HELPING TO RAISE THE NEARLY  £100 NEEDED TO SAVE THE TOWER? �
Please let us hear from you!   

Our leadership is busy seeking fund-raising help from ‘those who know’ and applying for grants–a difficult and very  time-consuming process especially when most applications require matching funds from the local community .  All ideas  for further events welcome!

Two existing ways you can help:

•  There are still bricks and stones waiting to be sponsored.   Do you have a sponsor’s certificate yet?   You may collect as many as you like!     Rye Town Council at its meeting of 26th October voted to contribute £5000 to the Women’s Tower Project and the process has already begun:  English Heritage has approved plans; we have paid for architects’ plans with the RTC grant;  proper recording, preservation and storage of items kept in the Women’s Tower is  nearly completed . . . .     
• Fill a jar with those 20p pieces which keep turning up in your purse or pocket.   Even a fairly small jar will hold about £25.   When it’s full bring it to the Museum.   Quite a few people brought full jars to the last AGM.  It all helps!

 We are most fortunate to have the  services of Linden Thomas,  a  professionally qualified and experienced  conservator,  recently retired to  Rye, to carry out the important work of looking after the items we will want to display in the restored tower (they are now stored elsewhere) and ensuring they are properly documented and cared for.     

If you too would like to be part of this project and have not received a leaflet providing details and a form, do visit either of the Rye Castle Museum sites or contact the Museum  ( 01797-226728 or info@ryemuseum.co) You would have the satisfaction of knowing you had helped to save a special building of our town so it can not only be used by Ryers but also provide yet another attraction for visitors.      

Rye Museum Website   

There are now well over 100 articles and some improvements to design and navigation.      Click on any of the Local History headings for example,  and you will be taken to a page headed by a list of subtopics already available.    The newest will always be on top.   There’s much more to come of  come of course,  so be sure to visit– and revisit.    Sample the lot, or click on a heading  that interests you.     If you have writing/editing/web  talents or information on some aspect of Rye’s history you would be willing to share, please let us know!  jlfloydeltc@gmail.com      

We are 100 years away from Edwardian Rye.   One new ‘post’ on the site will give you  an idea of the changes in Rye since then,,  Click here to see it.   

Publications

The list of Museum books, booklets, maps, postcards and DVDs has recently been added to the site.  Click here to see it.   We are not at present able to provide a postal service, but the full range of titles is available at the East Street site and our topsellers at the Ypres Tower.   We have just added Captain Pugwash titles to our stock,   Scroll down for more Book News.     

Book News

Exploring Rye with Brian Hargreaves  is now available at both museum sites.  Nearly 100 precisioned line drawings of Rye buildings and details!  Price:  £5.50.

The Museum is now stocking Captain Pugwash books.  Click here for titles and prices.   

Do you have your copy of  Rye in World War II?  This was the subject of  Jo Kirkham’s Address at the 2009 Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s Church, Rye.   Following requests from a number of people for a printed version of the address,  an illustrated booklet  is now available at £3.50.      

Copies may  be purchased at the Rye Heritage Cente  or  at either of the Museum sites.   All proceeds will go to the Women’ s  Tower Project so that this part of Ypres Tower, home of the Rye Museum, can be restored and re-roofed  and brought into active use.  

New looks at Rye

A lovely little book for all Ryers:  John Griffiths’  Shapes, Colours and Materials: a look at buildings in Rye, Rye Conservation Society. £6.99.   Buying through the Museum helps the Museum!       

Do you have these yet?

These both deal with Rye before 1660–the result of years of research, deliberately complementary,  must-haves for anyone seriously interested in Rye’s history.  Both available from Martello Bookshop–or ask at the Rye Library     

Gillian Draper, Rye: A  History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660, Chichester: Phillimore, 2009    

David and Barbara Martin, Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline Within a Sussex Port Town, 1350-1660. Romney Marsh Research Trust, 2009

 (There’s lots so keep scrolling down!  The newest posts are available under Said About Rye   and Notable People.)     

News Flashes

The Talks Programme for the coming year is now available.  Click here and get out your diary!

Click on Events at right for photos of the Let’s Build a Roof and Captain Pugwash Birthday Party events.  on 3rd July.

There will be no Coffee Morning in September.

The main reason for the break is that there will be so many Rye Festival and other events in September. We will reesume our popular monthly Coffee Mornings in October.

Exploring Rye with Brian Hargreaves

The book  is out and available at both sites as well as in town.  It includes nearly 100 of Brian’s aplendid drawings of Rye buildings and details.  Price:  5.50

Reminders:  The Ypres Tower is now open all day.

The East Street Museum is open all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays only.   Please note however that it can be opened by special request during the week.  Please contact the Museum: 01797 226728, or info@ryemuseum.co.uk   

We run entirely on the good will of volunteers    If you aren’t already a volunteer steward do think about joining us!     See the note below under On Being a Volunteer.   Also below:  About our Museum Sites and additions to the Rye Museum website.    

Recent Events 

 July 3 

 The two events on this day Let’s Build a Roof and the Captain Pugwash 60th Birthday Party were captured on camera.   Go to Events at right for summaries and photos.   A third set of photos — of a wedding in the Medieval Garden will appear shortly.   

DO COME AND SEE THE NEW CAPTAIN PUGWASH DISPLAY.   There are information sheets to tell you more about John Ryan and Captain Pugwash;  thanks to Anthony Kimber of the Rye Art Gallery for sharing these with us.    You will also want to visit the Rye Art Gallery where you will find Pugwash cartoons and other artwork of John Ryan.    The celebration is a joint Rye Museum and Rye Art Gallery effort.   And the Museum is now selling Captain Pugwash books!  Click here for titles and prices.   

July 13th Visit to Bexhill Museum   

Visiting other museums always generates ideas for our own and that was certainly the case with our group visit to the newly refurbished Bexhill Museum.   Julian Porter, Rother District Curator,  was our guide,  explaining the history of the museum’s development as well as showing the various new exhibition areas: the Costume and Social History Gallery and the new Motoring Gallery.  The eclectic natural history and other cultures exhibitions were  of special interest to some of us as was the accessible archive sections with its many files and interactive computer displays.    While we  were admittedly jealous s of the space,  funds and full time staff possesed by that Museum,  we did enjoy the visit and collect some ideas for use here in Rye.   We ended the afternoon at the De La Warr Pavilion for an excellent tea and a look at their exhibitions, in particular the 60 sculptures of the artist Anthony Gormley in 12 poses making up the Critical Mass roof-top exhibiton.  

Watch out for the announcement of next year’s museum visit!   

Earlier posts give details of earlier events.

About our Museum sites 

 Ypres Tower site

The latest addition at our 13th century  Tower is the Rye Tower Embroidery, an informative (and amusing) history of the castle commissioned as part of the Ypres Tower bid for Lottery money  and created by 20 members of the Rye Stitchers over the last four years   It’s a splendid piece of work worth a special visit/revisit to the Tower.       

A reminder of what else is in the Tower     

In the dungeon there is a display of Arms and Armour, with helmets to try on, and swords to try and wield.  On the ground floor are cells once used for prisoners: one still reminds visitors of  the stark conditions endured by prisoners but another now displays  Rye pottery and a third has become a Still Room  with herbs and spices from the Middle Ages (complementing  the Medieval herb garden in the old exercise yard).  The splendid new addition of the Rye Tower Embroidery now holds pride of place above the ground floor fireplace.     

On the first floor there are beautifully sewn scenes of Rye: the Millennium Embroidery as well as  a relief map of the surrounding  countryside over the centuries and a map showing the scores of shipwrecks off our coast.    From here you can go onto the lookout, designed for looking out for the enemy!  You can look down onto the Medieval Herb  Garden which you can visit later, and across to the Women’s Tower which we are currently raising funds to repair so it can house more of our exhibits.   Built to keep the women and children prisoners when they were separated from the men in 1837, it is thought this may be the only such prison left in the country.     

What is in the East Street Museum?     

There are  displays on many aspects of Rye’s long and prestigious history:   as a  leading Cinque Port,  its shipbuilding, trading and fishing industries;  politics (there are seals from five reigns),  education,  celebrations,  the town’s celebrated pottery and mosaic ware,   domestic life and pastimes . . .   A popular feature is the town fire engine complete with wooden wheels, leather buckets and hoses used between 1745 and 1865.   There are paintings and photos as well as artefacts.    An enlarged and relocated Captain Pugwash display has just been launched (see above).  Judging from the length of time some of our visitors spend here and the comments in our visitors’ book, our Museum is well worth visiting.     

For more on this site, click on Museum Sites at right.     

Publications

The list of Museum books, booklets, maps, postcards and DVDs has recently been added to the site.  Click here to see it.   We are not at present able to provide a postal service, but the full range of titles is available at the East Street site and our topsellers at the Ypres Tower.   We have just added Captain Pugwash titles to our stock,   Scroll down for more Book News.     

 On being a Volunteer

Far from being onerous,  stewarding  offers a chance to meet  interesting visitors and become better acquainted yourself with our exhibits and Rye’s history,  so if you would be willing to help out, please contact the office  info@ryemuseum.co.uk or ring 01797-226728.  You may also want to ask about other ways to help, for example by joining the Rye Muses who organise events which help raise funds, or the Education Committee, or the Gardening group or . . . . .  The full list of possibilities is quite long!    

Women’s Tower Project:  Have you bought a brick (or two?), a stone (or two?)

There are still bricks and stones waiting to be sponsored.   Do you have a sponsor’s certificate yet?   You may collect as many as you like!     Rye Town Council at its meeting of 26th October voted to contribute £5000 to the Women’s Tower Project and the process has already begun:  English Heritage has approved plans; we have paid for architects’ plans with the RTC grant;  proper recording, preservation and storage of items kept in the Women’s Tower is  nearly completed . . . .     

 We are most fortunate to have the  services of Linden Thomas,  a  professionally qualified and experienced  conservator,  recently retired to  Rye, to carry out the important work of looking after the items we will want to display in the restored tower elsewhere) and ensuring they are properly documented and cared for.     

If you too would like to be part of this project and have not received a leaflet providing details and a form, do visit either of the Rye Castle Museum sites or contact the Museum  ( 01797-226728 or info@ryemuseum.co) You would have the satisfaction of knowing you had helped to save a special building of our town so it can not only be used by Ryers but also provide yet another attraction for visitors.      

Rye Museum Website   

There are now nearly 100 articles and some improvements to design and navigation.  (Just added, for example are two pieces on E F Benson by Allan Downend, and another on Geoffrey Bagley, largely by Rosemary Bagley under Notable People), plus more photos under Events.    More to come of course,  so be sure to visit– and revisit.   Click on any of the Local History headings and you will be taken to a page headed by a list of subtopics already available.    The newest will always be on top.   Sample the lot, or click on one that interests you.     If you have writing/editing/web  talents or information on some aspect of Rye’s history you would be willing to share, please let us know!  jlfloydeltc@gmail.com      

We are 100 years away from Edwardian Rye.   One new ‘post’ on the site will give you  an idea of the changes in Rye since then,,  Click here to see it.   

Book News

Exploring Rye with Brian Hargreaves  is now available at both museum sites.  Nearly 100 precisioned line drawings of Rye buildings and details!  Price:  £5.50.

The Museum is now stocking Captain Pugwash books.  Click here for titles and prices.   

Do you have your copy of  Rye in World War II?  This was the subject of  Jo Kirkham’s Address at the 2009 Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s Church, Rye.   Following requests from a number of people for a printed version of the address,  an illustrated booklet  is now available at £3.50.      

Copies may  be purchased at the Rye Heritage Cente  or  at either of the Museum sites.   All proceeds will go to the Women’ s  Tower Project so that this part of Ypres Tower, home of the Rye Museum, can be restored and re-roofed  and brought into active use.  

New looks at Rye

A lovely little book for all Ryers:  John Griffiths’  Shapes, Colours and Materials: a look at buildings in Rye, Rye Conservation Society. £6.99.   Buying through the Museum helps the Museum!       

Do you have these yet?

These both deal with Rye before 1660–the result of years of research, deliberately complementary,  must-haves for anyone seriously interested in Rye’s history.  Both available from Martello Bookshop–or ask at the Rye Library     

Gillian Draper, Rye: A  History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660, Chichester: Phillimore, 2009    

David and Barbara Martin, Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline Within a Sussex Port Town, 1350-1660. Romney Marsh Research Trust, 2009

News Flashes  

Captain Pugwash is  60 years old this year!  To celebrate his birthday the Museum is giving him a bigger display case at East Street, with new objects donated by John Ryan;s wife and collaborator Priscilla and their daughter Isabel.  This should be ready for viewing in early July.  And if you haven’t seen the Rye Tower Embroidery in pride of place at the Ypres Tower do go to see it–and all the other changes at that site. For more information scroll down.

Not sure about Summer opening times?  Scroll down to learn of the changes.

Events

Our June events are now over: a Quiz Night (5th June) which went so well we’ll do it again, a talk on Arthurian Herbs, the Pre-Raphaelites and William Morris  by Lin Saines (8th June) enhanced with slides, music and food-of-the-past and our monthly Coffee Morning (12th  June).     Make sure this next major event is in your diary!

Tuesday 13^th July
Trip to the newly refurbished Bexhill Museum including tour
Join Rother District Curator, Julian Porter, on a tour of the new refurbishment of Bexhill Museum including the new Motoring Gallery and the Costume and Social History Gallery.  This will be an afternoon trip.  If you haven’t an application form and would like to come ring the Museum: 01797-226728  or email info@ryemuseum.co.uk

To find out what has been happening at the Museum lately, keep scrolling down.

  Change of Opening Times at East Street !

On lst May Rye Castle Museum changed the opening times of the East Street site.  The decision to keep the Ypres Tower site open during the lunch hour all seven days of the week has been so successful in bringing in more visitors (4 times as many in May 2010 as in May 2009!) that we now  stay open at East Street all day –including the lunch hours–too,  i.e. from 10.30 to 5.00 (last admittance 4.30) during the weekends and Bank Holidays.  However, this site is closed during the week.  We run entirely on the good will of volunteers and this concentration on maximum weekend and holiday opening is proving a more fruitful way to use their valuable time as stewards.   If you aren’t already a volunteer steward do think about joining us!     See the note below under On Being a Volunteer.

Special requests:  Please note that the East Street museum can be opened by special request during the week.  Please contact the Museum: 01797 226728, or info@ryemuseum.co.uk

 Ypres Tower site

The latest addition at our 13th century  Tower is the Rye Tower Embroidery, an informative (and amusing) history of the castle commissioned as part of the Ypres Tower bid for Lottery money  and created by 20 members of the Rye Stitchers over the last four years   It’s a splendid piece of work worth a special visit/revisit to the Tower.  

The Ypres Tower site will continue to open 7 days a week throughout the Summ er season, from 10.30am to 5.00pm (last entry 4.30).  Note that it remains open during the lunch hour.

A reminder of what else is in the Tower

In the dungeon there is a display of Arms and Armour, with helmets to try on, and swords to try and wield.  On the ground floor are cells once used for prisoners: one still reminds visitors of  the stark conditions endured by prisoners but another now displays  Rye pottery and a third has become a stillroom with herbs and spices from the Middle Ages (complementing  the Medieval herb garden in the old exercise yard).  The splendid new addition of the Rye Tower Embroidery now holds pride of place above the ground floor fireplace.

On the first floor there are beautifully sewn scenes of Rye: the Millennium Embroidery as well as  a relief map of the surrounding  countryside over the centuries and a map showing the scores of shipwrecks off our coast.    From here you can go onto the lookout, designed for looking out for the enemy!  You can look down onto the Medieval Herb  Garden which you can visit later, and across to the Women’s Tower which we are currently raising funds to repair so it can house more of our exhibits.   Built to keep the women and children prisoners when they were separated from the men in 1837, it is thought this may be the only such prison left in the country.

What is in the East Street Museum?

There are  displays on many aspects of Rye’s long and prestigious history:   as a  leading Cinque Port,  its shipbuilding, trading and fishing industries;  politics (there are seals from five reigns),  education,  celebrations,  the town’s celebrated pottery and mosaic ware,   domestic life and pastimes . . .   A popular feature is the town fire engine complete with wooden wheels, leather buckets and hoses used between 1745 and 1865.   There are paintings and photos as well as artefacts.    An enlarged and relocated Captain Pugwash display is about to appear.  Judging from the length of time some of our visitors spend here and the comments in our visitors’ book, our Museum is well worth visiting.

For more on this site, click on Museum Sites above.

Publications:  The list of Museum books, booklets, maps, postcards and DVDs has just been added to the site.  Click here to see it.   We are not at present able to provide a postal service, but the full range of titles is available at the East Street site and our topsellers at the Ypres Tower.

Scroll down for more Book News.

 On being a Volunteer

Far from being onerous,  stewarding  offers a chance to meet  interesting visitors and become better acquainted yourself with our exhibits and Rye’s history,  so if you would be willing to help out, please contact the office  info@ryemuseum.co.uk or ring 01797-226728.  You may also want to ask about other ways to help, for example by joining the Rye Muses who organise events which help raise funds, or the Education Committee, or the Gardening group or . . . . .  The full list of possibilities is quite long!

�
Recent Museum Events

We certainly get some interesting visitors at the Museum! 

Ghost Connections is a small team of people based in Kent who have been conducting investigations of alleged hauntings and paranormal phenomena throughout the South East of England since 2004.   In April, they spent a night in the Ypres Tower.  The team used a range of equipment placed throughout both the Ypres Tower and the Women’s Tower which enabled them to use a variety of  investigation methods. Their equipment was monitored throughout the evening and the results documented.  Their report can  be found on their website at www.ghostconnections.co.uk. The group’s email address is enquiries@ghostconnections.com?”

April was a busy month.  We  also had three successful and well-attended events in April:  our monthly Coffee Morning,  a very informative, interesting and even entertaining talk by Dr Graham Mayhew (author of Tudor Rye) on the religion-infused lives of Ryers in medieval and pre-Reformation times, and  another informative, interesting and entertaining talk by Donna Bilak , who shared her excitement at what she has found in Rye Museum documents on Samuel Jeake to further her research for a PhD on Restoration Rye.   We’ll be receiving the finished outcome of her efforts in due course.  

And in May we have now had another of our popular coffee mornings and an exciting talk by the man–Albert Granville – whose firm’s crane ship made it possible to raise the Mary Rose after it had lain in the mud and sand of the Solent for over 500 years.  Mr Granville is a master storyteller and kept his audience spellbound.  

Women’s Tower Project:  Have you bought a brick (or two?), a stone (or two?)

There are still bricks and stones waiting to be sponsored.   Do you have a sponsor’s certificate yet?   You may collect as many as you like!     Rye Town Council at its meeting of 26th October voted to contribute £5000 to the Women’s Tower Project and the process has already begun:  English Heritage has approved plans; we have paid for architects’ plans with the RTC grant;  proper recording, preservation and storage of items kept in the Women’s Tower is  nearly completed . . . .  

 We are most fortunate to have the  services of Linden Thomas,  a  professionally qualified and experienced  conservator,  recently retired to  Rye, to carry out the important work of looking after the items we will want to display in the restored tower elsewhere) and ensuring they are properly documented and cared for.

If you too would like to be part of this project and have not received a leaflet providing details and a form, do visit either of the Rye Castle Museum sites or contact the Museum  ( 01797-226728 or info@ryemuseum.co) You would have the satisfaction of knowing you had helped to save a special building of our town so it can not only be used by Ryers but also provide yet another attraction for visitors. 

Rye Museum Website   

There are now nearly 100 articles and some improvements to design and navigation.  (Just added, for example are two pieces on E F Benson by Allan Downend, under Notable People.)  More to come of course,  so be sure to visit– and revisit.   Click on any of the Local History headings and you will be taken to a page headed by a list of subtopics already available.    The newest will always be on top.   Sample the lot, or click on one that interests you.     If you have writing/editing/web  talents or information on some aspect of Rye’s history you would be willing to share, please let us know!  jlfloydeltc@gmail.com 

We are 100 years away from Edwardian Rye.   One new ‘post’ on the site will give you  an idea of the changes in Rye since then,,  Click here to see it. 

 Book News

Do you have your copy of  Rye in World War II?  This was the subject of  Jo Kirkham’s Address at the 2009 Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s Church, Rye.   Following requests from a number of people for a printed version of the address,  an illustrated booklet  is now available at £3.50. 

Copies may  be purchased at the Rye Heritage Cente  or  at either of the Museum sites.   All proceeds will go to the Women’ s  Tower Project so that this part of Ypres Tower, home of the Rye Museum, can be restored and re-roofed  and brought into active use.  t

New looks at Rye

 A lovely little book for all Ryers:  John Griffiths’  Shapes, Colours and Materials: a look at buildings in Rye, Rye Conservation Society. £6.99.   Buying through the Museum helps the Museum!  

Do you have these yet?

These both deal with Rye before 1660–the result of years of research, deliberately complementary,  must-haves for anyone seriously interested in Rye’s history.  Both available from Martello Bookshop–or ask at the Rye Library

Gillian Draper, Rye: A  History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660, Chichester: Phillimore, 2009

David and Barbara Martin, Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline Within a Sussex Port Town, 1350-1660. Romney Marsh Research Trust, 2009

News Flashes

Change of Opening Times at East Street !

On lst May Rye Castle Museum changed the opening times of the East Street site.  The decision to keep the Ypres Tower site open during the lunch hour all seven days of the week has been so successful in bringing in more visitors that we are now going to stay open at East Street all day –including the lunch hours– i.e. from 10.30 to 5.00 (last admittance 4.30) during the weekends and Bank Holidays. 

However, this site will be closed during the week. We run entirely on the good will of volunteers and this concentration on maximum weekend and holiday opening promises to be a more fruitful way to use their valuable time as stewards. Another boon to volunteers will be a shortening of duty time as we will now have three shifts on East Street open days instead of two.   

Special requests:  Please note that the East Street museum can be opened by special request during the week.  Please contact the Museum: 01797 226728, or info@ryemuseum.co.uk

The Ypres Tower site will continue to open 7 days a week throughout the Summer season, from 10.30am to 5.00pm (last entry 4.30).

A reminder of what is in the Tower

In the dungeon there is a display of Arms and Armour, with helmets to try on, and swords to try and wield.  On the ground floor, cells for prisoners: one containing a cell with Rye pottery, a stillroom with herbs and spices from the Middle Ages which complements the Medieval herb garden in the old exercise yard and a prisoner cell.  On the first floor we have the Rye Millennium Embroidery, beautifully sewn scenes of Rye, and a relief map of the surrounding countryside over the centuries.  From there you can go onto the lookout, designed to look for the enemy!  You look down onto the Medieval herb garden, and across to the Women’s Tower.  This is of the few left, built to keep the women and children prisoners when they were separated from the men in 1837.

What is in the East Street Museum?

This site has displays on many aspects of Rye’s long and prestigious history:   as a  leading Cinque Port,  its shipbuilding, trading and fishing industries;  politics (there are seals from five reigns),  education,  celebrations,  the town’s celebrated pottery,   domestic life and pastimes. There are paintings and photos as well as artifacts.   .  An enlarged and relocated Captain Pugwash display is about to appear.

For more on this site, click on Museum Sites above.

Publications:  The list of Museum books, booklets, maps, postcards and DVDs has just been added to the site.  Click here to see it.   We are not at present able to provide a postal service, but the full range of titles is available at the East Street site and our topsellers at the Ypres Tower.

Scroll down for more Book News.

On being a Volunteer

Far from being onerous,  stewarding  offers a chance to meet  interesting visitors and become better acquainted yourself with our exhibits and Rye’s history,  so if you would be willing to help out, please contact the office  info@ryemuseum.co.uk or ring 01797-226728.  You may also want to ask about other ways to help, for example by joining the Rye Muses who organise events which help raise funds, or the Education Committee, or the Gardening group or . . . . .  The full list of possibilities is quite long!

Museum Events in April and May

We  had three successful and well-attended events in April:  our monthly Coffee Morning,  a very informative, interesting and even entertaining talk by Dr Graham Mayhew (author of Tudor Rye) on the religion-infused lives of Ryers in medieval and pre-Reformation times, and  another informative, interesting and entertaining talk by Donna Bilak , who shared her excitement at what she has found in Rye Museum documents on Samuel Jeake to further her research for a PhD on Restoration Rye.   We’ll be receiving the finished outcome of her efforts in due course.  

And in May we have now had another of our popular coffee mornings and an exciting talk by the man–Albert Granville – whose firm’s crane ship made it possible to raise the Mary Rose after it had lain in the mud and sand of the Solent for over 500 years.  Mr Granville is a master storyteller and kept his audience spellbound.

Make sure these are in your diary for June

Tuesday 8^th June    East Street      7 p.m.  (not 7:30)
Arthurian Herbs, the Pre-Raphaelites and William Morris (Early Start 7pm)
Lin Saines returns after her fantastic talk last season on Rye Herbs to take a fascinating look at herbs connected with the Arthurian legend, the Pre-Raphaelites and William Morris.  The evening includes a  tasting session for willing participants!      There will also be a raffle.   PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY START

 £1.50 members  £2.50 non-members.   All welcome.

Saturday, 14th June 10:30-12:30 East Street
Coffee Morning

Excellent Fairtrade and organic  tea and cafetiere coffee, cakes, interesting table sales: posh trash, books, tombola.  Entry is free on Coffee Mornings and all are welcome.  Besides seeing our exhibits, you will find this a great  place to meet friends.    

 And looking further ahead:

Tuesday 13^th July
Trip to the newly refurbished Bexhill Museum including tour
Join Rother District Curator, Julian Porter, on a tour of the new refurbishment of Bexhill Museum including the new Motoring Gallery and the Costume and Social History Gallery.
This will be an afternoon trip and details will follow nearer the time.

Women’s Tower Project:  Have you bought a brick (or two?), a stone (or two?)

There are still bricks and stones waiting to be sponsored.   Do you have a sponsor’s certificate yet?   You may collect as many as you like!     Rye Town Council at its meeting of 26th October voted to contribute £5000 to the Women’s Tower Project and the process has already begun:  English Heritage has approved plans; we have paid for architects’ plans with the RTC grant;  proper recording, preservation and storage of items kept in the Women’s Tower is  nearly completed . . . .  

 We are most fortunate to have the  services of Linden Thomas,  a  professionally qualified and experienced  conservator,  recently retired to  Rye, to carry out the important work of looking after the items we will want to display in the restored tower elsewhere) and ensuring they are properly documented and cared for.

If you too would like to be part of this project and have not received a leaflet providing details and a form, do visit either of the Rye Castle Museum sites or contact the Museum  ( 01797-226728 or info@ryemuseum.co) You would have the satisfaction of knowing you had helped to save a special building of our town so it can not only be used by Ryers but also provide yet another attraction for visitors. 

Rye Museum Website   

There are now nearly 100 articles and some improvements to design and navigation.  More to come of course,  so be sure to visit– and revisit.   Click on any of the Local History headings and you will be taken to a page headed by a list of subtopics already available.    The newest will always be on top.   Sample the lot, or click on one that interests you.     If you have writing/editing/web  talents or information on some aspect of Rye’s history you would be willing to share, please let us know!  jlfloydeltc@gmail.com 

We are 100 years away from Edwardian Rye.   One new ‘post’ on the site will give you  an idea of the changes in Rye since then,,  Click here to see it. 

 Book News

Do you have your copy of  Rye in World War II?  This was the subject of  Jo Kirkham’s Address at the 2009 Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s Church, Rye.   Following requests from a number of people for a printed version of the address,  an illustrated booklet  is now available at £3.50. 

Copies may  be purchased at the Rye Heritage Cente  or  at either of the Museum sites.   All proceeds will go to the Women’ s  Tower Project so that this part of Ypres Tower, home of the Rye Museum, can be restored and re-roofed  and brought into active use.  t

New looks at Rye

 A lovely little book for all Ryers:  John Griffiths’  Shapes, Colours and Materials: a look at buildings in Rye, Rye Conservation Society. £6.99.   Buying through the Museum helps the Museum!  

Do you have these yet?

These both deal with Rye before 1660–the result of years of research, deliberately complementary,  must-haves for anyone seriously interested in Rye’s history.  Both available from Martello Bookshop–or ask at the Rye Library

Gillian Draper, Rye: A  History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660, Chichester: Phillimore, 2009

David and Barbara Martin, Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline Within a Sussex Port Town, 1350-1660. Romney Marsh Research Trust, 2009

News Flashes

Talks:  Please note that there will be a second talk this month!  See below

Expanded Opening Times:  Due to popular demand,  the Ypres Tower is now open  7 days a week (not 5) and from 10.30 to 5.00 (no closure at lunchtime).  Last entry 4.30 . 

A reminder of what is there

In the dungeon there is a display of Arms and Armour, with helmets to try on, and swords to try and wield.  On the ground floor, cells for prisoners: one containing a cell with Rye pottery, a stillroom with herbs and spices from the Middle Ages which complements the Medieval herb garden in the old exercise yard and a prisoner cell.  On the first floor we have the Rye Millennium Embroidery, beautifully sewn scenes of Rye, and a relief map of the surrounding countryside over the centuries.  From there you can go onto the lookout, designed to look for the enemy!  You look down onto the Medieval herb garden, and across to the Women’s Tower.  This is of the few left, built to keep the women and children prisoners when they were separated from the men in 1837.

East Street Museum hours will continue as before, i.e. weekends all day, except for lunch times, and Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays in the afternoons. However,  if enough of you volunteer for stewarding (usually just once a month) we may be able to extend there too.   Please scroll down to see the invitation below to Become a Rye Museum Stewa rd.   We need you and it’s a rewarding thing to do

For a reminder of what can be seen at this site, click on Museum Sites above.  An enlarged and relocated Captain Pugwash display is about to appear.

Publications:  The list of Museum books, booklets, maps, postcards and DVDs has just been added to the site.  Click here to see it.   We are not at present able to provide a postal service, but the full range of titles is available at the East Street site and our topsellers at the Ypres Tower.

Scroll down for more Book News.

Museum Events

We’ve already had two successful and well-attended events this month:  our monthly Coffee Morning and a very informative, interesting and even entertaining talk by Dr Graham Mayhew (author of Tudor Rye) on the religion-infused lives of Ryers in medieval and pre-Reformation times.  We’ll try to get a summary for our website up soon.

Still to come this month:

Tuesday April 27 at 7:30 p.m.   3 East Street.  Talks Programme�
A Circle of Friends:  the story of John Allen, Samuel Jeake and Philip Frith in Restoration Rye: Donna Bilak

Donna has been researching John Allen and other friends of polymath Samuel Jeake II in Restoration times for her Ph D dissertation.   Some of this research has been done at the Rye Museum.   Donna will share some of her interesting discoveries about 17th century Rye people and events.  There will be a raffle and llight refreshments.

Admission is £1.50 for members, £2.50 for non-members.  

And put these in your diary for next month:

Saturday, 8th May 10:30-12:30 East Street
Coffee Morning

Excellent Fairtrade and organic  tea and cafetiere coffee, cakes, interesting table sales: posh trash, books, tombola.  Entry is free on Coffee Mornings and all are welcome.  Besides seeing our exhibits, you will find this a great  place to meet friends. Women’s Tower Project

Tuesday 11th May 7:30 East Street   Talks Programme
  ‘And so we raised the Mary Rose’ by Albert Granville

Albert Granville was involved with the raising of the Mary Rose.  He will tell us of the experience and the artefacts they found. There will be a raffle and light refreshments.

£1.50 members  £2.50 non-members.   All welcome.

Women’s Tower Project:  Have you bought a brick (or two?), a stone (or two?)

There are still bricks and stones waiting to be sponsored.   Do you have a sponsor’s certificate yet?   You may collect as many as you like!     Rye Town Council at its meeting of 26th October voted to contribute £5000 to the Women’s Tower Project and the process has already begun:  English Heritage has approved plans; we have paid for architects’ plans with the RTC grant;  proper recording, preservation and storage of items kept in the Women’s Tower is  nearly completed . . . .  

 We are most fortunate to have the  services of Linden Thomas,  a  professionally qualified and experienced  conservator,  recently retired to  Rye, to carry out the important work of looking after the items we will want to display in the restored tower elsewhere) and ensuring they are properly documented and cared for.

If you too would like to be part of this project and have not received a leaflet providing details and a form, do visit either of the Rye Castle Museum sites or contact the Museum  ( 01797-226728 or info@ryemuseum.co) You would have the satisfaction of knowing you had helped to save a special building of our town so it can not only be used by Ryers but also provide yet another attraction for visitors. 

Become a Rye Museum Steward

 The extension of our opening hours (see above) means more volunteers than ever before are needed to welcome visitors at the two sites.     The many slots are now nearly all filled (in part because a few people are taking more than one shift in the month) but we would be grateful for further offers of help either on a regular basis or on an ‘emergency’ list.   A bit of simple arithmetic will reveal why we need all the help we can get:

 At East Street there are seven shifts a week to cover,   and some volunteers prefer to serve as one of a pair.  (Hours are 2-5  Monday, Thursday and Friday,  and 10:30 – 1, also 2-5 Saturday and Sunday.)  If each person does just one shift a month (i.e. a morning or an afternoon),  we  need 54 volunteers to cover 28 two person shifts on this site!  

At the Tower we are fortunate to have several regular guides but they need relief of 1 1/2 hours for a lunchtime break and the aim is to have two volunteers a day willing to cover this short periiod because lunchtime visits are popular.    For a 30 day month that is 60 people willing to give just 1 1/2 hours of their time!   The open-at-lunchtime arrangement is proving well worthwhile financially so– Do you see why we need you?

Far from being onerous,  stewarding  offers a chance to meet  interesting visitors and become better acquainted yourself with our exhibits and Rye’s history,  so if you would be willing to help out, please contact the office  info@ryemuseum.co.uk or ring 01797-226728.

You may also want to ask about other ways to help, for example by joining the Rye Muses who organise events which help raise funds, or the Education Committee, or the Gardening group or . . . . .  The full list of possibilities is quite long!

Rye Museum Website   

There are now nearly 100 articles and some improvements to design and navigation.  More to come of course,  so be sure to visit– and revisit.   Click on any of the Local History headings and you will be taken to a page headed by a list of subtopics already available.    The newest will always be on top.   Sample the lot, or click on one that interests you.     If you have writing/editing/web  talents or information on some aspect of Rye’s history you would be willing to share, please let us know!  jlfloydeltc@gmail.com 

We are 100 years away from Edwardian Rye.   One new ‘post’ on the site will give you  an idea of the changes in Rye since then,,  Click here to see it. 

 Book News

Do you have your copy of  Rye in World War II?  This was the subject of  Jo Kirkham’s Address at the 2009 Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s Church, Rye.   Following requests from a number of people for a printed version of the address,  an illustrated booklet  is now available at £3.50. 

Copies may  be purchased at the Rye Heritage Cente  or  at either of the Museum sites.   All proceeds will go to the Women’ s  Tower Project so that this part of Ypres Tower, home of the Rye Museum, can be restored and re-roofed  and brought into active use.  t

New looks at Rye

 A lovely little book for all Ryers:  John Griffiths’  Shapes, Colours and Materials: a look at buildings in Rye, Rye Conservation Society. £6.99.   Buying through the Museum helps the Museum!  

Do you have these yet?

These both deal with Rye before 1660–the result of years of research, deliberately complementary,  must-haves for anyone seriously interested in Rye’s history.  Both available from Martello Bookshop–or ask at the Rye Library

Gillian Draper, Rye: A  History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660, Chichester: Phillimore, 2009

David and Barbara Martin, Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline Within a Sussex Port Town, 1350-1660. Romney Marsh Research Trust, 2009